davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The times., 1898-04-01
Capture or sink That FIotilla

European papers declare, on the
strength Of their Madrid correspond
ence. that Sagasta win not and dare
not consider any proposition TO recog-
niZe Cuban independence. or to sell the
island. If their information is correct,
nothing remains but foreign interven-
tion before Monday next, or else the
American Congress will take the mat
ter into its own hands and declare war.
The Administration must be very
confident that Spain viii surrender, or
that Russia. France. and Germany will
intervene before anything can be done
on Capitol Hin. Otherwise We are at
loss 10 understand why a squadron is
not sent out 10 capture or sink that
torpedo boat fiotilla which IS steadily
steaming toward our shores. That It
is dangerous to let IL come Is notorious
among our naval authorities. Only the
other night it was demonstrated. in
some practice evolutions at Key West
that torpedo boats could get within
striking distance of our battleships
without the certainty Of detection. It
happened to the Iowa and the Indiana
while they were on the lookout for such
an attack, and were using all their eyes
and searchiights to prevent it.
The Administration may as well
make up its mind that it is taking an
enormous risk of being blown up by
that torpedo hotilla, in addition to any
care it may have for the integrity Of
our Navy. 1t would be an unhappy day
for the fearful President if dove-like
peace were suddenly to be ruptured by
a Spanish torpedo attack upon Pensa-
cola, or some other port equally open to
assault. Such an event might even
stagger Mr. McKinley's confidence in
the efficacy Of prayer, or in the power
of Wall Street to secure peace at any
price
The easy way out Of the dilemma is to
send the flying squadron, under Com
modore Schley at once TO intercept the
feet Of destroyers which Spain is hurl-
ing at US If this Is not done the Amer
lean people win want to know why.
They will begin to ask whether, after
all, the boats are not coming by agree
ment 10 police the coasts Of Cuba, while
the McCook armistice is in force: so
that no supplies can reach the patriots.
II may be that American sentiment
might hamper the Administration in an
attempt 10 coerce the Republic of Cuba
into buying its independence Of the Nc
Cook Hanna syndicate. In such a case
a numerous Spanish mosquito feet
strung all around the island would
have a remarkably pacifying effect,
and might result even in starving the
Cuban army into acceptance of "au-
tonomy'' and the Spanish-Cuban debt
With Congress off his hands, there is
no telling what Mr. Mckinley might
not accomplish for peace and piety-
but always by sound business meth
DDS"
The times., 1898-04-01

what they had done. Because, If there
is anything that the Chief Magistrate
is noted for, it is faithfulness To his
associates. Marcus Alonzo Hanna will
pass into history as a shining example
Of the fact. So will the Chicago confec-
toner OF fame. Senor Pie Kohlsaat
1t might be improper 10 speak of any
other similar movement, while Roth
schiid, Hirsch, Blichroder, or ]. p
Morgan are using the diplomatic ageu-
cies Of their several governments to
improve the relations between this
country and Spain, but. at the risk Of
impcrtinence. We may be allowed to
observe that there is one power whose
Intervention seems not TO have been
thought Of 1t certainly has not been
solicited. But it is coming all the same
We refer TO that Of the American peo-
pie,
Grass foolishness win mark the minds
OF the interior council of state. if its
members DO not take this fact and
menace into consideration. The Ameri-
can people are not naturally turbulent
nor truculent. They are standing pa
tiently behind the Administration. Not
/ too patiently. but still patiently. But
( they are standing behind it in the same
way that the soldier with the lanyard
stands behind the gun. When the time
T comes the gun will go off, burst, or be
abandoned. Then the soldier with the
/ lanyard goes and fires another gun.
/ Yes. Intervention is certain! The
/ American people viii intervene
Through influence of patriotic pressure
upon the occupant of the White House,
if they can. If not, then by their con-
troll over individual senators and men,
bers of Congress. If both efforts should
fail. why then they will be apt to take
matters into their own hands.
The American people are neither
slaves nor towards. They will not al
low a handful of corrupt or pusillani-
nous public servants defy the deter
mination of seventy-five millions of
freemen. Does anybody thing they
VIII? Let that individual wait a few
days and see,
The spirit of 1916 has been invoked
and aroused, the sword Of Bunker
/ Hill has been taken down from over
: the old chimney, oiled, frightened and
ground to a razor edge on the national
/ grindstone of rage and humiliation.
I Before it shall be hung up again it will
/ cut somebody.
II would better be a SpaniaTd.
The times., 1898-04-01
The Certainty OF intervention

