The times. [volume], February 23, 1898, Page 4, Image 4

About The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901

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THE TIMES, WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1898.
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X.ORXla, EvpW'KQAND SUli'DAY.) .
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"Circulation Department
circulation Sratcinent.
The circulation of The Times for the
fivtcl ettcd ihtturday, February JO, 1S9S, teas
as foUoics:
" Fluidity. February IS..
Monday, February 14........
Tuesday, 2'ebruary 15
'Wednesday. February iff
-JTtorrJcfaj, February IT......
Friday, February JS -. . .
i-utwday, February JO
... 21.001
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... 40,742
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Total. ... 313,547
Fai'y average (.Sunday, 1,000, ex
cepted)..... 48. Tot
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ncics $ta nd,raihvad statioR ar en railroad
trains ictll confer a favor upon Ik manage
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Communications intended for publication
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ly the nam: and addisss of the writer. -Ke-:tctcd
communications xoill nrt be preserved,
ancl only manuscripts of Obvious importance
nill be returned to their authors.
WEDNESDAY. FEBRUARY Hi, 15SS.
The Truth..
The trouble with the McKinley Ad
-ministration is that it does not under-'
stand that the Spanish-American war
has begun.
Fort Sumter was fired upon on the
night of Tuesday, February 13, 1S9S.
Vafely Through Another Week."
It is the fine old hymn that the Ad
ministration is singing! It is a whole
week since Spanish devilry destroyed
one of the finest warships of the Amer
ican Navy. Between that time and this
there has been unheard-of and wicked
delay.
From what the public has been al
lowed to learn, which, as far as offi
cial souices of information are con
cerned, is not a tithe of the truth as
known to the President, the State and
the Navy Departments, it is eminently
presumable that our gallant officers at
Havana have been handicapped cer
tainly, and everybody is afraid, pre
meditatedly. Mr. McKinley appears
to be afraid to let the State Depart
' ment do anything, because the Stat
Department might allow action by the
2Cavy Department; and if the- Navy
Department srhould do anything, it
might offend Spain. For two years the
American Eagle has been allowed to
live only on condition tltt he should
not act, flap or wink in any manner
disagreeable to the Spanish Buzzard.
Meanwhile the wreck of the Maine is
sinking deeper and deeper in the dark
mud of Havana harbor. That is a fact
of complete satisfaction to the Spanish-Cuban
bondholders and the Anglo
American Sugar Syndicates. It may
serve foiever to conceal the full evi
dence of the horrible crime of Spain.
In the view of these interests, it in
volves at least the bare hope that Mr.
McKinley may be able to hitch him
self upside down to the "accident"
theory, like a bat in a cave.
All things Administrational work for
delay. Even the absence of the Presi
dent from Washington yesterday help
ed out a little! It enabled him to post
pone approving the Congressional ap
propriation for bringing to the surface
and to Christian sepulture the bodies
of tin- dead heroes which rot in the
foul depths of Havana haibor.
The Slluulioii.
The statement from Madrid that the
Spanish authorities have investigated
the causes of the destruction of the
Maine, and that, therefore, Sonor Sa
gasla is able to announce that it was
due to accident, caps the climax of
the impudence which has marked the
conduct of the Spanish government to
ward America since the beginning of
the Cuban revolution.
Americans must not forget the cir
cumstances and conditions antecedent
to this latest affront. After the Maine
-Vas destroyed by Spanish govern
mental treachery. Spain demanded the
privilege of an initial inspection of the
wreck: or. at the least, of a bl-national
or neutral inspection. The demand was
tefused. Now the government of Senor
Sagasta declares that its agents have
made the examination, notwithstanding
American inhibition, and that the re
sults show conclusively that the calam
ity was a consequence of internal ex
plosion. There can be no question that this ut
terance, by the head of the Spanish
ministry, is a deliberate and menda
cious attempt to forestall and deny
any conclusions to which the American
Court of Inquiry may come, as a re
sult of its investigation at Havana. A
government with brains and the com
plementary physical qualitj" would
seize upon such an affront as a "'casus
belli."
Unless this matter is looked upon
from the point of view of sodden sym
pathy for Mr. McKinley, it cannot fail
to fill the American soul with rage.
For years these cowardly, lying, blood
thirsty Spaniards "have been outraging
and butchering -untold thousands of
people at our very door. By way of
variety, they took to imprisoning
'Americans "on suspicion," and keep
ing them without trial in the foul star
vation pens of Spanish inhumanity.
That we permitted without protest.
Then they began torturing and mur
dering Americans in and outside of
those prisons. We permitted that also.
To do "otherwise would have been to
show an unfriendly feeling toward
Spain, "and would have depressed the
interests of persons and syndicates who
had contributed millions to the elec
tion of Mr. McKinley. Finally, Ave
sent an American warship to the har
bor of Havana. The Spanish govern
ment officials cheerfully tied it 0 a
buoy over a submarine mine, which
they had prepared for the purpose, and
on a convenient occasion they blew it
up. This also we have endured, in
the face of a world's amazement and
contempt! , t
Yet under all these unttfward circum
stances, the President is calm and
serene. In order to show how calm and
serene hn Is, and to do his little serv
ice to the "Wall street stock market,
he is placid and complacent enough to
abandon the capital of the country and
go over to Philadelphia in order to de
liver himself of the platitudes of Mc
Ivinlcy peace and prosperity to the boys
of Pennsylvania's University!
