Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-04-14

, ,hs following message To the congress OF
- United States:
Incident 10 the precept or the constitution
~ commands the president TO give from
- time to congress the information OF
STATE OF the Unio1, and TO recommend n
\, consideration such measures as he shall
IA necessary and expedient, II becomes my
n now TO address your body with regard
r. grave crisis that has arisen In the re-
IAN OF the United States TO Spain by rea-
az the warfare that for more than three
Is has ragged in the ~neighboring Island OF
- A 40 because OF the intimate connection
M Cuban question with the state OF OUR
Union, and the grave relation the course
ksch Il is now Incumbent upon the nation
.aspt raust needs bear to the TRADITIONAL pol
al our government IL IL Is to accord with
nrecepts laid down by the founder OF the
Euhtio and religiously observed by succeed
administrations TO the present day.
Ne present revolution is but the successor
other similar Instructions. which have &C.
RED in Cuba. against the domination OF
ain. extending over a peri OF nearly half
century, each OF which during its progress
subjected the United States 10 great effort
epense In enforcing its neutralit ylaws.
sed enormous losses to the American trade
commerce, caused irritation. annoyance
disturbance among our citizens. and by
exercise OF cruel, barberous and
mel, ilixed Practices of Warfare
peked the sensibllities and offended the hu.
NE sympsthies Of our people. Since the
sent revolution began in February, 1895.
) country has seen the fertile domain at
Threshold ravaged by fire and sword, in
course OF a struggle u~nequalled in the
rory OF the Island and rarely paralleled as
the number Of the combatants and the bit
Eness OF the contest. by any revolution Of
pieyn times, where a dependent people. striv-
10 be- free, have been opposed BIZ the pow-
II Gf the EOpNraiQn GfAfn Gsr Faann1n h.xv1
ed A once prosperous community reduced
comparative want; its virtually
Ealyzed; its exceptional productiyeness d.
nished' Its fields laid waste, Its mills In
rs, and its people perishing by tens of thou
DDS from hunger and restitution. We have
No ourselves constrained in the observance
that strict neutrality which our laws enioin.
which the law OF nations commands. to
gee our own waters and watch our owf.
ports. in prevention OF any unlawful act in
Of the Cubans. Our trade has suffered;
capital invested by our citizens In cuba
2 been largely lost and the temper OF for
france OF our people have been so sorely
ca as 70 been a perilous unrest among our
cNizens, which has inevitably found its
Fession nom Zine to time in the national
stature. so that Issues wholly external to
own body polite engross attention and
No IN the way OF that close devotion to
aesuc advancement that become a self
rssn1eo commonwealth whose primal maxim
peen the avoidance OF all foreign entangle-
~. All tss must needs awaken and has
Psa aroues ID the utmost concern on the part
- government. as well during my prede-
sofs as my own.
april. 1896. the evils from which our
rAty suffered through the Cuban war be-
70 onernus that my predecessor made
IaHt 70 bring about a peace through the
rsaon OK this government In any way that
VA tend 10 an honorable adjustment OF the
F tCcA utiHeen SDQf IN and har AnUn1fAA ANlAv.,
ms OASIS OF some effective scheme OF self
Es.nmsnt Tor Cuba under the flag and sover-
~ ~ ~ spain. 1t failed through the refusal
~ spanish government, then In power, to
~, any form OF mediation or. indeed. a
= " settlement which did not begin the
- submission OF the Insurgents 10 the
y country. and then only on such terms
sp1n herself might see At to grant. The
.ynuhued undated. The resistance of the
.seats Is In nowise diminished. The ef-
sDa,sh SPAN We're Increased. both by the
sa N' VI fresh levies to Cuba and by the
s0a 70 tie horrors of the strife OF
cfuei and Inhuman Phase,
M ~ unprecedented in the modern history OF
$50. .a christian peoples. The policy OF de-
NJ al ~ ana concentration. i%naugurated by
'vn. Pando. OF Oct. 1896. in the prov
flnar Del Rio, then extended TO en-
8 Al Of the island 70 which the power Of
SPANISH arms was able to reach by oc-
~ r-Oa or Dy military operations. The peas
-, including all dwelling In the open agri-
lntrlor, were driven into the garri-
kas ~. u insulated places held by the
Inc raising and movement OF provis-
: y az kinds were ipterdicted. The fields
n. A. waste. dwellings ~unroofed and fired.
ulS AsNuyed, and, In short, everything that
msn esolate the land and render II unfit for
ana aao.ation or support wss commanded
que other OF the contendlng parties
eaI ppuueu oy all the powers at their dis
q the time the present administration
ud 49, = year ago. Recommendation, So
Aau Deen made effective over the bet
~ OF the four central and western prov
ha, r., santa Clara, Matanzas. Havana and
} estIma, .V' The agricultural population to
Ia ~ mas number OF three hundred thou
~ = more. We're herded within three towns
ans immediate vicinity, deprived OF the
~ ~, - support. left without shelter, and
PreT,sys"s most unsanitary conditions. As the
ii q, a.. 1000 increased with the devasta-
h.,los - uepopulated areas of production. the
s.o became miserable. Month by month
MAJ rate Increased In an alarming ratio.
hasss 1897. according to conservative es-
3ty n.uln oficiai Spanish sources, the NOR
~"'ns the reconcentrados
From Starvation
~ diseases thereto incidental exceeding
49,, oea,um OF their total number. No
relief was accorded to the des.
~ou,uened towns already suffering from
IA s~aaa aearth. could give no aid. So
lmrnsS,. OF cultivation. established within
ahnS.iate area OF effective military colt
wa a.. the cities and fortified
nssosIsory as a remedy for the suffering.
men ns being for the most part
b, snsaa o~siidren. with aged and helpless
hays 49, by disease and hunger, could
Etsr, ~ uned the soil without tools. seed or
Of tha 'nsir own support or for the sup
bustlv =" cities. RECOMMENDATION, adopted
~ as a war measure in order To cut
testlnssSSs ourses OF the insurgents. worked its
k Dec result: As I said In my message of
pas ev,asoee,, IL was not civilized warfare:
Et was mhnaton. h only peace II could
I've. '"at OF the wilderness and the
rnderei he military situation In the island
lnarv 49, a noticeable change. The extra
r Of ~ .rity that characterized the second
n the - war, when the insurgents Invaded
Rio .atherto unframed fields of Pinar
The val,. carried havoc and destitution up
epzed in, VI the city OF Havana itself, had
y aud sss = logged struggle in the CEN
= allied 1 UT provinces. The Spanish arms
and ~ MEASURE OF control in Pfnar del
~ eond,t,aol havana, but, under the ex-
fedlafa 1nuohs o. the rural country, without
batnn Improvement on their yrodaciive
fclstinn Even thus partially raz.rirta. ths
fson M, nfid their own, and their Sub.
fcle h. Inward by Spain Is the essential
q The ont.oi peaee, seemed as far distant
atnistra t,n.s In this state OF affairs. my
he Cr.. lvund Itself confronted with
msssa.-'e rrobiem or Its Duty.
alton an y last December received the
Of rells getaiied the steps taken with a
way 10 sors It's acuteneSs and opening
as~asslns.sp FORM OF honorable settlement.
led 10 'spu OF the prime minister. Como