The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1900-05-10
ferent factions and tribes, with no
restraining arm to stop them,

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ferent factions and tribes, with no
restraining arm to stop them.
The fact that we paid Spain the sum
of $20,OOO,OOO only goes to emphasize
more strongly, if that were necessary,
what has been for many years uni
versally acknowledged, namely, the
liberality, the keen sense of humanity
and the high regard for right and
justice of the American people.
Lives there any doubling Thomas
who does not believe that Spain would
have ceded to us those islands without
our paying one dollar, had our govern
ment, as represented by the Peace
Commission in Paris, made and stood
firmly upon such demand? If these
hoWlers were honest in their cry of
humanity they would not charge that
we paid that money as the purchase
price of those islands and their people.
That money was given Spain in the
spirit of liberality and generosity for
the vanquished and ruined foe, as
compensation for the public improve
ments that had been carried out in
those islands, as has been repeatedly
proclaimed during the pending of the
treaty and since.
There is no nation that has not some
dark pages in its history; but of all the
dark pages that can be found any,
where the darkest and blacklist are to
be found in the history of Spain, one
of which is the spanish inquisition"
of the 10Th century and the other is
what may properly be styled the
"Cuban inquisition" of the 18th CEN
tury. Yet it grieves me to say it, there
are Americans who let their partisan
prejudices so far delude them as to
compare the methods of American.gov-
ernment and treatment of human be-
lngs to those of the foulest and most
despicabIe nation the world has ever
been incumbered with.
Comment is not necessary. L will
say, however, that they who make such
comparison are defied to produce one
scintilla of proof in justification of
their malignant and defaming utter
ances. The motives of those who pre-
dict dire results for our government in
consequence of the policy pursued in
regard to the territory and the people
that have become charge upon us
through the war with Spain, are as
signed by their few sympathizers to
emanate from their anxiety for the
we'll being of our republic and their
love of humanity, which are laudable
and noble motives.
These declarations are open to doubt
because we have gone through such
experiences time and again, and the
dire results that have been predicted
by others before them, have all had a
happy ending and tended to rebound
to the greater glory of the republic.
Regarding their motives that emanate
from the love of humanity it appears
to me they could accomplish more for
that worthy and noble sentiment by
refraining to hold out false hopes to
that arch traitor and upstart who
betrayed and sold his own kith and kin
for paltry sum of money to the
enemy from whose pitiless cruelt1es
they we're struggling to free them
selves. Why their own inconsistent
acts reveal the insincerity of their pro-
claimed motives with which they seek
to beguile the American people. They
are one instant "Pettigrewing" that we
are carrying on a war which humanity
would forbid, while the truth is. that
we are trying to quash an insurrection
against the authority of the United
States which is questioned by no ma
tion. The next instant they are "Ma-
sonizing" with resolutions of sympathy
in a cause where we have no concern
of any nature whatsoever which. if