The PrchiileiitV Trip.
It strikes us as superserviceable that
Mr. McKinley should consider it neces
sary to go over to the Quaker City at a
time like the present, inoider to in
struct the peaceful, studious boys of
that retired city in the blessings and
duties, not to mention the beauties, of
patriotism. Why should he abandon
Washington, where he was needed, to
say to the youth of Pennsylvania;
"Dulce et decorum est, pro patria
mori?"
"Why, indeed, should a man of peace
at any price, talk patriotism which is
only another name for jingoism to the
lads of Philadelphia? Most of his audi
tors may be classed as scions of a
stock largely identified with the So
ciety of Friends. On this account it is ! Icnt tl.ouBh suppressed around him.
. ... , ., , i Yesterday he recognized George Wash
perhaps putting an extreme, though , ,,, . ,,. ,.., WMft
truthful, case, when we remark that
among those whom the President ad
dressed there was not one who did not
have a higher conception of national
honor and duty than he.
American boys. Quaker or otherwise,
look with a great deal more glow and
gladness at "Old Glory" streaming in
the sunshine that gilds our land than
they do upon the tape snaking out of
the stock-ticker that clicks its shame
and dishonor! It is the boys, the hon
est, manly boys of the nation, who can
be depended upon on all occasions to
shout: "Ubertas et Patria!" while "our
best business interests," in charge of
the Administration, ate asking;
"What's Sugar?"
, Quo Vartis.
The legitimate results of "Quo Va
dis" have begun to break out in spots,
and one of these spots is Juarez. Mex
ico. The citizens of that town had their
imagination badly, fired by Mr. Slen
kiewicsz's account of the combat of
Ursus and the bull, and immediately
concluded that tills was a new and su
perior kind of bullfight which they
could easily realize and realize on.
So. in the presence of about two thou
sand spectators, they trotted out their
bull, and an Italian named Romulus,
and the combat began. The Italian
had nothing? on but pink tights, and
was accompanied by two banderillos
a slight deviation from the spirit of
the story, for there were no banderil
los in the early Christian era, but
those "things always happen when a
novel is dramatized. If we ever have
"Quo Yadis" dramatized for the Amer
ican stage there will have to be more
deviations than that, or the police will
not allow it t be produced. The bull
will have to be eliminated entire, for
one thing, unless the audience will be
contented with a make-believe beast,
constructed of papier mache and ac
tors. But in Mexico they do not ob
ject to realism, and so they had the
combat just as nearly like the book as
they could. The athlete with the clas
sic name walked up to the bull, and the
bull came toward him. The athlete
tried to take the bull by the horns in
obedience to a well-known proverb, but
failed to make connections. Well
known proverbs are sometimes diffi
cult to put In practice. Both man and
beast were trying with all their might
to solve the problem expressed in the
title of the book, of which, it will be
remembered, the translation Is,
"Whither goest thou?" This dodging
and dancing went 011 for about an
hour, when the bull thought he had
had enough ballet, and charged at
Romulus with a directness and a force
which admitted of no evasion. Romu
lus grabbed him by the horns, and, it
may be presumed, remarked "Quo Ya
dis?" The bull replied in pantomime,
"I don't know, but I know where you
are going," and the next thing Romu
lus knew he was clutching at the sand
some fifteen feet away. He tried to ex
plain to his fellow-actor that this was
jiot according to program, and did his
best to carry out the idea of the au
thor by vanquishing the bull oiT-hand,
but the obdurate animal had no com
prehension of the laws of the drama,
and went on playing villain with a
vivid realism which was most con
vincing. The would-be hero was sent
careering through space in a way most
undramatic and undignified. After the
third or fourth tumble the dejected
Romulus concluded he had had enough,
and hobbled out of the ring, leaving
the villain in the center of the stage
and high elation. If Mr. Sienkiewicsz
intendeU his novel to be dramatized It
would have been well for him to make
that combat end differently, or use
some milder animal. ,
This dramatization in Juarez, Mexi
co, suggests weird possibilities in the
American stage. "When "Quo Vadis"
is dramatized, will nil the people who
have read it go to see it? If they do,
they will be introduced to a sliow the
like of which some of them never saw
before. If they swallow the play as
they did the. book, for the sake of the
little bit of righteousness that saves
the city, they will perforin a most
amazing feat. But the chances are
that they will come out of 'the struggle
very much as Romulus came out of hi
in this Mexican town hors du com
bat and greatly averse to any more of
"Quo Vadis."
Mrs. StoweV Mnntorpicce.
The Chicago Times-Herald recently
printed a long and interesting article
on the question whether the blood
hounds in "Uncle Tom's Cabin" bayed.
The cause of the publication was a let
ter of inquiry from a Chicago gentle
man, who. inclosed a quotation from
Mrs. Stowe's great novel, wherein the
deep mouthings of the bloodhounds on
the old man's tracks were mentioned.
The Times-Herald "writer, after quoting
this remark verbatim, loftily observes
that ""the lady's knowledge of blood
hounds was doubtless not extensive,"
and that "lie has found in hisreadings
that novelists and other writers commit
more soleclsrna about animals" than
about anything else. "'Not every man
or woman who puts pen to paper," he
adds, pensively, "takes the trouble to,
Inform himself or herself of the sim
plest facts ia the lives and habits cf
our brute companions."
Passing over the possible inference
that the Chicago authority counts
bloodhounds among "his brute compan
ions" we are convinced that he is au
thority Tin bloodhounds, at any rate.
