Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1900-05-25
THE CUBAN SCANDAL.

W. SSHssS"Ss |
Not since the days of the Star Route
'rauds and the Credit Mobilier has
UGH scandal polluted the escntchen
L this country, as that which has just
,een brought to light in the Postal
Is apartment of Cuba. Before the Span
sh war began, and then through its
the press Of the country
,avoring the war, teened with tales OF
spanish official corruption and rot
tenness. We heard how the Spanish
people were robbed, how Weyler boldly
and openly pocketed everything and
left his soldiers to starve and die. We
heard why the Spanish army was a
mob and the Spanish navy q lot OF
leaky tubs. all because we were told
the most arrant thief ON earth was
Spanish military or civil officer, whose
whole energies were directed to swlnd
ling and stealing. ANY one who Will
20 back to the files of any American
journal which aided in bringing on the
War, or will take the trouble to read
any speeches delivered IN either house
OF Congress in favor of war, will find
in every page the history Of Spanish
downfall, and see there stated that
official plumber WAS at the bottom III
1t all. No convict In An American
St ate prison was half 80 bad, the thief
on the cross would have been trusted
by any of these in preference to the
| Castillian who had been invested with
q position by his government.
But the other side of the picture has
been turned to public gaze. the world
has been informed that We too have d
few thieves, slick fingered gentry who
can give Spanish thieves or any others
in the profession Of buccaneering and
piracy. many points in the game. We
are disgraced. Opposed as we we're to
the war with Spain, still when it had
to come we wished it ended quickly,
but honorably to the United States,
it's advocates had denied that it was q
war Of aggression, our people had said
that it was a war OF humanity, and OF
course we had said that in all things
We were far beyond Spain in what wal
noble, virtuous and good, and far be
hind her in all that won't to debase
people or retard morality, good gov
eminent and higher civilization. But
what a spectacle is here. The Span
lard il not a marker to our officials
Let Weyls1 in all his years Of officia
life steal what he could, and he would
not have a nickel where our thievins
officials have dollors. In the midst o
, 1t all comes the report that the admin
istration is trying to smother investl
CATION, and to shield certain favored
parties. The disgrace is national ant
: We feel it as keenly as any. There
might be some time when for part!
, advantage, we might be inwardly gla
!. that there had been occurrences tina
would bring our adversary into dii
. grace, but this is not ono Of the timet
] This Disgrace is Of too broad and q
= tended a character, it belittles US i
o the eyes of civilized christendom an
. We do not care to have the world polr
q to us as a nation of thieves. This
what this Cuban scandal has brougt
on our devoted heads, and if the 70
tenness of this war period could b
- laid bare where would we find a ca
ern dark enough to hide our monstrol
visags2 1t is humiliating beyond O.
!, preston and affects the country AZ
;. nation, add its people as individ ual