There is a great deal Of talk about
Intervention Of one sort or another.
and much Of il must reach the White
House, even II some Of IL does not
originate not far from that peaceful
abode. European Intervention, for ex-
ample is a popular subject of CONVEX
sation among gentlemen connected
with the Administration, and also with
Wall Street They rather like and en-
courage the idea, because if IL were to
be carried out, there would be a chance
for the Spanish-Cuban bond syndicate
even in the face Of a wrathful Con-
Rress and country, somewhat inclined
to declare independence, war, and
other things uncomfortable for the in
terests which have been in control Of
our Cuban policy through two adminis-
trations.
We are not sure that, discounting the
probability Of a declaration of war by
Congress next Monday, these influences
have not asked our authorities to beg
for intefposition by Russia, France,
and Germany before that date. II is
not that We believe Mr.. Mckinley
would listen 10 such a request, but
some Of his subordinates might, and
then he would not like TO discredit
The times., 1898-04-01

o,o,,,g an answer to this resolution
on me from Spain. but to this day no an
ever has been received from the freSideHt
of the United States 80
.'Mr. President, l am not unaware that
there may be reasons why TINS lhlorind>
tion should be withheld. | am oound 10
presume that there are such reasons from
the fact that from the 14th day OF feoru-
arv 10 this hour we have had from the
TTvecutive no statement of the knowledge
nossessed by him as to the condition OF
Tho neonle of Cuba, derived from the con-
sular reports. -.
without some information as TO the con-
dition of those people. Information was
needed by the Senate and country IN or
der to determine what action, If any,
should be taken by the United States in
connection with the war in Cuba.
."rhat information has been furnished
to ne nv four members of this body who
have seen with their own eyes and
heard with their own ears. They have
testified to what they knew on TINS SUB
ject
..NIr President. whatever criticism may
he made concerning the visit of those
senators to the Island of Cuba, / take
occasion to say that they have rendered
the greatest possible service they could
render TO the United States, to the world
and to suffering humanity.
should be Withheld No Longer
Now. Mr.. President, If there is any
reason why the country should not know
whether or not the official report of the
consul general and other United States
consuls in Cuba confirm or refute the
stories told to us by our associates, l
should be glad to be so informed. 1 do
not believe there is a sufficient reason
for Withholding the reports OF the con-
suls. ,..,- -,
Il certainly think that on the 10th day
of February, after the news had come
| To the people of the United States or the
| occurrence In Havana harbor, that the
| Congress and the people of the United
| states might have known what the tes-
timony was concerning the Cuban popu-
| lation.
! But I am not disposed to enlarge upon
| this subject l have the fullest confidence
| in the Committee on Foreign Relations,
| and | also have confidence that the Pres
ident of the United States intends to pur
The times., 1898-04-01
The Grnpowder PLOT Recalled.

To the Editor OF The Times:
ApEopOs 10 the speeches Of Senators Proctor
Galliuger and ThurstOn, giving account OF Span
ish erueltes and outrages practieed upon innocent
women and children, and the report OF the Maine
Board of Inquiry showing the culpabihty OF that
nation for the destruction OF our batteship IN
Havana harbOr, il must be remembered that these
are not the only pieces of viilainy that can be
traced 10 4 Spanard's hands.
When the gunpOwder plot was formed. and
the destruction of King James | and both houses
Of parliament, by the touching of Of thirty-sx
barrels OF gunpowder, was planned not 4 man in
all England could be found mean enough and
wicked enough TO peTpetrate this foul deed: and
a Spanish officer, Guy Fawkes by name was i'm
ported for this purpose. 1t IS true that this in
diVidUal born in England but at an early
age he emigrated 10 Spain. grew up, and after
wards joined the Spanish army
Tie may have been halfway decent before going
10 SPAIN but after imbibing Spanish ideas, Spar
iSh teachings and Spanish diabClism, he was q TT
subject 20 perpetrate Spanish crime.
Happily, however. the plot was discovered lust
on the eve Of its executive. and the record Of
one OF the worlds most Aendish crimes was thus
lost TO history.
Other incidents in the early settlement of this
country could be cited, showing that treacherv
brutality, duplicity and intrigue are especial
traits of Spanish character and the map OF this
harbarOus nation should no longer be left to
disgrace our Western Hemisphere. Yours pat,
riotcally, JOHN T. c. NEWSOM.
The times., 1898-04-01