He goes on to elucidate the difference
between English, Cuban and other
hounds, and comes to the conclusion
that Mrs. Stowe "made her error" in
supposing that the English blood
hounds were used In the South, and
thus introduced baying hounds to "fol
low Uncle Tom's trail." This Is all
very nice, and has th& air of being ja
long-awaited correction of a glaring er
ror. As such, it has been extensively
copied, and apparently nobody has dis
covered that the "Uncle Tom's Cabin"
of the stage is very far from being the
"Uncle Tom's Cabin" of Mrs. Stowe.
Considering the fact that in no place
in the entire story does Uncle Tom
even attempt to run away, it is difficult
i to see how he could be chased by
j bloodhounds or any other kind of dog.
! Add to this the fact that nowhere in
! the book are bloodhounds introduced at
J all, even to track the slaves who do
j run away, and the knowledge of the
Times-Herald man appears less vast
j and marvelous. It is always a good plan
to read a book before attempting to
l haul the author up by the ears for ln
! accuracj.
Even Thomas 13. Reed Is not impervious
to the impact of the patriotism which is
' liifiiuii ua avni:uji. iu mn. .--
dict Arnold did the same, anil kept at a
respectful distance, which, it is
"lends enchantment to the view."
said,
Capt. Sigsbee. if the facts are as sur
mised, does not believe that, the lives of
the wounded sailors at Havana are safe
any longer, lie Is reported to have dis
patched a boat to Admiral Sicard with
sealed orders. There is a widespread idea
that he has asked for the fleet. In that
case it will be interesting to watch the
result. General opinion In Havana has
supported the theory of a new act of
Spanish treachery in active preparation.
The news comes from over the water
that Mrs. Gladstone has never contradict
ed her husband. The way in which some
newspaper correspondents rout facts like
these out of their hiding places and hold
them triumphantly up to the public view
Is rather funnny. It might have been sup
posed that Mrs. Gladstone, as the or
thodox English wife of an orthodox
Englishman, never thought differently
from her husband, and It might also have
been assumed with great case that, being
a lady, she never got into any open disa
greement with her distinguished epouue.
But this newspaper correspondont reema
to think it is all news, and that the world
will be benefited if he lets It oat .Jt once,
r may ho romurkod, however, in passing,
that -.his fact accounts for soie cC Ilr.
Gladstone's varied behaviors in the fast.
If he had had a wife who occasionally
differed with him, in a perfectly gentle
and respectful way, of course, but.rat!ier
pertinaciously and decidedly, he might
have been led to distrust his own opinion,
and he consequently would not have con
tradicted himself as badly as he some
times has. A moderate amount of dif
ference in the seclusion of the domestic
circle is sometimes a good sieve through
which to pass a man's opinions before he
gives Jhem out to the world.
The Government Is entirely right in
thinking that there is danger of a massa
cre of Americans at Havana. If It had
sent a fleet there and wiped out the forti
fications as late as last Friday there
would not be.
At last the contract for raising the
Maine has been signed, and divers will
proceed to Havana today. From present
indications they will be glad to proceed
back again. It is probable that they will
find the water of the harbor not onfy
dark and muddy, but boiling hot by the
time they reach there.
The latest English invention, we are
told, is perfumed butter. The roll of but
ter is wrapped In rose leaves, or some
thing of that sort, and left in 'the re
frigerator half a day. For some reason
or other this suggestion does not appear
attractive. Perfumery is very well, al
though one can have too much of it, but
it has seemed to many people of late
years that the only perfume which is
proper on the dinner table is the per
fume of the food. Soup, beef and other
edibles have a fragrance very grateful to
the nostrils of a hungry man, but it is
doubtful if that fragrance is improved
by being mixed with the scent of vio
lets, or roses, or other fragrant and
beautiful blossoms. And when It comes
to perfuming the butter, and the bread,
and the cheese, and so on. one might sup
pose that things would become mixed.
Cheese, especially, would have to be de
odorized before it was perfumed. The
natural odor of good, strong Roquefort
will drown out the fragrance of any rose
that ever was. even a tuberose. Cabbage
and violets may be good separately, but
one ministers to the palate and the other
to the olfactory nerves, and it is not
good to try to crowd too much enjoyment
into a given time. It is like trying to
look at three rings in a circus, while a
symphony orchestra is playing Wagner.
One's attention becomes distracted. No;
the fruits and vegetables and meats of
this earth are all good after their kind,
and so are the flowers after their kind,
but as to mixing the kinds, perfuming the
butter, or putting champagne in the per
fume bottle these refinements seem" to be
really unnecessary.
''Sir," said Capt. Sigsbee's marine order
ly. "I have to report that the ship has been
blown up and Is sinking." If, under the
circumstances, that was not only "gal
lant and meritorious service," but true
American heroism, what would be? The
Government might do worse thaivto rec
ognize it by a medal of honor.
Within a few days Spain will assemble
thirteen war vessels at Havana, not
counting torpedo boats. Thus dowe ob
serve the wisdom of always allowing the
enemy to get ready first.
A, Lesnon From Rufjsin.
(From the Uoston Globe,)
Russia lias had the level economic
sense to abolish every kind of customs
duty on agricultural implements apd ma
chinery. Our policy over here sometimes
seems to bo to tax most severely the
things that we need most.
The Kansas rftclfic Gift.
