Pike County Democrat, Volume 29, Petersburg, Pike County, 20 May 1898 — Page 3

SPAIN MUST GET OUT, JteT. Dr. Talmage Delivers a Sermon on the War. Tb* Pm«at the Moat l'u«UUh War of All AgM-The Unit/ of th« North and Sooth in It* Proaorotlon. * The following sermon by Rev. T. DeWitt Talmage is designed to alleviate some of the feelings of sadness brought about by the horrors of war. The text U: I Though war should rise against me, in this Would 1 be confident. —Psalms xxvil, 8. I The ring of battle-axes, and the tdash of shields, and the tramp of ies, are heard all up and down the •Old Testament; and you find godly soldiers like Moses, and Joshua, and Caleb, and Gideon, and scoundrelly soldiers like Sennacherib, and Shalmaneser, and Nebuchadnezzar. The high priest would stand at the head •of t#^ army and say: “Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto> battle against your enemies, let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them!" And then the officers would give command to the troops, saying: “What man is there that hath built a new house and hath not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, least he die in the battle and another man dedicate it. And what man is he that hath planted a

▼tneyarn anu natn not eaten oi nr *■*«»- him also go and return into his house, lest he die in the battle and another man eat of it. And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife and hath not taken her? Let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle and another man take her.” Great armies marehed and fought. In the time of Moses and Joshua all the men were soldiers. When Israel came out of Egypt they were 600,000 fighting men. Abijah commanded 400,000. Jeroboam commanded 600,000 men, of whom 500,000 were slain in one battle. Some of these w ars God approved, for they were . for the rescue of oppressed nations, and some of tlieiu He denounced, but in all castes it was a judgment ..upon both victors and vanquished. David knew just what w ar was when he wrote in thetext: "Though war should rise against me, in this will 1 be confident.” David is encouraging himself in stormy times, and before approaching battle administers to himself the consolatory. So to-day my theme is the "Alleviations of War." War is organized atrocity. It is the science of assassination. It is the convocation of all horrors. It is butchery wholesale. It is murder glorified. It is death on a throne of human skeletons. It is the coftiu in ascendency. It is diabolism at a game of skulls. Hut war is here, and it is time now to preach on its alleviations. First, 1 had an alleviation in the fact that it has consolidated the nortlt and -the south after long-continued strained relations. It is 33 years since our civil war closed, and the violences are all gone and the severities have been hushed. But ever and anon, in oratiou. in sermon, in newspaper edjto- j rial, in magazine article, on political stump, and in congressional hall, the old sc tioual difference has lifted its Iiead; and for the first time within, my | memory, or the memory of anyone who hears or reads these words, the north -and the south are one. By a marvelous providence the family that led i in opposition to our government 3o years ago is represented at j tne front in this present war. Nothing else could have done the work i of unification so suddenly or so completely us this conflict. At Tampa, at 1'hattUnoega. at Richmond, and in , many other places, the regiments are forming, and it will bo side by side, Massachusetts and Alabama. New York I 'nnd Georgia, Illinois and Louisiana, Maine and > mth Carolina. Northern and southern .men will together unlimber the guns and rush upou the fortification and charge upon the enemy and shout the triumph. The voices of military officers who were under Sidney Johnson and Joseph Hooker will give the command on the same side. The old sectional grudges,forever dead. The name of Grant on the northern aide and of Lee on the southern side will Ik* exchanged for the names .of Grant and Lee on the same side. The veterans in northern and southern