Will the Administration persist in allow
ing that torpedo flotilla 70 reach safe
base Of operations at Porto Rico or Cuba +?
Fighting Bob" Evans declares that such
a course is the sheerest folly. There
are many places on the Florida Coast
that It might easily shell and destroy.
and one at least Of them belongs 10 the
Standard Oil party. That fact alone
ought to lead TO vigorous action. The
fotilla should be intercepted and cap
tured or destroyed. Why stand on cere-
mony? The Spaniards did not when they
blew up the Maine, and massacred two
hundred and sixty-six of its crew.
The times., 1898-04-01
Theory and Practice.

(From the Chicago Chronicle.)
Deeply affected and holding his handkerchief
TO his eyes, Mr.. Moret, the Spanish minister Of
marine, inquiries "How nations whose civil
lization Is supposedly high engage in war which
would assuredly make desolate the homes OF
Spain and the United States?" And then, still
under stress Of great emotion, he orders a second
torpedo fotilla 10 make tracks for Havana as fast
as steam will carry il. Somehow or other we mis-
trust this Mr. Moret. He doth protest too much.
The times., 1898-04-01
Autonomy.

The sun OF noon was blazing high
When every idle passer by
Beheld swathy man who bore
banner with one word-no more;
autonomy
''Oh stay,'' the passers cried ''and fling
Within the garbage cart that thing!'
But Just one word the dark man spoke,
Twas staler than Depew joke,
Autonomy!
They reached the ash piles Ger and Ger,
They saw the swathy man no more;
And when the farce all played out
The nation gave one ieering shout;
"Autonomyl"
Cleveland Plain Dealer.
The times., 1898-04-01
CUBA IN THE SENATE.
The Question Again Discussed by
Senator's Allen and Chandler.


The strain under which the Senate has
been iaboring for thespast few days was
emphasized Yesterday when the Cuban
question again came TO the front through
! a motion made by Mr.. Frye, of the For
eign Relations ComIaittee, asking that
the resolution agfeed4o few days ago.
calling upon the President for the consul
lar correspondence, he recommitted to
the committee There was no apparent
| reason why this request should be com
piled with, and il was antagoniZed by
Senators Allen. Chandler and others.
| This led TO a general discussion which
lasted through the greater part of the
afternoon, but after ii was all over the
request of the committee that it again be
given possession of the resolution, was
complied with, it being the general un-
derstanding that on Monday next the
President would send in the whole cor
respondence and lay before the country
the facts as found by our consrlar
agents IN Cuba
Mr. Chandler objected to the request,
but Mr.. FRYE met that with a motion,
which was not agreed to, however, until
after Mr. Allen had had the opportunity
of addressing the Senate on the subject.
1t went over under the rules until to-
day Mr.. Frye giving notice that when it
was called up he should move to refer it
to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
| He said that he had advocated the in
| dependence of the Cubans long before it
was popular thing to do, and he read a
resolution he had offered on December a.
1895
| In speaking at that time in support of
this resolution, which was for the inde-
pendence of the Cubans. he had said these
! United States. He had asked what there
was to prohibit Congress to recognize
| their independence
On February 2S following. he introduc-
! ed another resolution requesting the
President of the United States to recog-
| nize the belllgerency of the Cubans. and
in support of 1t he had declared that the
Cubans were then maintaining a govern
ment
Now" said Mr.. Allen. 'I would go
farther than either of these resolutions,
and demand that Cuba be recognized as
one of the nations of the earth, and
| pledge the power of our army and navy
| to enforce this
Il would admit a minister from Cuba
| to this country, recognizing and giving
him all the courtesies accorded to the
| Spanish minister
II held then and l hold now that this
! question is one for the consideration of
| Congress, or for the President and Con-
| gress together"
Mr.. Allen then went on to show what
was meant by state of war. He said
we know that state of war exists in
| Cuba and 1t remains TO be seen whether
We have the patriotism and courage to
| recognize them and help them to gain
| the freedom we SO much boast of.
'If we stand here asld allow Spain to
| cut the throats Of ali those people, we
shall justly merit the criticism of all ma
| tions of the world. tJ
The times., 1898-04-01
There's woodshcd and a Switch.