From the Kanas City Times.)
The $6,700,000 that McKinley gave to the
YanderbiltjyMorgan gang would build and
equip two great battleships. It Is almost
as much as the proposed -appropriation for i
CAPITOL GOSSIP.
The Texas politicians have finally
patched up" their differences and there
will probably be some appointments made
soon for that State. Senator Hanna had
a hand in fixing up the slate, and it is
worthy of note that he has sided with
State Cnalrman Green in almot every
thing he has demanded. At the recent
conference of the State committee, Grant,
who is the member of the national com
mittee from the State, led a bolt against
Green. Since the recent fight he had in
Ohio HnYina has no uae for bolters and he
naturally look up the cause of Green.
In tbe deal that lias been made Moses
Dillon gets the colleclorshlp of customs
at El Paso, apd Robert F. Campbell, the
defeated applicant is given the El P.iho
postolltco as a halm for his wounded fecl
Jurs. Wllliani OT-Wry is to be postmas
ter at Dallas.' George Green (no relation
to the State chairinau) Is to be marshal
for the northern district, and Grunt v;asi
able to land bhnsfilf in the ofllce of mar
shal for the eastern dlfitrlct. This seems
to have been0 the" sum and substance of
the Influence of drant for it is said that
In every other case" he was turned down.
In St. Paul's, Lpndon, there is a bronze
tablet aiinounplngj.to nil visitors that it
was erected In. mqinory of the olllcers and
men of the Royal eorge, which foundered
something ovqr a,.!jundred years ago, and
went to the bottom with every soul on
board, more , than four hundred men.
The tablet contains the names of the men
and something of the valors of the ship
and her crew. Tills suggested to Senator
Paeon, of Georgia, that a tablet should
be erected to the memory of the men who
lost their lives on the Maine. He has.
therefore, introduced a bill providing for
the erection in Statuary Hall of a tablet
that shall commemorate these brave men
and be "an enduring memorial to their
honor and "a perpetual token of the sor
row of the nation."
The discussion In the House of a bill
to pension the widow of the late Gen.
X.eggett shows that some men are born
to go through life to fame unknown. Gen.
Leggett was one of the dashing men of
the late war and had a career that any
soldier might envy. He won his way up
to the rank of brigadier goneral and was
honored I y his constituents after the war
in divers ways. Hayes made him Com
missioner of Patents, and he died full of
honors, but poor in purse. This bill was
to give his widow, who now lives in Cleve
land, Ohio, a pension of $r0 a month. Dur
ing the discussion of the bill Mr. Loud
'of California made llio statement that
although lie read the history of the war,
he had never heard of Gen. teggett. This
aroused the ire of several Ohioans, who
responded In short speeches, telling the
story of tbe old general. Gen. Grosvenor
pronouncing him one of the greatest gen
erals of tho war and ranking next to Lo
gan as a dashing and effective olilcer.
Notwithstanding the fact that Mr. Loud
had never heard of him, the Houe
thought Gen. Leggett's record was suffi
cient to entitle his widow to a pension,
and granted it.
"Look here," said a prominent Senator
to The Times reporter yesterday, "I won
der If Hanna reflects the sentiments of
the Administration In this statement,"
whereupon the reporter was handed a
copy of a recent issue of the daily finan
cial bulletin issued by the banking firm
of Henry Clews, of New York. In this
bulletin the following statement is made:
"Senator Hanna says. . supposing the
blow-up of the Maine, was byji' Spanish
Gulteau, it would be absurd to hold the
Spanish government responsible therefor.
That Itf well put." It.is to be hoped, for
the sake of decency, that Hanna does not
lepresent the President of .the United
States when he makes such a statement
as this.
Around the unveiled statue of Thomas
H. Benton, the grnt Missouri statesman,
in-Statuary Hall, at the Capitol, has been
erected a screen, about ten feet square,
covered with unbleached muslin and hid
ing the statue, abjo covered, from view.
It is curious to watch strangers examine
this screen. They have no Idea that it
incloses the marble and life-like figure of
the famous author, of "Thirty Years in
Congress." It might contain a Punch and
Judy show for all these strangers know,
yet that frame is the most sought and
eagerly looked at of all that Is in the hall.
Washington, JefTer?-on, AVebster, all -$ire
neglected for the screen that discloses
nothing. Fonhour? people stand around
this muslin-covered screen wondering to
themselves what it conceals from view,
and making comments of every conceiv
able character Some, actuated by uncon
trollable curiosity, have forgotten their
dignity to the extent thnt they have got
down on their knees and endeavored to
peer beneath the screen. Others. JUicr
standing for half an hour with mouth and
eyes wide open, staring at the muslin, will
seek an olllcial and inquire what is con
cealed behind it. The arrangements
for the unveiling of the statue have not
been completed.
It is often asked by visitors to thfj
House how the clerk who tallies the vote
on a call of the ayes and nays can tell
the Speaker the result the Instant the
last name Is called. The system Is by no
means an easy one, but if no mistake Is
made it is the most rapid that has ever
been devised, and it has been adopted by
some State legislatures. The tally clerk
has large tally sheets with the names oT
the members inscribed just as they will
be read. To the left is a column for the
aye vote and to the right the column for
the noes. In reading the vote the clerk
makes totals as the roll proceeds, as, for
example, after recording ten yea votes
he would on the next yea vote add one to
It and record eleven. The same rule ap
plies to tho no column, and therefore
when the last vote- has been recorded
tlie total stands represented by the last
llgures marked down. That is to say, if
30D had been answered to, 387 answering
yea, and 113 no, the last tallies made in
these columns would be 187 and 113. The
system requires a clear head and great
care to avoid making additions in wrong
columns, but so thorough is the tally
clerk in the House in his work that an
error Is less often made by him than by
a bookkeeper in a bank.
