The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1914-02-20

faces we're sombcr and their manner
r0rtnntOus. Near the fire stood MISS
La Tossa talking animatodly TO sew
eral officers, who were listening 10
I her with barred heads and other marks
Of Difference.
/ As she spoke, however, man III
/ the uniform of a captain rose ana
clapped his hands. The men to whom
the girl was speaking withdrew their
attention from her, and as a matter
of fact she, herself, appeared to MAKE
no effort to hold them.
On the contrary, as soon as the Of
fcer clapped his hands, evidently pre-
paratory to speaking, she walked
away from the group and gave her
entire attention to this man.
"Countrymen," he said, i thinh
we all recognize that in the event
of the success of the Americans, CUBA
will receive no benefit whatever. 1t
will be a case merely of changing
masters. And as for me, between the
Spaniards, from whose stock we
sprang, and the Americans, the yam
KEGS, who are utterly alien, give me
the Spaniards. We have already felt
their heel; we know what their scorn
is, and their contempt man was
lashing himself to fury-"l, myself,
was shouldered out of the trail by
young pig of an officer not five days
ago, and when | drew my sword, a pig
of a Yankee private knocked me down
with his hand. Is this friendship? !
ask you, brothers-is this what we
were led to expect from our friends
of the north, our saviors. our deliv-
erers?"
But, Juan" interrupted an elderly
captain, that is all personal. my
self have felt the contempt which the
Americans feel for US, but should be
willing to suffer more than contempt
for my country's freedom. have al
ready suffered, as you know, at the
hands Of our oppressors. Contempt is
very mild and easily to be borne when
our liberty is the reward for it. If
you have nothing more than nara
tives of personal affronts to give US,
| for one shall not be very much i'm
pressed"
BAH" The voice of the first
speaker rose almost to shrek. 4
| put my personal feelings above my
patriotism. So you say! That-that
was merely my beginning. Wait un-
til l have finished and then let ma
hear your sneers, if sneers you have
left"
We'll, we'll, 60 on, am waiting"
answered the older man.
49," resumed the speaker, I'VE all
know what this generous nation Of
Yankees, this nation so given to es-
tablishing freedom throughout the
world, intends to do with the Phil
ippine Islands. Their newspapers
leave us no doubt as to that. Impe-
rialism! That is the cry in the Unit
ed States They have received their
taste of aggrandizement-and the
! taste is good. Have you been deaf to
the talk about the American camp?
What is the word you hear oftenest
among their officers? I'll tell you:
'World-power!' That Is what they
say: 'World-power!'"
A sort of low cry went the rounds
of his hearers. and Holton could see
that the speaker was bringing them
one and all beneath his spell.
He sat down, looking gloomily a,
the ground, paying no attention to the
round of hand-clapping that attended
his peroration.
For moment no one stirred. II
appeared as though all were thinking
digesting the eloquence that had been
poured into their ears. Then another
man arose. Holton leaned forward
with a gasp.
1t was the spy. the waiter of the
New Willard, come tonight to place
the capstone upon the spell he had
been weaving among the officers OF
the Cuban army.
Brothers," he began, 81 came here
tonight to counsel prudence, and, in
TACT, do SO counsel you now"
Holton's face filled with amaze
ment. What was he getting at? Ir
few moments he found out.
u do most earnestly counsel pru
dence," he continued. There are
things that must be borne. The sol
diers of the United States have come
here, Well, good. We brought then
here, At least, SO 1t would appear.
"Of course. we believe that thes,
men were sent here because of thu
great yearning of the United State.
to see us free, unshackled country
And so they have come down here t.
set us free, and then, having done so
to retire with blessing, and to con
template with pride the growth O
the republic. free and untrammeled,
so much we know. The Spaniard,
; will be driven from the island, an,
then will these Americans turn to u,
and say. Behold, here is your coun
try; take it and develop 1t, and max,
1t great, and may God be with you
So | say prudence.
n
But, on the other hand, there ar
some OF US who may possess well