The age-herald., 1898-02-10


 the island. riding as he did. in an armored car under a heavy escort of Spanish troops
 'sThus he went" declared MT Mason. '1esying men. women and children to starye while the funds were placed in his hands to relieve the distress of the recon tradoes and pacificos were being used to appeal as bribes to the Cuban leaders with itching palms."
 Mir. Mason then read a letter purportfng to be the answer of General Gomez to Gen. eral Blancos offer of a vessel to enable him (Gomez) to leave the island of Cuba in safety.
 Think of thas grand old soldier. brave as he is," shouted Mir. Mason, lighting for a country he loves, fighting in storm and sunshines fighting too, with the knowledge that his own son had been sacrificed to the cause Think of his being approached by that bribe-givef. that military prostitute. B,anco. with a pitdful bribe for his henor.'' .,
 Now that the spansa forces have refused open battle, said MT. Mason. the only hope of Spain Is to overcome the Cuban leaders by brabes. Reverting again to discuskton of the bearing of international law upon the conflict MT. Mason contended that Uncle Sam was in effect policeman whoee duty 1t was to exercise his power to prevent bfoodshed upon the flair island.
 The People Behind Him
 
 declared Mir. Mason, The would, has been the case in every other crisis of our country, have behind him the army and the navy, and, above all, the people"
 Mr. Mason read a letter from an Amerd-. can woman who is a mother superior in convent in Havana to a friend. in this country, picturing the condition of affairs there. 'The war;" she said, "has de- saroyed the country, but while 1t has made many poor it has made others rich"
 Continuing, she said Weyler has suc- ceedsd in killing hundreds of thousands by his policy of concentration. There could be no vicarious atonements for a nation crime and the law of compensation Woudd demand punishment for the crime here inflicted. While those men and wonasn were starving, the senator said, the bucket shops send us price lists.
 "As for me-" he exclaimed, "1 cannot give attention to pork prices in Illinois so long as this condition of affairs con tinues in Cuba These stock jobbers tell us that war is hell. All right. In Cupa it is worse than he'll"
 Dante, he said, "Pictured with unrivaled pen the horror of hell, but was incapable of depicting the terrors of life of the re- concentrates"
 When Bucket shops Make Laws
 Continuing, MT. Mason said that when the bucket shops write the legislation for the country the evil day is upon us. The republican party had promised to put a stop to this condition of affairs and no one man had a right to interdict this resolution, let him sit in the white house or elsewhere.
 At this point the applause was vocifer- ouS.
 MT. Mason declared that notwithstanding the declaration of the St. Louis platform nothing had been done,-"nothing," he said, except to pass belligerency resolu- tion in the Senate," and, he added, amid great laughter, referring evidently to Speaker Reed" "it is not certain whether he will pass it on the other side."
 MT. Mason declared Spain was jealous of our nearness to Cuba and expressed the opinion that there was effort on the part of Spain to force this country buy Cuba, He said the Spaniards had al- ways been hostile to the republican insti- tutions of this country. Indeed, from the beginning of our history there had scarce ly been an administration which had not been compelled to deal with the bad faith of Spain. Spain was without honor, with out cash and without credit. Her soldiers were conscripts and her captain generals either thieves like Weyler, or bribe givers like Blanco. We do not want the island, but if necessary to save the women and children of the island, let us, for Gods sake, buy them, said MT. Mason.
 Gold Brick Scheme
 He declared the autonomy which Spain had offered to Cuba was a gold brick which Spain was trying to work off on the president.
 Mr. Mason ridiculed the scheme of au- tonomy proposed. He pointed out that the captain general could dissolve the pro- posed Cuban parliament and pass the ap- propriation bills and declare martial law "at his own sweet will" without any refer ence to the desires of the Cuban people. And yet,' said MT. Mason, "this is the rxI@ -21xN xIx.z do so much for Cuba. Is that the inde- pendence the republican party proposed to assist the Cubans in obtaining?"
 He declared that President Mckinley was being imposed upon until the Spanish authorities had time to murder and bribe yet few more of those to whom local self-government had been promised. MT. Mason said he believed that certainly not less than 200 900 persons had fallen victims to Spanish brutality and he felt that the number was not less than 5OO,OOO Shall we wait?" he inquired, until the rest of them have been annihilated?"
 Spain Must Cease
 By the resolution, which he had offered, MT. Mason said this country in effect de- clared to Spain that she must go from the island of Cuba and any differences between the United States and the Madrid govern ment arising out of the declaration would be settled before the courts of the world
 
 and children,' said he, i've will settle with Spain on land sea. In the closing hours of the nineteenth century we shall demonstrate that there is one great na- tion-the greatest in the world-that is not seeking additional land or more territory by conquest"
 In conclusion, after a more extended ex- planation of his interest in the Cuban cause, MT. Mason said:
 ''Mr. President, if there is to be war let 1t be war not of our seeking, not a war in which our soldiers shall carry torches in their hands. but let 1t be a war either in defense of our country or in defense of the imperishable jewels of hu- manity, jewels more sacred than life, a war of glory and honor."
 On motion of MT. Hale the resolution was referred to the committee on foreign relations.
 MT. Morgan introduced a resolution re- questing the president to send to the senate copies of reports made by the consul-gen- eral of the United States at Havana and other consuls of the United States in Cuba relating to the war which have been re- ceived since the 4th of March last. The