A veteran of the late war, who,
for the first lime since that unpleasant
episode In the nation's history was closed,
visited the Capitol j'esterday. He was
from Massachusetts and was bound to see
the sights. It was shortly after 2 o'clock
and no one except members and those
hying the privilege of the floor could bo
admitted. The old veteran was not posted
as to the rules, and he became very In
dignant when a messenger prevented him
from entering. The official endeavored to
explain to the old man, but he would not
have it. He turned on his heel, walked
angrily down the corridor, and then re
turned, and, addressing the messenger,
said: ,
"You fellers be durned smart now when
there hain't no war, b;it when one was
you wus mighty glad to hev us fellers
ter do the fighting. It's a shame that a
man as fit fer this jhere Capitol haint got
no right ter see it. Walt till yer want us
ter help yer lick Spain, an' see what yer
win git. I'll take plzln before I'll shoot
a gun to save the .hull tarnal lot of ye."
The Loyal Southland.
(From the Little Hock Democrat.)
Telegrams are pwuring into the depart
ment at Washington city from the South
and Southwest, tendering the service of
individuals and mjjitnry organizations in
the event of war w)th Spain. The feeling
of resentmentitovirds Spain is most in
tense in this section, and the sons, of the
South are ncyer slow to show their pa
triotism when 'their country's honor is in
volved, i - -
THE SPIRIT OF 76.
Khrl Decker DfHeribes Naval Ac
tivity in Key West.
In a Key West dispatch to the New
York Journal, Karl Decker says:
"If this Government of ours does not
intend to declare war bn Spain It is
making the -grandest international bluff
of the century. Here at Key West, the
outpost of our lines, belligerency Is in the
uir
"The investigation is going on just
across the water about the desolate tan
gle that was once the Maine. It seems
from this point of vantage simply the for
mal justification for a course justly de
cided on.
"Officers of our fleet here, with war
ships touching. and dispatch boats run
ning hi and out. tell you in private con
versation that there Is as much likelihood
that tho Maine blew herself up as that
the Manhattan Insurance building, on
Broadway, is In danger of the same fate.
The. navy, at least, believes that war Is
due, and there Is not a man from the
admiral down to the newest cadet whose
deepest hope is not that war will come,
and soon. t
"Give our men the chance they long for
to avenge the death of the Jackies of the
Maine, and there will be a performance
such as the world has never yet looked
-upon.
"Every night the flagship New York
and the battleship Iowa clear decks for
action. No boat can approach without
being stopped. At night the search
lights flash restlessly over the harbor,
lighting up the distant keys and peering
out to sea. If they were expecting the
enemy across the channel to serve them
as the Maine was served they would con
duct themselves just so. The naval sta
tion is aglare with naval preparation.
Stores are being hurried to the white
ships at Tortugas. The admiral is In
constant receipt of messages. The whole
fleet Is on hand, ready for the- action of
which they dream.
"The other arm of the sen-ice is equally
active. The streets of the town echo
with the tread of the marching squads.
They are marching to the barracks to
work the guns at the forts and batteries.
Night and day the new fortifications are
going forward.
"Up to a week ago fort and barracks
were holiday places to which the officers
invited their friends for military merry
making. Today no one is allowed to visit
them. Sentries with loaded pieces now
confront the visitors, to whom they are
accustomed to give a smiling greeting of
a soldier playing at duty. Underground
the electrical experts are working. The
tunnel containing the apparatus for dis
charging torpedoes In the harbor is now
a frtct. The torpedoes are ready and at
the word will be set out to wait for the
coming of Spain's ships.
"Whether the volcano that destroyed
our battleship was planted by Weyler
and fired by one of his followers without
the knowledge of the Spanish govern
ment now in Cuba, whether a drunken
officer of artillery saw his chance to do a
wholesale murder and. Spaniard-like,
could not resist, makes no difference.
"It was Spain's act that destroyed the
ship. However Spaniards may differ as
to the policy of It. in their hearts they
are equally glad it was done.
"Today the Government is figuring on
taking the tug Right Arm from its normal
and peaceful occupation of towing a boat
and sending it to Havana to do Govern
ment work. The seizure has not been
made, but if the Government wants the
Right Arm it will take her. "We are near
enough to war for that.
"The Maine's sailors here, those able to
be about and those in the hospital, are
wild for the opportunity to repay what
was meted out to them and their com
rades in Havana harbor. They say. and
mean it, too, that if no action is taken
against Spain, not n man among them
will tread again the deck of an American
man-of-war.
"Every indication points to the immi
nence of these sailors' opportunity. The
naval officers in the confidence of the
admiral and the admiral himself move
about with the abstraction of men In pos
session of a portentous secret. A dozen
times today the admiral has been at the
cable olficc.
"The acthitr of the dispatch boats is
unprecedented. The admiral and officers
of the New York were to have spent the
night oshoie here.' but at 6 o'rlo-'k they
suddenly returned to the flagship. The
swiftest of the dispatch boats Is lying
at the dock waiting to carry them" tho
message for which an officer is waiting
at the cable office. It Is known mat iney
have orders to be prepared for any emer-
gency.