From the Chicago Chronicle.)
Our sympathy gees out TO that rash and mis-
guided youth, Stephen B. Elkns, jr., who il
prancing around New Haven at the head Of ;
crowd Of Yale students shouting for war viii
Spain. Just wait till he hears from the old man
The times., 1898-04-01
ECHOES FROM ABROAD.

1t is all very well TO ridcule the notion
that the presence of the Prince Of Wales
in France has n connection with the
Tom Tiddlers Ground game being
played out in West Africa. True enough
1t Is that his royal highness never would
put himself IN the way Of being snubbed
by the very recent" statesmen who are
in charge of affairs at Paris. but never
theless his presence and the presence of
MS mother I'm the Riviera has helped 10
allay French irritation because of the
recent clash in the hinterland. on the
other hand' there are not wanting ardent
chauNinists who gag at some of The dem
onstrattons in the princes honor. One
such. in speaking OF the interchange If
couftesies between the prince and the
project of the maritime Alps on the occa-
sion OF the dedication OF a new iettv at
cannes, al which the prince oficiated.
observed: 1T Is permitted to say that It
IS hardly dignifed to give the name Of
the Prince of Wales to anything French.
when the English give French names to
their battleships and their streets ONLY
Tor the sake of reminding us of things
We would rather forget"
II cannot be denied that there is moth
ing conciliatory in naming Il British bat
tleship-one of the 5wiftest and most
heavily armed of her majesty's navy
Barfeur, when one remembers that near
the Cape of Barfleur, on the north coast
OF France, couple of hundred years ago.
Admiral Russell destroyed twenty-one
warships of France, to thirteen of which
he put the torch. Nor can one blame n
Frenchman that he wriggles in his waist
coat when he secs the union jack f1yine,
over good ship named BelIeisle He
cannot forget the siege of the island
only century since, and its capture by
the British after desperate resistance.
There are other similar instances on the
British naval register, and one must
confess that the Frenchman's point is
fairly well taken
The times., 1898-04-01
Badly Puzzled.

Grom the Toledo Bee)
The pathetic side Of the newspaper end OF the
Spanish situation is that our esteemed Republican
editors don't know from one day 10 another
whether to walk Spanish or put on their war
paint.
The times., 1898-04-01

LOCO New Hatpins. military buttons
turquoise. emeralds, topaz amethyst and
Rhine stones, beautifully cut: ~
just in; TO sell at.............. zoe
The times., 1898-04-01