bonus ami asy I urns arc stretch mg1 their rheumatic limbs to see whether they can again.keep step in march, and are testing their eyesight to find whether they can again look along the gun barrel to successfully take aim and tire. The old war cry of “On to Richmond!” and "On to Washington!” has become the war cry of "On to Havana!” "On to l*u. to Rico!” "On to the 1‘hilippiue islands!' The two old rusty swords that in otltgr days clashed at Murfreea* bort> and South Mountain and Atlanta are now lifted to strike down Hispanic abominations. Another alleviation of the war is the itet that it is the most unselfish war •of the ages. While the commercial rights of our wronged citizens will be ▼indicated, that is uot the chief idea of ' this war. It is the rescue of hundreds of thousands of people frotp starvation and inultiiorm maltreatment. A friend who went out under the flag of the lied •Cross two years ago to assuage suffering m Armenia, and who has been on the same mission, under the same flag, in Cuba, says that the suffering#^ in Armenia were a comedy and a farce compared with the greater sufferings of Cuba. At least -OO.uOO graves are calling to ns to come on and remember by what process their occupants died. It is the twentieth century crying out to the nineteenth: "Do you mean to pass down to us the curse with which you have beeu blasted? Or will you let me begin under new auspices and turn the island of desolation into an island Eden ic?” It is a war inspired by mercy, which .it an attribute in man imitative of the

same attri bute of God. In no other age of the world coaid each m war hare been waged. The gospel of kindness needed to be recognized throughout Christendom in order to make such a war possible. The chief reason why most of the European nations are not now banded together against us is because they dare not take the part of that behemoth of cruelty, the Spanish government, against the crusade of mercy which our nation has started. Had it been on our part a war of conquest, a war of annexation, a war of aggrandizement, there would have been by this time enough flying squadrons coming to this country across the Atlantic to throw into panic every city ! on our American seaboard. The wars of the Crusaders were only to regain an empty sepulcher; the Naj poleonic wars, with their 6,000,000 j slaughtered men, were projected and carried out to appease the ambition of one man; of the 25,000.(1)0 slain in Jewish wars, and of the 60,000,000-slain in i wars under Julius Caesar; of the 180,i 000,00 slain in wars with Turks and ' Saracens; of the 50,000,000 slain in wars j of Xerxes; of the 20,00i\0Q0 slain in | wars of Justinian, and the 62,000,000 slain in the wars of Genghis Kahu, not ( one man was sacrificed by mercy; but in the Hispanic American war every drummer boy, or picket, or gunner, or standard-bear, or skirmisher, or sharpshooter, or cavalryman, or artilleryman, or eugineer, who falls, falls in the cause of mercy, and becomes a martyr for God aud his country. Another alleviation of this war is that it is for the advancement of the

suomue principle ot noeriy*. wnicu will yet engirdle the earth. Not onl}* will this war free Cuba, but finally will free Spain. By- what right does a dynasty like that stand and a corrupt oourt dominate a people for centuries, taxing them to death, ridrng in gilded chariot over the necks of a beggared population? There are 10,000 boys in Spain growing up with more capacity to govern the nation than will the weak boy now in the Madrid palace everpossess. Before this conflict is over the Spanish uation will be well on toward the time when a constitutional convention will assemble to establish a free government instead of the worn-out dynasty that now aitlicts the people. The liberty of all nations, transatlantic as well as cisatlantic, if not already established, is on the way and it can qot be stopped. t Napoleon 111. thought he had successfully driven the principle out of France, when, on the second day of December. 1831, he rode down the Champs Elysces of Paris, constitutional government seemingly crushed under the hoofs of his steed. But did it stay crushed? Let the batteries on the heights above Sedan answer, aud the shout of 230,000 conquering hosts, and the letter of surrender to Emperor William tell the story. “Sire, My Brother: Not having been able to die in the midst of my troops, it only remains for me to place my sword in your majesty's hands. I aiu, your majesty, your good brother, Napoleon. Sedan, September 1, 1870." That monarchy having fallen, then the French republic resumed its inarch. Another alleviation is that the war opeus with a great victory for the United States. It took our govern- ; incut four years to get over the fiasco at Bull Bun. A defeat at the start of this present war would have been disheartening to the last degree, and would have invited foreign iuterven- ■ tion to stop the war before anything practical for God aud humanity had , been accomplished, anil would have prolonged the strife for which we are hoping a quick termination. In the most jubilant manner let this victory of our navy be celebrated. With the j story of the exploding battleship fresh j in the minds of the world, it required j no ordinary courage to sail into the harbor of Manila aud attack the Span- , ish shipping. That harbor, crowded with sunken weaponry of death; to enter it was running a risk enough to make all nations shiver. But Manila is ours, and the blow has shaken to the foundation the palu^ee at Madrid, aud for policy's sake the doubtful nations are on our side. For Commodore l)ew- , cy and all who followed him let the whole nation utter its most resoundiug huz/a; and more than that, let us thank the .Lord of hosts for llis guidance and protecting power, “l'raise ye the Lord! Let-everythiugthat hath breath praise the Lord!"