"Is the emergency here?
THE CUBAN COHRESFOXDKXCE.
It Will Set Forth a Frightful Condi
tion of Affairs In the Island.
The reports and letters of consuls in
Cuba are being edited and prepared with
much care at the Department of State:
It is evident that the publication of them
is to play an important part in the pro
gress toward the settlement. A mass of
correspondence has collected since the
last batch was sent to Congress.
The House resolution calls for reports
which will show what has been done from
the time Blanco supplanted Weyler. The
Senate call includes the reports going
back to March 4. Assistant Secretary
Day now has the work in hand of pre
paring the matter to meet both resolu
tions. In the preparation, two things are
kept in view. Portions of the reports
irrelevant and immaterial to the purpose
of Congress are to be expunged. If the
Department of State was to send to
Congress all that has come from the
Cuban correspondents under this Ad
ministration several volumes would be re
quired to print it. The second considera
tion is the protection of the consuls and
their informants.
The reports expose the villainies of
Spanish rule, and give authorities for
many of the Instances recited. Tney sur
pass in condemnation based on facts
anything which the newspaper corres
pondents have told. They set forth the
operation of the extermination policy of
Weyler in multiplicity of detail, support
ing descriptions with the awful figures
given by Spanish officials. Sickening and
shameful beyond foreshadowing these
revelations will be. .
The revision now going on will not tone
down or suppress the facts, but to pro
tect those who have sent the information
it will be necessary to omit names and
places and peihaps some incidents which
are too horrible to be printed. In the
,,-v. citntn nf Aa 11 O" olinilt f",lllfl tllOCIrt
consular eports can not but have a tre- 1
mendous effect upon public sentiment.
They will be read not alone Jn this coun
try, but will draw the attention of the
civilized world to the Cuban question.
The consuls who make the reports are
without exception the men who were ap
pointed under a Democratic Administra
tion. Most of them have been at their
posts since the war began, in February.
1893. They arc the identical officials whose
former reports were quoted in the Span
ish Cortes, and who were openly Indorsed
by Spapish. statesmen as reliable and un
biased Observers of events in Cuba.
Outclassed.
Long years ago she sat across
The schoolroom aisle from me.
And was the subject of my wild
Boyhood's idolatry.
But, nh,,alus, my tender smiles
All failed to move this lass.
For schoolroom custom barred the way
I was not in her class.
I saw her, 'twas but yesterday,
" Upon., the avenue.
Half hid in furs and driving with
Her wedded parvenue.
And I f-smlle to think how well
Fate's' held its course; alas!
For I'm a clerk at ten per week ,
And still not in her class!
" ' "" - - Truth.
' HAS SPAIN .ALLIES?
Genesis of tiiu Report That Slwter
Republics are Against U..
Madrid, Feb. 22. (Sent by mall to Biar
ritz 'to avoid royal censor, Spain's gov
ernment for the imsft six or eight months
has been actively engaged In organizing a
military and naval combination of the
South American republics against the
United States, and has now so far suc
ceeded as to admit of the matter being
discussed in the press here, the El Pals
having a very remarkable article upon
the subject, which has attracted no end of
attention.
While the newspaper In question dis
cusses tho matter as an excellent piece of
Statecraft, about to be undertaken, the
real facts of the case arc that the main
features of the combination are all re
ported, and the various South American
republics, with the notubl exception of
Venezuela, are banded together Into a po
litical, economic, and, abrtve all. military
alliance, under the aegis and direction of
Spain, the avowed object of which is op
position and hostility to the United
States.
The project was Inaugurated by the
Conservative cabinet before the assassi
nation of Canovas, and It Is a significant
fact that, although In accordance witli
the Invariable custom on a change of
administration here, all the foreign mis
sions of Spain in the Old World have
been provided with new chiefs, friends of
the Liberal party, no attempt has been
made to supersede tho Conservative en
voys In South America. lest there should
be any interruption in their intrigues
agalnst the United States.
At Hrst sight it may appear strange
that there should be any disposition un
the part of the South Americans to mike
common cause with their former tyrants
and oppressors, the Sapnlards. But it
must be borne in mind that all the lead
ing families In South America are of
Spanish origin, exceedingly proud of their
Spanish ancestry, in many cases blue
blooded, and anxious to keep up their
connection with their kith and kin here.
Moreover while they may be good re
publicans on yonder side of the Atlantic,
they are only too ready, on reaching this
country, to avail themselves to the fullest
extent of the nobility titles and preroga
tives", social as well as official, of the
Spanish families to which they belong.
They remain Spanish hidalgos to the verj
finger tips, possessed of all the prejudices
and sympathies of their caste here, and
while jealous of their own liberties and
Independence, are heart and soul with
Spain in her struggle against the Cu
bans, although the latter are making
identically tho same fight to throw off
Spanish tyranny and thraldom as the
fathers of the men who now constitute
the governing classes of the South Ameri
can republics did earlier in the century.
This sympathy on the part of the South
Americans for Spain has been shown in
numerous ways, and in unue, m me ar
gentine republic in Brazil and even in
Mexico, large sums have been raised In
voluntary subscription among the gov
erning classes, with a view to the pur
chase of cruisers, torpedo boats and ord
nance, not for Cubsu but for Spain.
