The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-04-01
the city was reached was she FUN es.

who enters here leaves hope behind,
when they were driven from the fields
and hcrded like cattle in the cities and
towns of this fertile land. The truth
is that Weyler devised "A scheme of hui
man suffering and sorrow that put
Dantc's Inferno into the shade. and
converted n prosperous people into
herdc of suffering. unfcrtunates. Ma
tanzas is literally place of beggary
and death Never before did my eyes
behold such suffering, and never again
do expect TO see such havoc wrought
through cruel and inhuman decree.
"A visit to the Matanzas hospitals re-
vealed an even more shocking erndi-
tion than the streets. Members of the
( Red Cross society who had visited one
of the hospitals two weeks before were
almost overcome upon discovering that
nearly every one of the inmates at that
time had since died. There poverty.
sorrow and suffering were depicted in
their worst forms; children. gaunt in
face, but with abdomen and limbs ter
ribly swollen, women in the last stages
Of emaciation and men there were rap
! idly drifting to death If there was
food in these hospitals did rot discov-
or il; neither were their signs Of mcdi-
cine or OF proper nursing and care.
! The governor OF Matanzas informed
/ Mr. Gallinger that the first day he oc-
cupied the palace Is persons had died
in the courtyard. lie said further that
in the city 200 had died in Novem Der
l.sOO in December, 700 in January and
500 in February. The death rate was
decreasing, simply because the recon
centrados. by death. were becoming
fewer. The number of people who have
starved in Cuba will never be definitely
known. 1t is estimated that SOC, 900
were driven from their homes into the
cities and towns.
II had it from Spanish authority"
said the senator. that. according to
their figures. as5.OOO already have
persisted. but it is said that the Red
Cross society is in possession of figures
showing that 4aj 900 Cubans have died
As a result OF Spanish cruelty from
starvation. and that 100000 more must
inevitably die.
spain and the Maine.
IL have been asked many times what
of the Maine. do not know. This,
however. do know: A government
that will deliberately starvc 400, 900 of
its own people will do pretty mach any
thing. If the ship was blown up
from the outside. what should our
government do? Perhaps | should for
bear TO discuss that question now; but
this | will venture to say: Human life
purposelv taken can not be paid for in
gold or silver. Mark my words. 'pur-
posely taken. and if it shall appear
that such was the fate of $50 brave
American sailors. then Heaven pity the
guilty parties. 1t will not be ques-
tion for arbitration. but a question in
volving the dignity and honor of this
great republic.
Mr.. Gallinger said there was little
real loyalty to Spain in Cuba. as would
be demonstrated when the hour of trial
should come He did not believe that
Spain could subduo the insurgents
The Cubans had been oppressed SO long
that they preferred death to continued
Spanish rule.
Discussing the subject of Spanish
rule. Mr. Gallinger referred to the mat
ter of taxation. In addition to all di
rect and iEdiret taxes on real estate
| there Is a tax on every door, every
| window and every chimney in every
house. on every letter in every business
sign. and on every name on every hotel
register. There is a tax on food ami
mails as whole, and special taxes on
the horns, the hoofs and the hide. In
addition to all this. the interest on the
debt is "A trcmdous burden. The sal
aries of the Spanish officials are beyond
all reason and the amount of money
wrung from the Cubans to keep tn,
Madrid government from complete in.
solvcncy is simply enormous.
No people on the face of the earth
have been 80 oppressed, the treasury of
Spain being being literally supplied
from the revenues cNtorted from Cuba
and the Philippine islands. Our fore
fathers went to war because the moth
or country put tax on tea. Cuba has
10000 more reasons than we had for re
bellion, and she deserves the sympathy
and help Of every true American.
Fortunately, the people of this great
republic are thoroughly aroused To the
situation, and the great heart of the
American populacc is full OF sympathy
with Cuba. Religion and humanity
alike demand that this unholy war shall
cease. and cease it should even though
the glitter and glamour Of military
rule shall end and decaying and dis
solutc throne shall pass away, never
to return.
As TO what should be done. Mr.. Gal
lingcr felt that sooner or later this gov.
ernment would of necessity absorb
Cuba. but if annexation can not now he
accomplished, let independence spccdi-
~ come.
American interests in Cuba" said he,
in conclusion, "huve already suffered
enough. We have patrolled our coast
in the interest of Spain as long as we
should, and we have spent quite too
much money in protecting our people
from epidemic diseases coming to our
shores because Of the unsanitary condi-
ton of the harbor and city of Havana.