Smart" folk in England go in nocks.
with royalty for the bellweather. Hence.
because the queen of late years has gone
Florence or the Riviera, that being the
time she can best leave cares of state.
for an outing in early Spring either 10
her aristocratc subjects think they, too.
must needs stay in dull damp London
or its suburbs all the long Winter leay-
ing for sunbath in the littoral at the
very moment when London is beginning
again to be tolerable. Princess Louise,
marchioness of Lorne, has been passing
the season in q modest little villa at San
Raphael, where she has been pIavinr
hostess to the brilliant daughter of the
artist Lorenz Alma Tadema. Miss Ia
dema, after her return from Russia last
year, where she accompanied Nine Eleo
nora Duse on her theatrical tour, was
broken in health, and she seems never to
have recovered from the hardships she
suffered them. The princess and Miss Ia
dema have been occupying themselves
in reading and sketching. OF application
10 her art the princess never seems to
tire, and the days have passed quickly
for the royal guest, who dropped so cas-
lily into the almost peasant life of the
sea that she had been in the Riviera
three weeks before the English colony
awoke to her presence among them.
Speaking of Nine. Duse am reminded
that ii was i'm Florence that this actress,
over whom Paris went mad last season,
scored her first small success. Nor was
* such a small success since # raised
her at one bound from the position of
dressing-room assistant to a foothold on
the ladder of advancement. Though born
IN the wings. as il were, her first appear
ance before an audience had elected only
Kisses for her, utterly lifeless rendering
Of the part assigned her. After that she
was degraded TO the position wherein
fame found her one night when she
was about eighteen years old there was a
vacancy in the little mountebank com
pany to which she was attached No one
could be found 10 take the part save the
poor little Cinderella of the troupe. She
was hastily fitted up and taught the
lines In her years of wandering she
had suffered, and her knowledge of woe
gave her insight to interpret her part.
Her audience shouted with admiration
and sympathy al seeing an actress where
they had looked for something little bet
ter than clown. and in that moment
began the career Of Nine. Duse.
The times., 1898-04-01
Preferable.

(From the Louisville Postl
War may be hell but hanging on the ragged
edge of war for months is no Summer pastime.
The times., 1898-04-01
With Decks Cleared for Action.

(FTom the Wheeling Register.)
Meanwhile the flower Of the Spanish navy Is
quietly sailing westward
The times., 1898-04-01

New Medallion Link Girdles. in oxidizsd
and gilt metal. set with handsome.
large jewels Going rapid n
IN AT " - zoe
The times., 1898-04-01

At the conclusion of Mr.. Aliens re-
marks, Mr.. Chandler obtained the floor
and said:
THE resolution now before the Senate
was reported yesterday from the Com
mittee on Foreign Relations. 1t requests
the President, if not incompatible with
the public interests, to transmit to the
Senate all consular correspondence be-
tween the Island of Cuba and our State
Department. 4a
THE senator from Maine CMr. Frye
has twice stated in connection with the
resolution of yesterday that he should
today ask for its. consideration.
The senator now asks, first. that the
resolution may lie upon the table, not TO
be called up without the consent of the
Committee on Foreign, Relations This
action indicates some doubt and indecis-
ion on the part of the Committee on For
eign Relations, perhaps proper under ex-
listing circumstances.
yesterday they thought there ought to
be a new call made upon the President of
the United Statesiforo information as to
the condition of the Cuban population.
Today they think the call ought not to be
made.
Mr. President, the first call that was
made on the President for this informa
tion was adopted by the Senate on mo-
ton of the senior senator from Alaba-
ma CMr. Morgan) on the 18th day of Feb
ruary last The first clause of the reso-
luton, then unanimously agreed TO. re-
uuested the President to give to the Sen
ate. If not incompatible with the public
service, copies of the report of the con
sui general and the other consuls in Cuba
since March 4, 1897, which related to the
state of the war and the condition of the
people That all or such part of that re-
port as would give this information tc
the Senate be transmitted
"On the same day resolution was re.
ported from the Committee on Foreign
Affairs Of the House of Representatives
calling for the same Information asked
| for by the Senate. The House request wa:
| In detail for full information on all point.
! connected with the condition of the Gu
bans in that island, and in connection
| with the pending war.
| 'On the next day, at 9:40 o'clock in tn,
The times., 1898-04-01
CIRCULATION STATEMENT.

Readers of The Times who may at any time
be unable 70 procure copies Of il at any news
stand railroad station OF on railroad trains, will
confer 4 favor upon the management by sending
&C this Office information Of the fact
Communications intended for publication in
The Times should be tersely and plainly written,
and must in all cases be accompanied By the
name and address Of the writer. Rejected com
nlunications VIII not be preserved, and only man
uscripts Of Obvious importance viii be returned
60 their authors.