The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-03-31
CUBA.

An address before the Saturday Night
club, March 90 1888
Mr.. Toastmaster. Gentlemen and Guests.
A few weeks ago your president
cabled me. 1 regret to say. at my own
expense, that on my return 1 would be
expected to make this speech before the
club and give it the only real Simon
pure ideas on Cuba and reciprocity that
could be depended upon, as I was the
only one from Topeka who had been
known to visit the new republic under
conditions which would lend to my re-
marks a color of reliability.
For the elegance of this unsurpassed
banquet 1 am under the greatest obh-
cations to our distinguished host this
evening. the Educator, treasurer Of the
National Teachers association and the
author of the greatest history of this
country, or at least the history Of the
greatest country in the world. The
viands have been all that the most
tropical and extravagant fields and
1 caterers could provide.
They have been surprising fine The
4 last course of the feast-to be digested
I by your gigantic intellects-an edition
de luxe of the hosts volume, a copy
for each plate at this table. shows
/ Davidson a truly handsome man in the
beautiful acts he has done. appealing
/ in one evening to the palate, the head
and the heart an irresistible combine.
Ny cOmpa Mons at the board, so far
as the members of the club are con
cerned and relying solely upon their
filings at each other and the terrible
1 regulations they have given one to the
other, convince me that 1 have been
/ thrown into questionable company, but
what has broken my spirit was to fnd
after my arrival here that your most
distinguished guest, Governor Bailey,
has spent three weeks in Cuba while 1
did the island in three days Fortu-
nately I have left my manuscript at
home and will not thus be obliged to
conhne my remarks to the subject in
hand.
Indeed am told a manuscript in the
busy pate is worth, before this club. q
half dozen in the hand and that the
living man has yet to succeeded in read
ing a speech before this aggregation.
L had been told that your club was a
literary one, but it's special province a
this moment seems to me to be to knock
out in a few minutes all gems OF
thought which a tourist may have
gathered in six weeks Of laborious ana
expensive travel.
My theory in visiting Cuba was to
do unto Cubans as they would do unto
me, by doing them first. The shortness
of my stay is an evidence of the side
which carried the conquest. If any
further testimony be necessary it is
sufficient to know that 1 arrived home
on Saturday last with my pocketbook
looking as nearly like thirty cents as
possible, containing therein three dimes
and six pennies, barely sufficient to re-
turn to its street address our much bat
tered trunk and rihed and rufled lug
gage.
What impressed me more than any
other one thing in Havana was the
cleanliness of the streets. They were
indeed like unto a we'll lznown-which
means Wei Notwithstanding powder
almost absolutely pure. A lady could
with as much propriety. and I do not
say that there is any in either instance
trail her skirt over the clean pavements
Of Havana as over its sidewalks, OF
even along a well swept corridor. a
street department Of Havana could give
our own Commissioner Griggs pointers
and object lessons which would put him
to blush after his most furtive but
futile efforts upon a single square OF
any of our ill-kept thoroughfares. The
paving blocks of the island city look
as if they were not only washed and
swept but actually polished. so bright
are they in comparison with the clean.
est streets in our own town.
The cleanliness was American giver
which is next to God-given.
The result in Havana simply show,
WI Il
eral Wood is due the splendid sanitary
conditions of this city Of 100000 oeopl,
who were worse than from Missouri
They and their ancestors We're from
Spain, but they only needed to bs
shown by a little American Intervention
and the outcome is marvellous
2 Some idea Of the problem before Gen
eral Wood may be discerned when it is
2 known that it cost ST. 500 to cart away
the refuse which had accumulated for
generations under the treasury build
ing alone. The military governor car
ried the debris and garbage and sweep
( ing from Havana streets and alleys
S with scows out into the ocean.
had the pleasant satisfaction of tell
! ing General Wood a few days ago how
! much was enjoyed his recent address il
D Topeka and repeating to him some o
, the great compliments and words of ad
s miration L heard for him and the Amer
f leans in Havana. in connection with tn
splendid condition of the city.
His modest reply was that he wa
r pleased to hear Of President Palma
r success. and that my report was tn
last of many which had come to him
and about which he would write Presl
dent Palma a once.
yellow fever in Havana for two years
Previous 20 the military governors oc
cupation the city was not only reekin,
/ with filth and disease. but its condition
= the greatest menace to our southern
ports. The most effective fnrme