Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-24

the scenes of suffering and horrors that the
Cuban reconcentrados might well have
adopted the words of Dante Who enters
here leaves hope behind when they We're
driven from the fields and herded like cat
tie in the cities and towns of this fertile
scheme of human suffering and sorrow
that put Dante's Inferno to the shade and
converted a contented. prosperous people
into herd of suffering. starving unfortu-
mates.
'Matanzas is literally place of besgary
and death. Never before did my eyes De,
hold such suffering and never again 40 l
expect to see such havoc wrought through
d cruel and inhuman decree. A visit to the
Matanzas hospitals revealed an even more
shocking condition than the streets: Mem.
berS OF the Red Cross Society VINO had
visited one of the hospitals two weeks be-
ing that nearly every one OF the inmates
at that time had since died. There poverty,
sorrow and suffering were depicted in their
worst forms, children, saunt in face but
with abdomen and limbs terribly swollen.
women in the last stage of eInaclaton ana
| men there Were rapidly drifting 10 death;
Mr. GallinGer. l did not discover 1t, neither
| were there signs of medicine or of proper
rourishing and care.
| GaliEger that the first day he occupied me
palace fifteen persons had died IN the
| court yard. He said further that in the
| city 200 had died in November; l2n IN
| December. 200 in January and % IN Feb-
ruary. The death rate was decreasing.
| simply because tne ny
| death We're becoming fewer.
The number of people who nave starved
| in Cuba will never be definitely known. II
| is estimated that 100000 were driven from
| their homes into the cities and towns. L
| had it from Sapnish authority that. accord
| ing to their figures. 225.Ooo already nave
perished but it is said that the Red Cross
| Society is in possession of figures showing
| that I25 $50 CubanS have died as a result
Of spsnsh 6 Dr%el'y from die ana
| Il have been asked many times what OF
| the Maine? ! do not know. This. now,
| ever, | do know: A government that VIII
deliberately starve 100000 of its own peo-
pie will do pretty much anything. IL the
| ship was blown up from the outside. what
| should our government do: Perhaps
| should forbear to discuss that question
| now; but this l will venture to say: HUI
man life purposely taken cannot be paid
| for in gold silver. Mark my words
that such was the fate of go brave Ameri-
! can sailors, then heaven pity the guilty
| parties! 1t will not be a question of ar
bitration., but question involving the dig
| nifty and honor of this great republic
| Mr.. Gallinger said there was little real
loyalty to Spain in Cuba. as would be
| demonstrated when the hour of trial should
come. He did not believe that Spain could
subdue the insurgents. The Cubans had
| been oppressed so long that they preferred
| death to continued Spanish rule.
| Discussing the subject of Spanish rule
Mr.. Gallinger referred to the matter of
| taxation. In addition to all direct and
| indirect taxes on real estate, there is Il
| tax on every door. every window and every
| every business sign. and on every name
| on every hotel register. Licenses are re-
! quired to build houses and TO paint houses.
| There is a tax on food animals. and special
taxes on the horns. hoofs and hides. In ad-
| dition to all this, the interest on the debt
is tremendous burden. the salaries of the
! Spanish officials are beyond all reason,
| and the amount of money wrung from the
| Cubans to keep the Madrid government
| from complete insolvency is simply enor-
| nous. NO people on the face of the earth
| have been so oppressed. the treasury of
| Spain being literally supplied from the rev.
| enues eXtorted from Cuba and the Philip
| pine islands.
"Our forefathers went to war because
| the mother country put a tax on tea. Cuba
| has ten thousand more reasons than we
| had for rebellion. and she deserves the
sympathy and help of every true Amer
| lean.
Fortunately the people of this great
| republic are thoroughly aroused to the sit
| uation. and the great heart of the Ameri-
can populace is in full sympathy with
Cuba. Religion and humanity alike de-
| mand that this unholy shall cease,
| and cease it should even though the gilt
I ter and giamor of military rule shall end
| and decaying and dissolute throne shall
| pass away, never to return
As to what shoLld be done, Mr.. CALM
ger felt that sooner or later this govern
ment would of necessity absorb Cuba but
| if annexation cannot be accomplished let
independence speedily come.
american interests in Cuba" said he
in conclusion. have already suffered
enough. We have patrolIed our coast in
the interest of Spain as long as we should.
and we have spent quite too much money
in protecting our people from epidemic dis
eases coming to our shores because of the
| unsanitary condition of the harbor and
city of Havana. Spain has failed to meet
the requirements of an advanced cviliza-
| tion. Let the United States or Cuba take
the problem and solve IL ~
Several times during the delivery of the
speech. Mr. Gallinger was interrupted by
| hearty applause from the galleries.
Mr.. Gallinger was thirty-eght minutes in
delivering his speech and as he commended
the poor. suffering. Cubans to the great
wave of applause swept through the gal
leries.
Mr.. Gallinger was warmly congratulated
| by many of his colleagues.
Mr.: Bacon's joint resolution is as follows
That the government and people of the
times, and to the uttermost limitti they will
maintain their national honor and protec,
times, and to the uttermost limit they will
count no cost of blood or treasure which
may be necessary for the accomplishment
of this high resolve nevertheless. declare
that TT it is their @ desire to live e. at n peace with
That. supremely confident in the 10y.
atty and patriotic devotion of the people
of every class and of every section of the
country. strong in more than 100000 OF
| people. resoute and brave. and ready fol
any personal sacrifice the honor and safety
of their government may require of them
| and rich in the possession of material re-
sources practically without limit, the
| United States nevertheless desire and in
| tend in the present threatening emergency
earnestly and patiently to use every prac
ticable and honorable means to preserv,
| peace; so far as the same may be con
sistent with the honor of the nation ant
with their duty to themselves and t.
others.
THAT. while unswerving in their purpos,
| to fully protect the honor and property
of the nation as well the persons O
its citizens, and while determined upon tn,
performance OF their duty to humant,
and to a neighboring people struggling fo
liberty. the United States. desiring peac.
and deprecating war, will in good faitl
endeavor to accomplish these ends con
sistently with national honor. through
peaceful agencies and without unnecessar,
resort to war and bloodshed''
WILL AID OFFICIALLY.