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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (April 7, 1898)
, r r > SPAIN'S ' FIGHTING MATERIAL Characteristics of Soldiers and Sailors and the Hen in Command. GVAVE , HARDY , AGLE AND OBEDIENT Deficient In' Mental Re onrcen and 1'oorly Officered The Army n I'rofenBlun , the Navy Shunned. General Scgura , on being nominated la t ( Week for election to the new Cortes at Ma drid , declined the honor with much flourish of trumpets , on the ground that he prc- lerrcd to iserve Spain as o soldier rather than as a politician. At first sight , writes "Ex-Attache" In the New York Tribune , this reply might appear to bo dictated by single- minded patriotism , euch as the people of other countries are accustomed to look fern ! n these who wear the national uniform. But a knowledge of Spain based upon residence in tbo land ot the hidalgos Is calculated to dlcpel this Illusion and to cause one to place a Icna disinterested Interpretation upon the reply of the gallant general. No soldier with any ambition lor political preferment would ever dream of entering the Cortes. It Is not In the latter but In the ranks ot the army that most of the Intrlgueo ore hatched which result In the overthrow of cabinets and In the advent to power of new men who are either officers themselves or creatures of the military element and pledged to conform to the latter's bidding. With the single exception of the ministerial crisis of last autumn , for which the queen regent was alone responsible , there hao not been a single change of administration dur ing the lest century which haa not been brought about , directly or Indirectly , by po litical Intrigues on the part of the officers of the army , and It Is likewise to the lattei that must bo ascribed the numerous dynastic changes that have taken place. Indeed , mili tary pronunclamentos have for moro than fifty years constituted the principal political factor In Spain , and Inasmuch ao they are Invariably hatched among the officera , com- inlealoncd and noncommissioned. In active eervlce , It lo only natural that generals who ore. possessed of ambition should manifest reluctance to put themselves out of the race by temporarily abandoning the tunic at an officer for the toga of a legislator. SHUNNED BY POLITICIANS. It Is worthy of note that the sister nervlce , camcly , the navy , has played no part In any of the pronunclamentos that have brought about either changes of administration or of rulershlp. While this redounds to the honor of the officers and men of the Spanish fleet , It Is largely responsible for the fact that the naval service Is shunned , as a rule , \iy men who are nossiEsed of ambition and 'of bril liancy , who are apparently convinced that thcro Is little or no prospect of achieving distinction at sea. With the solitary excep tion of the late Admiral Torpetc , there has rot been a single naval officer who has won any kind of celebrity In the nineteenth cen tury , and , although Spain has always owned flno ships , manned by hardy and experienced Bailers recruited from the seafaring popula tion of the Atlantic coasts of the kingdom , yet her naval history during the last hun dred years has been Illustrated by no great victory , but , on the contrary , overshadowed by Innumerable disasters and defeats. The fault lies evidently with the officers of the navy , rather than with the men. For the latter are possessed of almost Identically the same qualities and shortcoming as the Bretons , who constitute the backbone of the naval forces of France. That Is to say , they are brave , hardy , agile and obedient. More over , they are devout to the extent of down right superstition. But , on the other hand , they are like the Breton , exceedingly un clean and lacking In the neatness which characterizes American and English sailors. Nor do they possess the Intellectual caliber ofthe latter , nor yet their Initiative and re- ource of mind. In one word , they are not to do well without men who can be relied upon out good officers and that Is precisely what they have not. And so Inefficient Is the staff ot officers both In charge of the naval arsenals and of th various departments ol the ministry of marine at Madrid that no one would feel surprised it on the outbreak of hostilities the Spanish fleet should find Itself handicapped almost to the extent ol uselessness by the lack cf fuel , of war ma terial and of Indispensable supplies of one kind and another. Therefore , although Spain has a fine fleet , as far as the mere ships and their armament are concerned , and can even toast of a largo fighting force of sailors , yet. Judging by the past , her navy need not bo expected to play any very Importan part Jn the event of a war with the United