A not tier ouevuiuou me i;u.u auui in this war the wight is on tin* side of the right. Again and again have liberty and justice and'suffering iitrfh’a^iity had the odds'against them. It was so when Itcuhada-i's Syrian hosts, who were in the wrong, at Aphek, came upon the small regiments of Israel, who were in the right, the liible putting it in one of those graphic sentences for which the book is remarkable—"The children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids. but the Syrians filled the whole country.” It was so iu the awful defeat of the Lord’s people at tii I boa and Megiddo. It was so recently when gallant and glorious Greece was in conflict with gigantic Mohu.mmdani'-u, and the navies of Europe hovering about the Bosporus were in practical protection of the i Turkish governmetit, fresh from the i slaughter of 100,000 Armenians. It i was so when, in 1776. the 13 colonies, with wo war shipping aud a few un- | drilled and poorly-clad soldiers, were i brought into'a contest with the mightj iest navy of the earth and an army j that commanded the admiration of na- : tions. It was so when Poland was | crushetl. It was so when Hungary | went under. It has been so during all j the struggles heretofore for Cuban inj dependence. But now it is our powerful navy against a feeble group of | incompetent ships, crawling across the j Atlantic ocean to meet oar flotillas, which have enough guns to- send them as completely under as when the Red sea submerged Pharaoh's army. It is so in these times, when only a few thousand Spaniards can reach our hemisphere, and we go out to meet them with 123,000 armed men, to be

backed up speedily with WX),000 more It needed. We do not have to ask for any miracles, but only a fair shot at the ships headed this way and time enough to demolish them. This is one of the caseses in the world's history where might and right are shoulder to shoulder. Another alleviation is in the fact that such an atrocity as the destruction of 266 lives in Havana harbor in time of peace can not with impunity be wrought in this age of the world's civilisation. The question as to who did that inlernalism is too well settled, to need any further discussion. But what a small crime it was, compared, with the systematic putting into their graves of hundreds ol thousands of Cubans, or leaving them unburied for the buzzards to take care of. If Spain could destroy 200,000 men. women and children, the slaughter of 2H6 people was not a very great undertaking. But this one last deed will result in the liberation of Cuba, and the driving of Spain from this hemisphere and the overthrow of that government, which will soon drop to pieces if it does not go down under bombardment of insulted nations. There was danger that the long-con-tinued oppression of ottr neighbors in Cuba might be continued from generation to generation without sufficient protest on our part and the pronounced execration of people on both sides of the Atlantic, but that bursting volcano of destruction in the harbor of Havana tired the nation and shocked the whole civilized world, All nations will learn that such au act can not be repeated