Until the appearance of the article In
the Pais led me to investigate more close
ly this scheme of a Spanisli consideration
of South American republics against the
United States, of which I had heard
already some hints in conversation. I
had no Idea of the extent to which the
matter had gone, nor of the success
which had attended the efforts of th
Spanish diplomats in South Americsu
These envoys have had their task facili
tated by the failure of the United States
to fulfill any of the expectations, political
as well as economic, that wen carried
to Washington by the delegates of the
South American Republics at the time of
the Pan-American Congress.
Moreover there is a specie of hered
itary and irremovable sentiment of mu
tual distrust between the Latin and the
Anglo-Saxon races, which leads the
Spanish-descended people of South Am
erica to turn their eyes in the direction
of thfs country rather than in that of the
United States. As the Pais says. Latin
interests are endangered by the intrus
ion of the Anglo-Saxons, and it is neces
sary, therefore, to combine against the
latter, especially asainst the "greedy
Yankees."
Finally, there is no doubt, from what I
learn here, that the Suanish envoy in
South America have had the sunport of
some of their foreign colleague In nego
tiating the combination, which is viewed
with good will and satisfaction, especial
ly by the French government, and like
wise by the triple alliance. Indeed, all
Europe is with Spain in her issue with the
United States, the latter having but one
sympathizer in the old world, namely,
Great Britain. Even Russia i with Spain,
and during the past week the St. Peters
burg Novosti, one of the recognized semi
official organs of the czar's government,
has published a long nrticle, strongiy
condemning the sittitude of the United
States toward Spain, and insisting that
the latter had behaved with a patience,
a courtesy and a forbearance under in
tense provocation that entitled her to the
sympathy of all Europe.
As the Puis very justly points out.
Spain, united In a military and political
confederation with the South American
republics, would become one of the
strongest powers in the world, and even
if Chile alone were to place her magnifi
cent fleet some of her new cruisers are
the finest in existence at the disposal of
Spain, the latter's naval superiority over
the United States would be beyond rem
edy for years to come. In fact, the com
bination is a matter of Very grave im
portance, indeed, to the American Govern
ment, and at least one eminent foreign
diplomat here with whom I discussed the
matter today expressed his amazement
that United States agents in South Amer
ica should have been so remiss and so
blind to what has been going round about
them as to have failed to warn their Gov
ernment of the formation of a political,
economic and. above all. military union
avowedly aimed against the United
States, and the very negotiation of which
should have been opposed by Uncle Sam
by force if necessary, on the ground that
it constitutes a violation of the principles
of the Monroe doctrine that Monroe doc
trine which is regarded here as the fun
damental principle of the foreign pollcy
of the United States.
It Is the knowledge that this arrange
ment with the South Amerian republics
is, to all intents and purposes, concluded,
as well as that she possesses the strong
sympathies of all continental Europe,
that has led Spain to chanqr her attitude
" 2,"?
three weeks and show less anxiety to
please the "Washington Government.
There is an atmosphere of independence,
nay. of defiance, with regard to th
United States in ministerial circles hero
that is in striking contrast with the con
ciliation, the almost subserviency shown
by the Sagasta Cabinet previous to the
new year. No stronger manifestation
could be given of the sentiment now pre
vailing in government circles" than the
dispatch of the battleship Vizcaya fo
American waters.- under the circum
stances almost a direct act of defiance.
Ingenious FHony.
(From tlic 5ydny Hiillotln.)
The Spartans were accustomed to par
don a thief provided his larceny were car-
ried out in an ingenious manner. A Spar-
V, . , , , ,
tan pardon would certainly have been
awarded a certain Clermont thief who
successfully purloined a miner's gold the
otber day. Said miner had gone to sleep,
after securely planting his trousers con
taining X25 under his pillow. In the mid
dle of the night a long needle was thrust
into the skin of the sleeper's foot and
then withdrawn. Imagining himself bit
ten by a snake, the. man arose, rushed
out In a frightened hurry for help and
came back to find his trousers pockets
turned inside out, and his money gone.
MANHATTAN'S MONEY KINGS.
History Shows That They Have
Never Been Patriot.. -
The anniversary of Wasiilngtott;tbirth
day made many persons owing to tit
acute situation between America. ant
Spain. look backward over somo of th
chronological events that have been
stamped on the pages of American his
tory. , ' ' -
In doing this it was found that sub
stantially the same condition exlau-d th.tt
prevailed more than a century ago, aI-s-
In connoctlon with the. war of 1S12. an-I
later the war with Mexico, and hiuihy
the great civil conflict.
History is with a cortninty repeating
itself. In 177J, when thj colonists were
.agitating the question of independenc .
the great money power then in this coun
try was as it is now centered in Manhat
tan island. These rich landed-proprietors
and merchants, a u body, ued
every effort ponsible to keep the people'
loyal to Great Britain, and when at last
their labors to this end proved unavailing
and the bell of liberty rang out In 177G,
the money power among tilts colonist
contributed to the support of the armies
of Great Britain, sent emissaries all
over the land to urge all wealthy men to
adhere to the cause of thf crown, alleg
ing it to be the only means for preserv
ing the wealth tln-y had Inherited or
accumulated. Vigorous Tories wera
these money- kings, but the right wan
withythe people, and their grand triumph
finally came.
