Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-04-16

OF the senate n the mouse were crow
dcd hours before the assembling OF
congress today by persons ANXIOUS TO
hear the presidents message read and
witness the scenes following.
President McKinlcy's Message.
President Mckinley has sent the long
expected message ON the Cuban ques'
ton TO congress. The message begins
with the statement that undrl
the prccept Of the constitution
the president must from time
to time inform congress OF
the state of the union, and it becomes
his duty to address that body in re
gard to the grave crisis which has arts
en- in the relations Of the United States
and Spain by reason of the warfare
that for more than three years has
ragged in the ncighbOring island OF
Cuba"
lie says this comes nndcr the head OF
state Of the union, because OF the init
mate connection Of the Cuban question
with the state Of our union and
the grave course now incumbent upon
this nation 10 adopt" lie points that
the present revolution is only the sue
CCsSUr t. similar revolutions for nearly
half "A century, each of which has cauS-
ed this nation great expense in preserN-
ing neutrality; inflicted enormous loss
IS ON our commerce, caused irritation
and ANNOYANCE among our citizens ana
'by the exercise Of cruel, barbarous I'M
civilized practices of warfare has
shocked the sensibilitics and offended
the human sympathies of our people
p...,. 81. a II ,ynInttn.
The president declares that since the
present revolution began the fertile
domain has been rayaVcd hy fire and
sword, in a struggle rarely paraileIed
in the nun Der Of Combal
ants and bitterness of contest
by any rcVoIu ton Of mod
crn times. A once prosperous COM
munity has been reduced to compara-
tive want, its commerce paralyIcd, ITS
fields laid waste and its people are per-
iShing by tens of thousands from hum
ger and restitution,
Efforts of This Country.
The message then cites the efforts OF
this country TO perform its duty rs a
neutral and the consequent restrictions
ON our commerce., losses to our citizens,
DCIllOllS unrest lll'll lbo Si'Nh VI
among our own citizens, finding OK
preston from time to time in congress
making an entirely outside issue stand
i'm the place Of our devotion to our do
nestle Advancement.
Former Effort to Mediate.
In April, 1896. the evils from which
our country suffered through the Gu
ban war became So OncrouS thai my
20, Predecessor made an effort TO bring
out peace through mediation OF this
go,crnment in any way tending to an
honorable adjustment Of the contest
between Spain and her revolted colony
on fine basis of some effective scheme
of self government for Cuba under the
fac and sovereignty of Spain. IL lalied
through the refusal of the Spanish gov
rrumcnt then in power To consider any
form Of mediation, or, inced, any pan
of settlement which did not begin VIII
the actual submission of the lnSur'
GENTS To the mother country, and thei
only on terms that Spain might see III
TO grant. The war continued
and the resistance Of the insurgents
was in no wise diminished. The et'
forts Of Spain to increase its reign ol
terror both by the dispatch of fresh
Icvies to Cuba and 10y the addition tc
the horrors of the strife of a new ano
inhuman phase, happily unprecedent
cd i'm the modern history OF clVlllIco
Christian peoples. The policy of dev'
astation and concentration inaugural
ed bv Weyler's bando of October, 1896
in the province of Pinar del Rio was
extendcd to embrace all of the islanC
20 which the power of the Spanish
arms was able to reach by occupation
or by military operations.
Then follows a review OF the erect
of the bando in the better part OF The
four central and western provinces
where 100000 agriculturists we're drlN
en- from the lands to starve in owl
and so per cent since have died.