Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-05-13
TAKE WARNING BY SPAIN.


in this country. 1t is an attractive out
look 10 the unthinking mind, this idea
of conquest and territorial aggrandlze-
mert. but what has it done for Spain,
once through her possessions the great
est and proudest nation on earth, but
now nothing more than a small blot Oh
the worlds map? The story is told Vi
wildly in Spain's present plight. That
nation is dying of corruption and dry
rot. The sores on it's body polite have
eaten into the vitals. And this disease
was fostered by her colonial policy. She
aimed TO make her possessions abroad
support her at home. She overtaxed
them to the point Of robbery, and as
they one by one rebelled and broke
away from her unjust and tyrannous
rule instead of learning the lesson be
fore her and adopting a better and
wiser policy of governing them Spain
made the burden all the heavier for
those that remained to her.
This national policy of plumber has
been aped by Sapin's agents in her col
onial possessions, who in their turn
have stolen right and left from both
cclonists and home government. The
ease with which our guns have destroy
ed every Spanish fertilization attacked
;- Of l.,ct ho
which Spanish officials have been per-
petrating for years under the guise OF
preparing the nation for defense. OBJ
viously, the Notifications which Com
modore Dewey destroyed in the Philip
pines were weaker than Spain surpos-
ed Cuban forts are not what official
reports represent them.
During the past few decades mil
lions of money have been appropriated
by the Madrid government to recon-
struct and modernize the coast defenses
Of Spanish colonial possessions. Sue
cessive MINISTRIES in that time have
placed favorites in charge of this work,
and it is notable that Weyler, Blanco
and all of the tribe of Spaniards who
have been sent to govern the colonies
have grown rich in Office. There can be
no question that they have put INTO
their pockets two dollars to every one
they have put in the Notifications.
This suspicion is just dawning upon
the ignorant minds of the masses in the
peninsula, and that it is rapidly solidi-
flying into conviction is attested by the
cries against the corruptionists raised
by the mobs in Spanish towns during
the past week.
SIMPSONS guns will doubtless reveal
at San Juan the same conditions OF
weak Notifications to have been shown
to exist in Cuba and the Philippines.
Rascally politicians of Spain have I'M
doubtedly been lining their pockets
while occupying posts in the colonial
service
Premier Sagasta is quoted as saying:
"Our colonies have cost us dear. With
in the last twenty-five years we have
spent on them 3,0G0,0C0,OO0 francs in
defensive works. Only the most i'm
portant cities and points have been for
tilted, as we could not erect works ev-
erywhere. The cost would have been
1905. coo COO or 5000 600. COO francs"
That is, Spain has expended on de-
fensive works alone $500, G0O,O 900. and
it would have cost 81, 400, eco, COO to ST.
5G0.CC0.00C to make them complete The
meaning seems to be that this would
be the cost of preparing to defend the
colonies against external attack The
statements seems to have no reference
TO the cost of suppressing instructions.
Here we get some idea of the costh-
ness of the job which our expansive"
statesmen of the Hawaiian deal stripe
wish to foist on us. The defensive
works which Spain has provided at so
great cost are worthless, and if we take
hold we will have to provide better
ones, besides carrying on the additional
work which Spain has not done for
lack of means. The same would be
true to a greater or less extent all
along the lire of conquest as advocated
by the expansive" party, who invite
us to enter upon policy which will
make it necessary for us not only to
erect very costly Notifications. but also
to maintain a naval establishment COM
parable to that of Great Britain. This
will be poor compensation indeed for
the cost of Furnishing the crime of Ha-
vana harbor.
We have ample faith. however. that
this hot-headed and unthinking policy
will make no Roadway against the cool
judgment and common sense of the
American people.
If there is call from Washington
for 10000 more troops. as seems likely.