Immediately following this great evet
in civilization came the outrages by th
Britlsh government, which insisted upon
its right to board American vessels and
search them. The patriotism of the peo
ple called forth a vehement protest
against the outrages, but the money
power In Manhattan Island gave thnm
no aid. Instead of doing this, they de
plored the outrages and then cried out
that the people must submit to them Tor
the new .Republic was too poor for war,
and that a repetition of the successes
attending the revolution was af the best
but visionary, and the dreams of a few
fanatics. Nothing but the wonderfully firm stand
of the President and Congress saved the
country from the humiliation . these
money kings were willing to have Im
posed in order to save their wealth.
The President. Congress and the ieo
ple threw off the influence of the money
kings, declared war, and as all know,
drove back to the shores of England
her invading navy and army.
When Congress contemplated buying
the Louisiana province from France.-thene
same money kings entered their hurlv
protest against the plan. They declared
the country had more territory thn it
could support and that to acquire more
meant an increase of taxes that would
prove to be ruinous. In every way possi
ble tli money holders of Manhattan Isl
and opposed the efforts of the President
and Congress to make the purchase, but
fortunately for the country able, and
honest men rep-eented the people in tha
executive and legislative brunches rff the
Government, and notwithstanding fife op
position of the moneyed interests the
province was purchased and as the result
1ms shown it was one of the greatest acts
of fandghted statesmanship, this cp'untry
has ever known.
When the apparent necessity for a war
with Mexico was before the peopIe"Maif
hattan's moneyed people pursued thelsame
plan of selfish self Interest In aneffon
to avert the war. They cried out i with
one voice that war would ruin Commerce,
bankrupt merchants, increase th na
tional del. and cripple the country? for
ever. These money lenders pleaded for
their bonds, stocks and warehousetTiWhleli
they urged should be sived at the cost of
national dishonor. Again the masses re
volted from the clutches of the money
lenders on Manhattan Island, and after
a brief and well fought war the?T3tar
and Stripes were victorious and the great
State of Texas became a part of the
American Government, and subsequent
events have" shown die- '-idom vt the
Government at that time in not following
the advice and granting the petitions of
the money kings of Manhattan Island.
The struggle of the millionaires to pre
vent the Irte civil war ia modern his
tory, and so is the fact that a great deal
of the, financial support the South re
ceived came from these lankers and
money lenders in New York, who believed
for a long time after the war began that
the South would prove to be victorious.
Since then the country has had the Vir
ginus affair, the Chilean affair and tho
Venezuelan trouble. In each of these in
cidents the Wall street bondholders (lock
ed to the White House and begged tw
moderation by the Government that their
wealth might be undisturbed, and to the
credit of the Government be it said that
in not a single instance- did their counsels
cause the Administration to recede a step
from the position taken. All know how
wildly Walt street entreated Mr. Cleve
land to retrace the step he took in the
Venezuelan affair, but even If he had been
inclined to acceije to the money lenders'
entreaties he had taken an irrevocable
step and he was compelled to abide by it.
and the result reflected honor to the coun
try Instead of the dishonor that Wall
street would have subjected it to.
Now that the present crisis has arrived
close students of history arc asking.
"ill President McKinley finally rise to
the emergency or will he do what no
other President of the United States hait
done to avert war. show the white feather
and heap dishonor on the nation that ha
so greatly honored him?"
BANQUET AT XEW IIAVEX.
Crlchration of Connect lent Branch
Son; of the American Revolution.
New Haven, Feb. -22. Five hundred men
and boys of the Connecticut branch qf the
Sons of the American Revolution enjoy
ed the annual banquet of'the society here
this afternoon. Govs. D. H. Hastings, of
Pennsylvania, and L. A. Cooke, of Con
necticut, were the guests of honor.
A reception was tendered to them at
noon In the Yale art school by President
Dwight and Dean Wear.
Gen. E. S. Greeley acted as toastmaster.
The toasts were: "Pennsylvania in thu
Revolution." Gov. Hastings; "Connecticut
in the Revolution." Gov. Cooke; "Some
Obscure Patriots." Rev. W. L. Phillips:
"Yale in the Revolution." Prof. Arthur T.
Hadley.
A Wedding: in Gcorpclftr
(From the Atlanta Journal.)
"Everything is 'bout ready, ain't it. Sis-,
ter Duncan?" said the preacher- who
was going to perform the marriage cere
mony in Cabbage Creek Valley.
"No, Sam ain't come to guard tho back
winder yit. Tom's at the front door an
. Ed's at the gate, an as soon as Sam gits
to the back winder everything will be
ready. You see, John Henry is sorter
timid like, and when it comes to the pinch
of the game his courage mout fall him
an' he mout try to make a dash fur tha
woods. Polly knows this, an' she ain't
takin" no chances. She's got the boys
posted whar they can stop John Henry
IC anything should happen."
Uuncomnf.
(From the Cincinnati Knqnircr.)
The talk about Spain being a friendly
nation Is tiresome. She is positively un
friendly, notwithstanding all wc have
'lon, for ,h" n her efforts to fight the
destiny of Cuba to be free. She U en-
ln n wur wnlch Js a m.nace to ouc
institutions. She is doing all she can In
restraint of republicanism in the Western
Hemisphere. Sh Is lighting against the
natural policy of the United States to.
widen the scope of free government.
I'vohnblj. ' '
(From the Atlanta Constitution.)
Another McKinley Administration woul I
doubtless succeed In handing the repub
lic over to the control of Spain.
J,yTA"lS..-rr.Ljtgijgg.vj ,r:!iLjLLJhf2hjt
-Vtfyg. sff,pJ. T l.'C-X.