Btatcfl. Btatcfl.THE ARMY AS A PROFESSION. It Is the. army that monopolizes whatove : there Is In the shape , of ambition , Intellec and brilliancy In Spain , where It has bee. : nicknamed the Fourth Estate. Indeed , thi Spanish army may be regarded as the nine teenth century counterpart of the old Prae torlan Guard of Rome. Pjrlde la still , as litho the days of yore , ono of the prevailing char acterlstlc * of the Spaniard. Trade. Industr : end the scientific professions appear to be un worthy of the usually poverty-stricken dc cendant of many hldalgoes , and the arm : constitutes In his eyes the only means o livelihood compatible with his notions o dignity. Hence the extraordinary number o officers , who actually constitute by them elves one-fifth of the entire standwg arm : ot Spain that la , thcro Is one commlsslonc < officer to every four men. Experience has shown that the best. na > almost the only chance of advancement an < of Increase ot pay In the army lies In a pro nunclamcnto or mutiny , which , If success Ml , brings these who have been most actlv Jn promoting- to the fore , while If It fall the ringleaders , either by death or dismissal create vacancies and consequent promotion History , Indeed , and -the. teachings ot th past have Impressed upon the mind of th Spanish officer that a well organized pro nunclamcnto Is worth any number of vie torlous campaigns , both as regards pay an rank. With but few exceptions all the prize of the military profession are lo the hand of generals whose laurels have been won b disloyalty to the government ot the da ) rather than by true and honest service In th Held. Held.Of course the officers could not make pro nunclamentos without the co-operatlcii. c the troops unlcr their command. The Inter medlarles between themselves and the ran' and fllo are the noncommissioned offlcers- tbat la to eay. the sergeants and corporate who may be said to ccattttute the kerne of every military rising. The. average Span lib private Is lamentably Ignorant end inabl either to read or write , his sole Instructloi being , as a rule , derived from the villas prleet , who , partly from motives ot pollc ; and partiy on account of Indolence , ha taught him nothing moro than hla mcr catechism , IMPORTANCE OF MINOR OFFICERS. The noncommissioned officers may b < broadly speaking , described aa men who ow their promotion from the rank * to the fac that they know how to read , write and flgur In fact , that tbey pa-seas a sort ot cduca tlon similar to that Imparted by the grain mar ichoola In the United States. Their In fluence over the men under their coinmni la due not only to their superiority ot mill ttry rank , but llkowloo to their auperlorlt ot education , the common soldier usual ! depending upon his corporal or his ear-gear to write hU letters to the old people i tome and to his sweetheart. Moreover , th noncommissioned officer * live lii the barrack with tbo troops , where * * the commlsslone officer * do not ; and while the latter ar constantly being moved about from corp to corps , tbo noncommissioned officers erv from three to fifteen anl even twenty year ' to the same regiment , the pay , the reward ad Ut orders tor tb BCD puilng ttroug their hands. Finally , they are recruited from the same- ranks as the men , and only differ from the latter as stated above In the superiority of their education. The control which they ( lave , therefore , over the rank and fllo Is very great , and , providing the generate and field officers organizing a pro- nunlaraento can succeed In wli.nlng thegup - port of a certain number of sergeants and corporals by promised of commissions as ensigns and lieutenants , they can rely upcn the services of the troops under their com mand. There might he less disposition on the part of the. officers to take part In pronuncla- mcntos and fa political movements at one kind and another against the government of the day If there were' larger leaven of men possessed of fortune as well as of birth among their ranks. Unfortunately this U precisely an clement In which the Spanish army Is deficient. It Is possible to purchase an exemption from military service for the trifling sum of $400. In consequence of this almost every young man of family and fcr- uno buys himself off. There Is not even the nccntlvc of the uniform In his case , since icre area number of associations > wd orders estrlctctl to the members of the. aristocracy vhlch give the members thereof the right to wear scml-mllltary uniforms of the most ; orgeous character. The officers of the panlsh army are theroforq , as a rule , what re known ns soldiers of fortune that Is lo ay , men who have entered the service of ho crown for the sole purpose of winning rank and fortune , and It Is to be feared that ho