\vunout tne anathema ox all Christendom. As individual criminals must be punished for the public good, and we have for them courts of oyer and terminer, and penitentiaries, and electric chairs, and hangman's gallows, so governments committing high crimes against God and humanity must be scourged and hung up for the worltPs indignation. When in Spanish waters our battleship, looking after our commercial interests and intending nothing but quietude, was hurled into demolition, and the men on board, without time to utter one word of prayer, were dashed into the eternal world, the doom of the reiguihg house of Spain was pronounced in tones louder than the thunder which that night rolled out over the sea. Another alleviation is the fact that we have a God to go to in behalf of all those, of our countrymen who may be in especial exposure at the front, for we must admit the perils. It is no trifling thing for 100,OOi) young men to be put outside of home restraints and sometimes into evil companionship. Many of the brave of the earth are not the good of the earth. To be in the same tent with those who have no regard for God orv home; to hear their holy religion sometimes slurred at; to be placed under influences calculated to make oue reckless; £o have no Sabbath, except such Sabbath as in most encampments amounts to no Sabbath at all; to j go out from homes where all sanitary laws are observed into surroundings where questions of health are never discussed; to iu vade climes where pestilence holds possession; to qmke long marches under blistering skies; to stand on deck aud in jthe fields under tire, at the mercy of^sbot aud shell—we must admit that tho|»e exposed need especial care, aud to the Omnipresent God we have a right tp commend them, and will commend them. Postal communication may be interrupted, anv letters started from jeamps or homes may not arrive at the right destination, but, however, far-away our loved ones may be from us, and however wide and deep the seas that separate us, we may hold communication with them via the th roue of God. A shipwrecked sailor was found floating on a raft near the coast of California. While iu hospital he told his experience, aud said that he had a companion on the same raft for some time. While that companion was dying of thirst he said to him: “George, where arevou going?" and the dying sailor said: “1 hope 1 am going to God." “If you >do,'’ . said the rescued sailor, “will you ask Him to send some water?" After the death of his companion, the survivor said, the rain came in torrents, and slaked liis thirst and kept him alive until he was taken to safety. The survivor always thought it was in answer to the message he had sent to Heaven asking for water. Thank God

vve may nave direct ana instantaneous communication with the Lord Almighty through Jesus Christ. His only begotten Son. and iu that faith we may secure the rescue of oUr imperiled kindred. is that not a mighty alicvation? U ntil this con diet is ended let us be much in prayer for our beloved country. Do net let u,s deocud upon the friendship of foreign nations. Our hope is in God. Out of every misfortune He has brought this country to a better moral and financial condition, and so let us pray that He will i\ft us out of this valley of trouble ufito a higher mountain of blessing. Yet what the world most wants is Christ, who is coming to take possesion of all hearts, all homes, ail nations; but the world blocks the wheels of H is chariot. 1 would like to see this century, which is now almost wound up, find its peroration in some mighty overthrow of tyrannies and a mighty building up of liberty and justice. Almost all the centuries have ended with some stupendous event that transformed nations and changed the map of the world. It was so at the close of the fourteenth century; it was so at the close of the fifteenth century; it was so at the close of the sixteenth century; it was so at the close of the seventeenth century; it was so at the close of the ^eighteenth century. May i it be more gloriously so at the close of I the nineteenth century! “Blessed be I the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting, and let the whole earth be filled with liisglory.” Amen, aud Amen._ The report is confirmed that the Bank of Parts has concluded to loan 10,000,000 francs to Spain.

RAILWAY MANAGEMENT. Address of Hon. M. E. Ingalls to the 00Commissioners' Convention. Ouitlou Pcrtalalng to the Cundoct ot Railway* Which Are of Interest to the General Pahltc. The railway commissioners of the country met in convention at Washington, D.p., on Tuesday, May 10, for the purpose of considering questions of great interest both to the railways and the people of the United States. The convention was addressed by Hon. M. E. Ingalls, a high authority in railway matters, upon the establishment of proper traffics, couduct of shippers and the betterment of existing conditions in railway affairs, also the advancement <i(f measures looking to the great- j er comfort and convenience of the pub- j lie. Mr. Ingalls’ address is here given ns being a semi-official expression of j the views held by railway managers ! generally, and as being also of gen- i eral interest to the public at large: “Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen: I am j very much obliged for this opportunity of j addressing you. I understand I have in my | audience the members of the interstate j commerce commission and the gentlemen ! composing the various railway commis- | slons of the different states. It is a body that is supposed to stand as an arbiter bej tween the railroads and the people, as a friend of both; a body that ought to and does have great influence, and especially j j in reference to legislation regarding rail

