The Irish standard., 1901-04-13

The young Minnesota soldier who en-
listed to free Cuba from Spanish mis-
rule regarded it his duty to criticise
dishonest military officials abroad, but
there is where he made a mistake.
He was ready to prove his allegations,
but got no chance. Some star cham
Der proceeding took place, and the ac-
cused official was let go scot free.
Rice was not allowed to confront him
with the evidence in his possession nor
to produce witnesses to substantiate
his charges. He was summoned to
appear before MacArthurs secretary,
Leutenant-Colonel Crowder, and the
following colloquy took place:
Crowder-Don't you think you are
wrong in this matter?
Rice-No, sir.
Citizen you still think you are
right?
R.-Yes, sir; know I am.
CT am sorry for you, young man:
if you still persist in saying you are
right, my orders are from General
Macarthur to deport you.
RIFF you will give ME fair trial
in court l can prove that 1 am right.
C.-Under martial law such charac-
ters as you receive no trial We have
not the time.
R.-Can see the evidence in the i'll
vestigation which you claim proves my
charges false?
C.-No, the Investigation was placed
in competent hands and does not need
your approval. Your statements have
been proven to our satisfaction to be
without foundation and you will be
deported as an incendiary character
and menace to the military situation.
You are too young to let go on SLAM
dering men of capability, and | con-
slider your character as having fallen
to it's lowest level In writing and
publishing such articles you endangcr
the foundation of our military system
Such conduct as this consider equal
to tr:,itcrism.
R.-So far as being a traitor, have
served my country in the field for over
a year, and never has my love for my
country been so much as questioned,
while you have never been under fire
and never expect to be, and you dare
question my patriotism 1 have more
patriotism to the square inch than you
have to your whole carcass.
C.-Be careful; Il few more words
and I will put you in the Billibid! the
jail)
R.-Put me there! 1 would rather
be an honest prisoner than be IL era
ven and deny the truth through fear
Of your power.
That was more than MacArthur's
secretary would stand. and soon after
the order for deporting Rice was is
sued. He was turned over to the pro-
vost marshal and placed in solitary
confinement for four days and then
taken under guard to the United
States transport Pennsylvania and
shipped as 4 manaclcd criminal to San
Francisco, where he was cast adrift
like a tramp. That is sample of
freedom of the press in the Philip
pines.
In Havana, the capital of Cuba. on
Good Friday, Governor General Wood
caused the arrest of an editor and cast
him into prison because of a cartoon
which appeared in his paper. In the
center Of the cartoon was figure
representing the crucitixion of Cuba
by military despotism. On one side
of the figure was Mckinley and on
the other General Wood, and Senator
Platt. dressed as Roman soldier. was
handing Cuba his amendmcnt in the
form of a sponge at the end OF reed.
The Virgin Mary, representing Cuban
public opinion, was weeping.
This was too much for General
Wood to bear. Hc interpreted the pic
lures of himself and his imperial mas
ter as being symbolic of the two
thieves with the Rcdeemer on Calvary,
and his wrath knew no bounds. He
Immediately ordered the arrest Of the
editor and the artist on the charge of
calumny and suppressed the paper.
The lord lieutenant Of Ireland could
not have done more in Dublin than
General Wood did in Havana, and it
produced the same result. The despot-
ic act was repugnant to Cuban senti-
ment. The Spanish governors before
the war could not have acted more ar.
bitrarily. Deep indignation is felt
throughout the island, and kilograms
of sympathy have been pouring in to
the editor, expressing support for his
paper. 1t appeared again last Monday
with the heading: Suppressed by
Weyler. Oct. %. 1896; suppressed by
Wood, April 6, 1901"
In England, us in the United States
there is freedom Of the press for many