The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-04-07
Two shdltious Senator's.

! Two SedlElouS oenhtoEbs
1t appears that senator Pethgraw of
South Dakota. has determined to so
down in history, what little attention
the chronicles Of time will ever pay him.
as one of the most distlnctively vicious
dlsturbers of peace and tranquility in
this country and its new possessions.
Not satisfied with mallgning and mis-
representing the present administration
ON the fiou- Of the senate he, in COM
pany with Senator Butler, Of North
Carolina, the Popullst spokesman in the
senate, visited Cuba the latter part of
March and did what he could to spread
sedltion through the island against this
country Before these WORTHLESS left
Havana they sought an interview with
a reporte. OF FL Cubano. paper that is
inimical to American interests, and the
outIandish statement they rammed
down the throat OF the Cuban news
paper representative is enough to make
the stars wonder how they are held in
the armament. What they said is
enough to show that the purpose OF
their visit was simply to stir up trouble
among the Cubans for the political ben
eft OF the Democratic party during the
approaching presidential campaign,
without qualification. they declared
that the Mckinley administration was
working to convert Cuba into an lmper-
ial colony OF the United States and had
no intention whatever OF fulfilling the
Joint resolution Of Congress providing
for independence. The Cuban afternoon
newspapers. which have limited cir
culation printed the purportof the inter-
views. TIE statements. however are
as yet unknown to the great majority
Of Cubans, but 1t Is certain that they
will be followed by more or less unrest.
Since the arrival OF Governor General
Wood 1t has been apparent that the
Cubans are slowly beginning to believe
in the good faith OF the United States.
Furthermore, the visit and utterances
OF Secretary of War Root and Senators
Teller, Aldrich and Plat, OF Connecti-
cut, had marked and quietlng effect.
Despite this. the Cubans are apt to give
more credence to the views Of such men
as Butler and Pettigrew than Is de-
served. Some of the hot-heads may
overstep the bounds. II trouble occurs
1t can be attributed to the work Of such
patriots as Butler and Pettlgrew.
But what batter things can be ex-
pacted Of the bilious senator from South
Dakota and his miasmatic emulation.
Their free will Offering on the altar of
Cuban independence is something mar
velous in Its way. A dispatch to the
St. Louis Globe Democrat recitlng the
details OF the interview mentioned
above says that neither Pettigrew nor
Butler are quoted verbatim by the re-
porter but he outlines his conversation
with them in this way:
They said they were going away con-
WINGED that the Cuban people were capa-
BILE Of self-soysrnment, The whole coun'
try. they said. with an unimportant eN-
ceptIon desired independence, which IS the
peoples only aspiration. The senators
were sure that the Cubans were not en-
emIeS OF the Americans. ON the contrary,
they are we'll disposed toward the people
OF the United States, but according 70 the
senators, they resent the conduct OF Pres
ldent Mckinley in not fulfilling the sacred
promise OF the joint resolution Of Con-
gress.
The senators said they had firm con-
viction that the United states was doing
nothing FOR the independence OF Cuba, but
that ali resolutions, etc, adopted by Con-
gress tended to strengthen more ana more
the military government Since President
McKlnley's purpose TO convert Cuba INTO
an imperial colony became known the only
persons who favored annexation, accord,
ing to these senators, We're those VINO heid
Jobs under the Intervening government.
The Spanish residents In Cuba. who were
formerly anncNauonists, warned by the
example Of Puerto Rico, have changed
their views. and are now pressing the
Cubans to look for their independence. The
senators said the CubanS already knew
that they had nothing TO nope IRON Pres
ldent Mckinley. and saw that their only
hope was in the Democratic party. when
held the Independence OF Cuba as the most
sacred plank In the platform. They prom
ised to press these sentiments In the
United States senate.
Since the day Titus took Jerusalem
has there been any more florid imagery
than that &: these two sedItious gentle
men who took the pains to go away from
home to defame the honorof their coun-
try and scandallze and bring reproach
on the body OF which they are integral
parts? 1t If most shameful. and their
conduct is not excusable under the
most violent partisan pressure. The
dispatch to the St. Louis paper already
quoted winds up with this significant
paragraph:
Neither one of these politicians
would be interviewed by any American
correspondent and the officials with
whom they talked expressed their salts
faction with the present state OF affairs.
Hence, there is all the more surprise at
their sedidous utterances on their de-
parturc, although from the time they
came here 1t was suspected that they
were looking for trouble with party
ends in view"
The Kentucky Infamy.