The San Francisco call., 1898-03-25
Senator ThupStOn'S Most Dramatic Plea for
 the CubanS.
Carries Out Request of a Dying Wife by Crying Out Against the Fearful Slaughter
 by Spain.
Call Office, Riggs House,

its interest was presented in the Sen ate to-day during the delivery by Thurston of Nebraska of a speech on the Cuban situation. Not since the in auguration of President Mckinley have so many people been on the Sen ate side of the Capitol as were there to-day. The galleries were packed With people, many of whom had arrived at the Capitol as early as 9:30 in order to obtain seats. Even the diplomatic gal lery, which is rarely occupied, was filled, among those in it being Senor Mendonca, the Brazilian Minister, and party; ex-Secretary of State John w. Foster and Mrs. Foster, and many ladies and gentlemen from the various foreign legations.
 Within a few minutes after the Sen ate convened every Senator who could be present was in his seat, and by the time Thurston began his speech dozens of members of the House were either standing or occupying chairs in the arena without the semi-circle Of seats. A jar of roses had been placed on Thurston's desk, but he spoke from that of Hawley, in the central part of the chamber.
 His first sentence he spoke by com mand of silent lps-a delicate ana
 
 wife on his memorable trip to Cuba commanded instant attention. hush fell over the great audience, which hung with almost breathless attention and interest upon every word. Some surprise had been expressed that Sem ator Thurston should appear in public prominently so soon after the death of Mrs Thurston, but the first sentence of his speech furnished a key to his | action. It is true that Thurston's | speech to-day, viewed from one stand point was an unusual proceeding, but | 1t was justified by the conditions at | tending it. Mrs. Thurston's dying re- quest to her husband was that he should lose no time on account of her death to do his utmost to save and free Cuba and it's people.
 In accordance with this request, therefore, Senator Thurston sacrificed his personal feeling and delivered his speech-a speech that was tribute to the memory of his wife. Without knowing the motive which animated Thurston and inspired him to his best efforts, his auditors instinctively real ized and sympathized with his emo- tion.
 The speech was very generally re- garded as a masterly one, and even those who could not agree with his con- clusions conceded the power of his oration. As he neared the end of the speech his voice, which had been clear and ringing, noticeably broke. He was almost overcome with emotion, but rallied with an effort and closed in manner that thrilled his audience.
 Staid and dignified Senators turned away and wept, and in the galleries tears Welled to hundreds of eyes. It was a remarkable scene, and the still ness until the last word had been pro- nounced was as of death itself AS Thurston sank into his seat and buried his face in his hands the gal leries were swept by such a tumult of applause as has not in long time been heard in the Senate chamber. As brother might have done, Allen, Thurston's colleague from Nebraska, walked to him and placing his arm over his shoulders quietly led him from the chamber The act was one of the spontaneous and touching amenities amid the turbulence and discord of po- litical life.
 MT. President" began Thurston. 'I am here by command of silent lips to speak once and for all upon the Cuban situation. I trust that no one has eX- pected anything sensational from me. i God forbid that the bitterness of a per sonal loss should induce me to color in | the slightest degree the statement that I feel 1t my duty to make. 1 have no l purpose to stir the public passion in | any act not necessary, and am pre- 1 pared to meet the duties and necessities | of American reSpOnSlDlIlIy, l humanity and national h1nor. l would ! shirk this task if I could, but I dare not I cannot satisfy my conscience except by speaking and speaking now." Thurston said he had gone to Cuba | firmly believing that the condition of | affairs on the island had been greatly | exaggerated. He had concluded. how ever, that an overstatement of the hor- TOTS of the situation was impossible. l He was prepared not only to adopt
 every word of the careful, concise and
 specific statement of the Senator from
 Vermont (Proctor), but was even con-
 vinced that he had understated the
 facts In detailing the incidents and
 reciting the facts that came under his
 observation Thurston said he had no
 desire to deal in horrors.
 "If had my way" said he, T would
 shield the American public even from
 the photographic reproductions of the
 awful scenes that I viewed in all their
 original ghastliness."
 Of the 225, 900 soldiers Spain had sent
 to Cuba less than 60.0o0 were now
 available for duty. The remainder are
 dead, sick in hospitals or have returned
 to Spain incapacitated.
 | ''I do not believe" said he, that the
 entire Spanish army in Cuba could
 stand an engagement in the open field
 against POGO well-disciplined American | soldiers. The Spanish soldiers, of all
 people on earth. would most gladly
 welcome any result which would en- able them to return to their homes. The pictures in the American papers
 of the starving reconeentrados are
 true. They can be duplicated by the l thousands. 1 never saw, and, please | God, may I never again see, so deplor-
 able a sight as the reconcentrados in the suburbs of Matanzas. I can never | forget to my dying day the hopeless
 anguish in their despairing eyes. Men,
 women and children stand silent. fam ishing Their only appeal comes from
 their sad eyes, through which one looks
 as through an open window into their
 agonized souls"
 The Governor of Matanzas, Thurston
 said, could see no end to this condition
 of affairs. and could suggest no relief
 except through the United States.