roaas. ir tms auuience snoutu agree upon any legislation in that respect that was needed, I presume there would be no difficulty in inducing yonder congress to enact It i|Uo law. and believing as I do that it ft essential to the public interest to secure legislation. I am pleased to have this opportunity of presenting my views and endeavoring to enlist you in the reforms which I think are so vital We have reached a crisis in railway management where something must be done if we would avoid disaster, not alone ^o the railways, but to the material Interests o< our country. “For 30 years a contest has been waged in legislatures, in congress and before the courts, by. the people on one side who be-„ lleved that railways were public corporations and subject to control by the power that created them: and. on the other hand, by officials of the railways, who did not believe such control was legal or practicable. State after state asserted its right. These rights were contested from one court to another, and decided from time to time always in favor of the people, under certain restrictions. It finally culminated in 18S7 in the enactment of the interstate commerce law, and since then there has been hardly a day when some provision of that law was not under consideration by the courts or by congress, until now we may state it Is as fairly settled by the highest courts in the land that the legislatures of the states have control over railways with reference to their local business, subject to certain conditions, and that the congress of the United States has the power to regulate interstate business. The supreme c&urt of the United States, which j is the highest arbiter of these differences. has fust decided that such control of the states, or regulation, must be reasonable. and that rates cannot be reduced below a point where the railroads can earn their expenses ar.d a fair return upon their < 1 cost. . L j “Railway managers had accepted the situation and were endeavoring to obey the interstate commerce law and adapt their management to it when in March, 1S97. a decision was rendered by the supreme court j which produced chaos and ^destroyed all J agreements. It was practically that the I Sherman anti-trust law, so-called, which It had not been supposed applied to rail- | ways, did apply to them, and under the construction of that law by the court tt was practically impossible to make any ' agreements or arrangements for the maintenance of tariffs. In the case brought against the Joint Traffic association in New York, this View has been combatted by the railways and it may be modified by the courts. But since that decision in March. iSSJT. there has been practically a state of anarchy so far as the maintenance of tariffs is concerned in a large part of this country. "It is well, perhaps, that we should look the situation fairly in the face, ar.d while I do not care to be an alarmist. I feel bound | to describe plainly to you the condition today, so that you may understand the r.el cessity far action. Never in the history of i railways have tariffs been so little re- ! spected as to-day. Private arrangements ■ and understandings are more plentiful i than regular rates. The larger shippers, j the irresponsible shippers, are obtaining j advantages which must sooner or later prove the ruin of the smaller and mere I conservative traders, ar.d in the end will ; break up many of the commercial houses In this country and ruin the railways. A madness seems to have seized upon some railway managers, and a large portion of the freights of the country is being carried at prices far below cost. Other than the maintenance of tariffs the condition of the railways is good; dheir physical condition has been improved: their trains are well managed, and the 'jubllc is well served. If a way can be found by which tariffs can i»e maintained anil the practice of secret rebates and private contracts discontinued, the future will have great promise for railway investors, railway employes and the i public generally. And here 1 wish to say |that\thls is not a tt'Jcstion which concerns railway investors alone. If it was. you mightN^ay ‘let them tight it out.* It con

