The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1898-03-29
The Crisis in Cuban Affairs Has Come.
WAR SEEMS INEVITABLE.
senator Thurston, of Nebraska, Tells
the Story of Suffering Spain Has
Butohered More People Than
All Nations Combined"

The most exciting episode in regard
10 the Cuban war etuwitnessedi in the
United States was the speech on
Thursday OF Senator John M. Thurs
ton, OF Nebraska, whose recent visit to
the island of Cuba was attended by the
death OF his wife, who was suddenly
attacked wsjle they were inspecting the
held of suffering, Her death was attri-
buted to the excitement and sympathy
caused by the sight OF so much squalid
misery. Senator Thurston advocated
war without delay, If necessary to end
the cruelties Of Spain, and criticised
the President for non-action. The
conclusion of his speech was very dra-
matte, and as the final word fell from
his lips, his voice choked, his head was
bowed and the tears fell from his eyes.
There was not a dry eye in the Senate
chamber, and women wept audibly in
the gallery. No effort was made to
restore order or stop the demonstra-
tions, and the crowd dispersed silently
as from a funeral. The tide of POI ular
interest had reached its zenith the
capital, and the suppressed excite ment
of past weeks found an outlet.
Mr.. President" said Mr.. Thurston:
u am here by command of silent lips
to speak once and for all upon the
has expected anything sensational from
me. God forbid that the bitterness OF
a personal loss should induce me to
nlN - thA nlt.-LtN.N $500. 49, - a
ment that | feel it my duty to make.
l shall endeavor to be honest, con.
~fervative and just. | have no purpose
to stir the public passion in any action
not necessary and imperative to meet
the duties and necessities Of American
responsibility, Christian humanity and
national homer. | would shirk this
task If could, but dare not. l can
not satisfy my conscience except by
speaking and speaking now"
MIR. Thurston sal he had gore Il
Cuba firmly believing that the con2i
ton OF affairs on the island had beer
greatly exaggerated and that he hat
directed his efforts in the first in,
stanc to the exposure of the supposed
e&aggerations. He had concluded
hewever, that an over.statement of tn,
horrors Of the situation was impossible
He was prepared, he stated, not only
to adopt every word of the careful
concis and specific statement of tn,
senator from Vermont (Mr. Proctor)
but he was even convinced hat he hat
under-stated the facts.
MIR. Thurston Their tersely sum
married. his observations and conclu
siOns as follows.
After three years of warfare ant
the use Of DO, 900 Spanish troops
Spain had lost control Of every foot o
Cuba not surrounded by an actual in
t~renchment and protected by u fortified
picket line.
She holds possession with her armie
Of the fortified seaboard towns, becaus,
they are under the virtual protection
of Spanish warships, with which tn,
revolutionists cannot cope.
The revolutionists are in absolut,
and almost peaceful possession O
pearly one-half of the island, includ
ing the eastern provinces of Santiag,
de Cuba and Puerto Principe. Ii
those provinces Of Santiago they hav,
established form Of government, lev,
and collect taxes, maintain armies ant
generally levy a tax or tribute upoi
the principal plantations in other pro
Vinces and is commonly believed
upon the entire railway system Of the
island
In tho four so.called Spanish pro
vinces there is neither cultivation no
railway operation except under stronf
Spanish military protection or by con
sent OF the revolutionists in considera
ton OF the tribute paid.
Under the inhuman policy Of Weylei
not less than 400. 600 self-supporting
simple, peaceable, defenseless country
people were driven from their homes
In the agricultural portions of the
Spanish provinces to the cities am
Imprisoned upon the barren waste out
side the residence portions of these
cities and within tbs lines OF intrench
ment established u little way beyond
Their humble homes were burned
their fields laid waste, their nipple
ments of ~husbandry destroyed, theil
livestock and food supplies for the
most part confscated. Most Of these
people we're old men, women and
children. SioW starvation was their
Inevitable fate. f. conservative esti
mate indicates that 2l0, 900 of these
people have already persisted from
starvation.
The government Of Spain has never
contributed one dollar to house,
ehelter, iced or provide medical at.
such a spectacle exceeds the scenes OF
the Inferno, as painted by Dante.
There has been no ~amelioration of
the situation except through the
CHARITY OF the people Of the United
States. There has beer no diminution
In the death-rate among these recon
centrados except as the death supply
Is constantly diminished. There is no
relief and no hope except through the
continued charity OF the American O
pie, until peace has peer fully restored
on the island.
Spain cannot put an end to the exist.
Ing conditions. She cannot coL ouer
the insurge nts. She cannot r~e-estabiish
her sovereignty over any considerable
portion OF the interior of the sland.
The reyolutionists, while able to main.
tain themselves, cannot drive the
Spanish army from the fortified sea-
coast towns.
The situation, then, Is not war as
we understand 1t, but a chaos of de.
vastation and depopulation of unde-
fined duration whose end no man can
see.
In detailing the Incidents and recit.
Ing theS fActs that came under his
observation, Mr.. Thurston said he had
no desire to deal In horrors. "If
had my way" he said, 81 would shield
them In p%uolic.even Il the Photographic
productions OF the awful scenes that
l viewed In all their original ghastli.
ness" ~
or the 225, 900 Spain had sent 70
Cuba lesl that RO Onn ,n.