Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-07-29
Butcher Weller in Tines Of Peace.

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have made the mistake of talking too
much of late. A man who has used
his opportunities as military colonial
governor to steal the immense fortune
possessed by Weyler should, at least,
have the grace to maintain discreet
silence.
The fact is that Weyler has never
been success in civilized warfare. He
is known chiefly as a starver of the old
and the weak. His pathway in Cuba
is white with human bones. The sol
diers who fought for Cuban liberty he
could never conquer, but as ruthless
destroyer of helpless women and chill
dren his record was quite odthirsty
enough to satisfy even the innate
cruelty of the Spanish people. In no
other country in the world making any
pretences to nineteenth century civil
iZation could such man have been
sustained-much less applauded?
To his inhuman policy as the mill
tary governor of Cuba is directly due
the recent war which resulted so dis
astrously for Spain. 1t was the final
triumph of an avenging Nemesis
responsibility for his country's woes it
would certainly seem as if Weyler
should have been content to stink into
that state of oblivion and innocuous
desuetude which would have been the
just reward of his nfamy But Justice
is rare bird in Spain, ana Butcher
Weyler, instead of being execrated by
The people of his own country, as he
was by those OF other nations. soon
made his temperance upon the sur
face of affairs as member of The.
Spanish Senate.
Here his insolence and assurance
have been constantly in evidence.
During the recent discussion of the
army bill, Weyler was among the most
strenuous opponents of the proposed
reduction Of the standing army. IL
this he represented a large class of
proud but impecunious military officers
who We're greatly alarmed by Il move
ment which threatens to cut them off
from a means of livelihood. Naturally
the Spanish people. now that the colo
NAL possessions OF the empire are il
rctrievably lost, do not care to b.
further taxed for the support of a mill
tary establishment which has no long
er any excuse for its existence. They
demand that the army shall be put i'm
mediately upon a peace footing. and
this demand the government has sue
ceeded in carrying in spite of the OPP
position Of Weyler and his associates.
In the desperation of his opposition
to the new army bill General Weyler
did not hesitate to resort to threats.
He warned the government that the
present situation made a revolution
highly probable. since it had never
pie to make common cause. He him
self, he said. had never thought OF
heading a rising, but it must be CON
fessed that revolutions sometimes
cleared the political atmosphere and
accomplished the work Of regenera-
ton
70 a Al N etn fa, .l.s
of treason. 1t served. however. to open
up an excellent chance for an attack
upon Weyler which Senior Dato. the
able minister of the Interior was quick
to improve. In scathing tones he de
clared that 4 general who, with 300 600
men. had failed to suppress the Cuban
rebellion, had no right to make such
threats, and that any attempt at revo-
luton, no matter by whom. would be
proceeded against with the utmost
rigor of the law.
1t was a situation that must have
made Weyler squirm. especially as the
Senate very promptly showed its APP
prevail of the minister's remarks by
promptly passing the new army bill by
a handsome majority.
1t is needless to say that Weyler will
never head a revolution. In all his
career he has never yet failed to take
precious good care Of his own head
Besides he is doubtless animated, at
this time, very largely by a desire Of
enjoying, in his own way, the ill-gotten
gains he accumulated in Cuba and the
Philippines. After his recent unhappy
experience in the role of a would-be
bulldoZer it is safe to say that he will
be more circumspect in his public
utterances.
Those who may have been under the
| impression that cOnterfeiting was vir-
tually a lost art will be somewhat sur