great puni^c. One-fifth of our people are interested directly I in railways, either a* employes or employes of manufactories that are enraged in furnishing supplies to the railways. Can ary body politic prosper If one-fifth of Its number Is engaged tn a hus:ne*s that Is lotting money? The raili ways serve the public in so many ways that their prosperity is Slosely interwoven with tho prosperity arc the comfort of the ordinary people. 0?e thousand millions of dollars were paid out last year by the railways from their earning* to employes of manufactories In this country: 511.W0.Cb0 of passengers were ciirrled: 1J.W0 millions were carried one mile: 765.00.'.Out) of tons of freight were moved, 95.OW millions of tens were moved one mile. Do you think that ar.y interest performing such immense service as this can be in difficulty and the balance of the country not feel it? Forty millions of dollars were paid out for public taxes. Over three thousand millions of dollars that have been invested In railways have earned no dividend for years. This Is not ‘water.’ as some populist orator will say. but good, honest money. These securities are held alt through the land, and their failure to pay any return has brought disgrace upon us abroad and suffering and want in many a family and community at home. A s.ight improvement in the rate, which would be scarcely felt, would make this Investment good One mill per ton per mile, or one-tenth of a cent, additional, last year would have made $95,000 increase in net revenue, and this wouid have paid three per cent, upon this Invested capital. "These are the material sides of the question. There is a much more dangerous view, and that Is the demoralization of the men conducting these immense enterprises and the want of respect for the law which is being developed by the present situation. Tne trouble is not due altogether to the provisions and the interstate commerce •aw. It has grown up from vrrious sources. The panic of 1898 and the loss of business for the next few years intecsifled the competition between the lines: new avenues were opened; the competition of the Oulf ports increased enormously; also that of the Canadian Pacific on the north. Altogether, these causes produced such sharp comoetitlon. coupled with the decision re

ferrred to of tho courts, that a* wader* standing or agreements can be madev and have combined to produce the most complete breakdown that has ever been seen In any business. There is less faltlj to-day between railway managers with reference to their agreements to maintain thrifts than was probably ever known on earth in any other business. Men managing large corporations who would trust their opponent with their pocketbook with untold thousands in it, will hardly trust his agreement for the maintenance of tariffs while they are in the room together. Good faith seems to have departed from the railway wcrid. so far as traffic agreements are concerned. “One of the chief difficulties with the law as it stands to-day is that the punishment for private contracts and rebates is entirely, out of proportion to the offense. The imprisonment clause was put in as an amendment to the interstate commerce law, and I believe the commission and everyone who has watched its workings will agree with me that it has been a failure: more than a failure, that it has caused perhaps more demoralization than anything else. The public has not believed in it: it has been impossible "to secure conviction: it has prevented the railway official who desired to be honest from complaining of his competitor whom he thought was dishonest. In fapt, it has been what every law is that 13 not supported by public sentiment—a failure. What, in fact, is the manner of conducting business to-day? The railway official who desires to be honest and law-abiding sees traffic leave his line and finds the freight that he was carrying hauled to the warehouse of his rival, the earnings of his line decreasing and complaints from the management of less of earnings, and in the distance he sees looming up the loss of his position. At the same time, the shipper who desires to obey the law sees some rival selling merchandise to his customers at prices he cannot meet, and he knows very well that he is securing concessions from some railway to enable him to do this. The railway agent and the shipper who wish to obey the law sit down

