The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-03-25

| the pangs OF starvation Much has
been done by the Red Cross society TO
| alleviate the condition OF those who
| still remain. but scores Of men. women
| and children are yet there. gaunt and
hony almost as q skeleton, many OF
| them covered with sores directly trac-
able to insufficient food.
vivid picture was then drawn by
Senator Galginger Of a trip to n CITY
OF Masanzas. All along the route were
wretched people in rags. but not until
the city was reached was h full ex-
tent Of the suffering realized 1t oc-
| CURED to me as I looked upon h
scenes OF suffering and horrors that
the Cuban reconcentrados might wei
| have adopted the words OF Dante.
| WHO enters here leaves hope behind
| when they We're driven from the fields
| and herded like cattle in the cities and
| towns Of this fertile land. The truth
| is that Weyier devised a scheme OF
man suffering n sorrow that put
| Dan,e's Inferno into the shade, and
| converted q contented, prosperous
people into a herd OF suffering, starving
unSoreunates. Matanzas IS literally
a place of beggary and death. Never
before did my eyes behold such suffer
| ing and never again do / expect 10 see
such havoc wrought through a cruei
inhuman ace
A visit 10 the MatanZas hospitals re-
veaaed an even more shocking condiaon
than the streets. Members OF The Red
Cross society who had visited one of
the hospitals two weeks before Were al
ost overcome upon discovering that
nearly every one of the inmates at that
time had since died. Their poverty,
sorrow and suffering We're depicted in
their worst forms.
If there was food in these hospitals
said Senator Gallinger, Il did not dis
V it: neither We're there signs OF
medicine or Of prope nursing n
cure"
The governor of Matanzas informed
senator Gallinger that the first day
he occupied the place fifteen persons
had died in the court yard. He said
further that in the city 1,200 had died
in November, 1900 in December, 200 in
january and 500 in February The
death rate was decreasing simply be
cause the r~econcentrados 10y death
We're becoming fewer.
THE number OF people who have
starved in Cuba will never be definitely
known. 1t is estimated that 100000
were driven from their homes into CIT
les and towns. i had it from Spanish
authority that accordingto their figures
225, 900 already have persisted, but Ii is
I SCA kiiaA A"1 AVA ~ASNC $4,000
possession of figures showing that 425.-
900 CubanS have died as a result of
Spanish cruelty from starvation and
that 200, 900 more must inevitably die.
Il have been asked many of times
what of the Maine? l do not know.
This, however, 1 do know: A govern
ment that will deliberately starve AGO.
900 of its own people will do pretty
much anything. Ii the ship was blown
up from the outside what would our
government do? Perhaps / should for
bear to discuss that question now. but
This I will venture to say: Human Life,
purposely taken canno be paid for in
gold or silver. Mark my words, 'pur-
posely taken And if it shall appear
such was the fate of $50 brave sailors,
then heaven pity the guilty parties. 1t
will mo- he a question OF arbitration but
a question involving the dignity and
honor of this great republic"
Senator Gallinger said THAT there was
little real loyalty ITO Spain i'm Cuba, as
would be demonstrated when the hour
of trial should come. He did MOI be-
lieve that Spain could subdue the in
s~urgents.
Discussing the subject of Spanish
rule, Senator Gallinger referred to the
matter of taxation. Ian addition to all
direct and indirect taxes on real estate
there is a tax on every door, every
window, and every chimney i'm every
house;on every letter in every business
sign, and on every name on every hotel
register. Licenses are required to build
houses and to paint houses. There is
a tax on food animals as a whole and
special taxes or the hOrnS the hOOfS
and the hide. In addition to all this
the interest on the debt is a remen
,ous burden, the salaries of Spanish
officials are beyond all reaSon and the
amount of money wru11g from the Gu
bans to keep the Madrid government
from complete insolvency is simply
enormous.
Religion and humanity alike de-
mand that this nholy war shall cease
and cease it should even though the
glitter and glamour Of military rule
shall end, and a decaying and disso-
lutte throne shall pass away never to
return"
AS to what should be done, Senator
GaIlinger felt hat sooner or later this
government would Of necessity absorb
Cuba, but if annexation cannot now
be accomplished bet independence
speedily come.
AT the conclusion of Senator CALM
gers speech the senate resumed N
sideration of the bill making further
provision for a civil government in
Alaska, and at 2 O'Clock took up the
national quarantine bill.
senator Caffery, of Louisiana, resum-
ed his speech, begun yesterday, in sup
port of the measure. The speech was
purely a legal argument in favor Of
the pending bill.
Senator Caffery had not concluded
at $3.50 O'Clock p. m, when the senaGe
went into executive session.
AT 4 O'Clock the senate adjourned