together and look it over, tv hat re.ier ts there for them? They can complain of their rivals, possibly convict them under the Interstate commerce law and send them to the penitentiary, but such action would bring down upon them the condemnation of the public, and would ruin their business: for, as I stated before, the public does not believe in this severe feature of the law. and will not support anyone, who enforces it. The result Is, these men In despair are driven to do just what their opponents are doing—they become lawbreakers themselves. I have drawn no fancy picture: it is what is occurring every day around you. Boards of trade, commercial bodies and conventions have repeatedly reported on it, and all have come to the same conclusion: and yet, for some Inexplicable reason, congress has failed to act. “There sro two changes that should bo made in this, present legislation which would aid in creating a better condition of affairs than exists to-day. Fleet, the tenth section, or imprisonment clause, should be stricken out, and a new law should be enacted imposing a tine of, say. >5,000 upon the offending corporation: make each and every contract or bill of lading a separate offense. Leave out the shipper altogether: you want his testimony. If he cheats by underbilling or false Invoices, he should be punished, but his attempt to secure a lower rate than his rival should not be indictable, as you then prevent getting testimony which you need. With this amendment put into law every railway official will be interested in prosecuting his rival for any \ location of the law. “To-day you cannot get any help that way, because no one is going to try to send his competitor to prison. Public sentiment would not support it, and over it all is the fear that he himself may have committed transgressions which. In turn, will* x>e discovered and prosecuted, and punishment inflicted upon himself. But if it was a case of fine against the corporation, there would be no hesitation in these corporations using the entire power which they have to Convict wrongdoing. You may think that some would pay these fines and go oh. but I assure you that a few fines of $5,000 would'work wonders in reforming railway corpojgtions in their management. Above all. yot* will have public opinion behind you, and It will be easy to enforce this law. You can get all the testimony you want: no one can refuse to produce hla books. You will at 1 >ast give those railway officials and those shippers who sincerely desire to be law-abiding citizens a fair chance to defend themselves. “Second, the law should be amended so that railway corporations can contract with each other for the maintenance of rates or the .division of business, and in case of failure of either party to keep his contract allow the other to sue in the courts and recover damages. This, in part, is what is called pooling, but it is more than this. It legalizes contracts between railway corporations. It may be a contract for maintenance of rates with no division of business. To-day. if-two railway corporations contract that they will maintain the same rate between Baltimore and New York it is a conspiracy, contrary to publio policy, and cannot be enforced In the courts. This is an old law which Is no-t adapted to modern business methods. It grew up to protect the public in old times, but it is no longer necessary, and should be changed to legislation. The right to pool, as you ail know, provides that two or more railway corporations can agree to divide the business between competing points on certain proportions, and the line that carries more than its share shall pay a certain sum as damages for its failure to keep :ts contract. The objection to allowing this has been that* excessive rates might be charged. To protect the public in this matter. enact into law that upon the complaint of any citizen such rates shall be subject to review by the interstate commerce commission, and in case they shall find that they are excessive they shall at once be reduced to the basis fixed by the interstate commerce commission, or else the agreement shall be ended.

Au ci us wno rave any interest in our country.'" who desire its prosperity, are Interested in the solution of this great question. It is not a time for the demagogue to howl about corporations. It is not a time to talk about the wrongdoings of railway managers. There are always some, in any business, who will not do right, and there always will be. but the greet mass of railway managers to-day. I assure you, are as honestly seeking a solution of this question as are you or any member of the legislative body. I believe I voice the belief of a very large majority of them that the tw*o provisions I have mentioned are necessary and will lead to the settlement of this question. If this body will join and heartily Indorse this course and work for it. its accomplishment can be attained. We have unwittingly in this country applied to railway laws that it was never intended should be app.ied to transportation companies of this nature. We have gone back and taken decisions that were wise a hundred years ago. when civilization was in its Infancy and when the masses needed certain protection. and have endeavored to apply these same principles to the great transportation interests of modern times. The courts, unfortunately. have followed in that line. "I beg of you. gentifemen, to take these things to heart. If the thoughts that I have suggested are wise and commend themselves to your judgment, then put them in such form as is proper and present them to congress with your recommendations, and I have not much doubt but that they will be made into law. Some people will oppose them through selfish interest or for political reasons; there will be some railway managers who fear the loss of their present power and who can see great trouble in the future, who will oppose them; but wdiy. in reference to such an enormous interest as this, wait for everyone to agree? Take the great mass . of 6 thinking men, what you yourselves approve, and put It into the shape of a law and let us try it. If It accomplishes what we wish, it will be a fortunate day for this country. If it accomplishes but a little of what we hope, we shall Indeed have made a success. If we are mistaken and it does no good, we at least shall have the satisfaction of having made an honest effort t» the right direction."

WHY THE EXPEDITION FAILED. Hm Cabans were Unable to Meet tke landtag Party or to Receive - tbe Supplies. ■ Kky Wkst, Fla., May IP.—Capt. Dorst saya the failure of the Gussie expedition was due to the fact that the Cubans were unable to meet the lauding party at the rendezvous aud the Americans could not land supplies with no one to receive them. The arrangements for making a landing at Cabanas were made ten days ago by Capt. Dorst with Gen. Delgado, in command of the insurgent forces in the province of Knar del Rio, and the supplies to be landed near Matanzas were to be conveyed to Gen. Gomez by a force of insurgents camped three miles back from the coast line. Roth of the Cuban parties were unable, apparently, to appear at the rendezvous owing to the activity of the Spaniards. Capt Dorst is convinced that the Spaniards have a good system of communication along the coast, and that they can quickly raise enough troops to prevent the landing of a small force, such as the one he commanded, and the captain believes the only way arms and ammunition can be sent to the insurgents is to land them under the cover of war ships with guns sufficient to beat off any attack. Then, he adds, the arms and ammunition should be conveyed inland by United States soldiers.

xue captain says me company wtncn landed through the surf at Cabanaa had a narrow escape. The soldiers were fired upon by Spanish cavalry concealed in the tangled underbrush, and the fire yvas replied to, with the result that one Spanish officer and three men were hit. Only one man on the American side was wounded. The latter, a newspaper correspondent, received a slight fiesh wound in the arm. The Wasp and the Manning shelled the woods and covered the retreat of the soldiers to the Gussie. On Friday the Spaniards tried to hit the Gussie from a masked battery, and some of their shells burst close on board, but none of the fragments struck. A BUSY SUNDAY AT KEY. WEST. An Important Strategic Movement Evidently Being Planned—Extraordinary Precaution* Being Taken. Key West, Fla., May 16.—Yesterday was a Sunday of unusual activity here, and it was apparent that an important strategic movement was being planned. Commodore Watson arrived on the gunboat Dolphin from the blockading fleet off Havana. Orders came thick and fast from Washington, and the naval station authorities were in- instructed to make quick preparations to coal the big ships. It is thought there will be no occasion to begin coaling be* fore Tuesday or Wednesday, although it would not be surprising were the . work to begin to-day. The ships already in the harbor have been ordered to get up steam without delay, but the officers say they are ignorant of what this may indicate. The announcement from the north of the coming flying squadron strengthens the theory held here that a united movement of some kind is contemplated. The chief factor in the situa- a tion is the whereabouts of the Spanish Ja fleet, understood to be off the Venesuelan coast. It is conceded by naval men that were Cervera's squadron to meet the detached blockading squadron off Cuba while Admiral Sampson's ships were coaling here, a disastrous blow might be inflicted, and it is- believed the plan now under consideration is to obviate any such possibility! Extraordinary precautions are being taken for the protection of Key West harbor, although the rumor lately circulated here that the Spanish fleet is'*" heading this way is scouted by the officials; SPANISH CABINET CHANGES. Official Denial of the Karnor That The] Are Connected with a Peace Movement.

London, May 10.—A dispatch to th« Times from Madrid confirms the offi cial denial at the Spanish capital that the cabinet changes are connected witk a peace movement. ^ The Times corro spoudent says: The conclusion to be drawn from thi reorganization that they are seeking « peaceable.solution of the question, has> for the moment, been abandoned, anc the war will .be prosecuted vigorously. "There was a prolonged cabinet council yesterday afternoon, dealing with the crisis, and1 several points were practically settled. Senor Sagas t a. though weak iu health, remains president of the council of ministers, because the literals are in a majority in the chamber, and it would be inconvenient to have a cabinet chief, however distinguished, who is not chief of the liberal party. “Four ministers, Senors Gullon. Bermejo, Moret and Xiquena, will retire, partly for personal reasons and partly because of differences on important policies. Senor Sagasta will choose the strongest- liberals he can find, but several of the strongest, notably Senor Gamazo, have intimated that they will not take office at present “It is hoped and expected that Gen. Correa, who has valuable qualifications for his present post, will remain.” „ ' Naral N««n to be Withheld. Washington, May 16.—Several cablegrams were receivediat the navy department from naval* commanders, and others were sent in reply. It was stated that the government is now in communication with the several sqnadrons, and important developments are looked for in the near f ature. In consequence of the publication of important naval movements, an order has been issued by Secretary Long directing that all matters conIeerning naval movements be withheld from the press except sueh as he hiae«<iif may see fit to announce.