ambition to succeed In these two partlc- lara plays a far greater role ta their career han any considerations of duty or pa- rlotltm. TirE WEAK POINT. It will bo readily understood that with uch a condition of affairs as this discipline a the weak point of the Spanish army , which , n spite of the excellent raw material , has much more In common with the military ovces of the South American republics than vlth these of any great power of the civilized vorld. The moment one caters a club , a ate , or any other place of publlcxresort at ilailrld ono hears on every sldo discussions is to what this or that general Is going to do n the way of political coups , the latter be ns accounted of much more Importance than any victory In the field. In fact , the for eigner gathers the Impression that the Spanish army Is a mere political wglne , the generals , officers and soldiers of which con- Idcr It perfectly lawful and right to con spire against and to overthrow the govern- nent of the day. Indeed , General Salamanca very faithfully depleted the feelings of the Spanish army when he declared one day In my hearing from his place In the senate that 'the army only made pronunclamentos against the governments which resisted Its ncllnatlon , " and that the "army expressed ho aspirations of public opinion , " citing as examples "the glorious pronunclamentos of :8CS : , 1873 a-nd 1874. " The noncommissioned officers and men dls- cusa the politico of their chiefs , the sub altern officers argue as to the right or wrong of the commands which they reelve before proceeding to execute them , wlille the gen erals are most outspoken In criticising the conduct of the government and of the crown. In fact , there la absolutely no spirit of dis cipline cither among the officers or men , and the result Is to bo found In the otherwise unaccountable failure of an army close upon 200.000 men and nearly fifty generals lo oup- prrsa Uie Cuban Insurrection , which could readily have been crushed at the beginning with a small disciplined force , but which hea had' Its growth fostered and developed to a Dhcnomcnal degree by the lack of dis cipline of the men and the Incapacity of the officers of the Spatnsh army. GOOD MATERIAL IP HIOHTLY HANDLED Properly officered , honestly paid on the regular pay day when/ his money li due , and It equipped nod cared for In the same way a * the soldiers of the United States , of Great Britain and of other European powers , the Spanish soldier might prove a formidable antagonist , especially1 when he Is in the latter part of his three years' compulsory eervlce. For he la even under moat unfavor able ) conditions a good fighter , not afraid of getting hurt nor hampered by any scruples of hurtUiK others. In fact , his one fault is his tendency to savagery , attributable to the presence of Moorish blood In his veins , and which leads him'to mutilate the dead and the dying much In the same meilner as the Moors , the Dervishes , moit of the Asiatic raceo and the American Indians are In the habit of doing with their foes. 'This Is , after all , but another phase of the Insubordination of the Spanish soldiers , since their offlceis , being unable to cciUroI them even In times of peace , are still less able to restrain them when the din and excitement of battle have aroused la their bosoms the latent liut of blood and daughter. Not since the beginning of the century have Spanish troops had en opportunity ol measuring swords against the trained army of any great power , and there Is every rea son to believe that should that opportunity bo afforded to them In the next few weeks they will , owing to their lack of discipline , to the faultlrress of their' equipment , to the Incapacity and Iraubordlnatlon of the sub altern officers , and to the anxiety of the gen erals to get the best , not of the enemy , but of their own comi-adeo and fellow-command ers make the same deplorable showing as at the commencement of the present century , when the Spanish forces were defeated In every encounter with the French that they undertook single-handed , while their support was always regarded In the light of a draw back rather than of an assistance by their English alllta. The great duke of Welling ton , in fact , used to say that all that a Spaniard was fit for wart guerrilla warfare that Is to eay , for shooting at a mam from behind a tree. And there Is much to lead cne to believe that what was true then IB Just as true today. FEDERATION OF WOMEN'S CLUBS Fourth ntennlnl Meeting Will Be Ilrlil In Denver In June. CHICAGO , April C. The fourth blennla meeting of the General Federation of Worn en'a Clubs , which embrace a membership o 250,000 , to be held lo Denver in June , prom Uea to bo a notable gathering. Hundred of women tram every state will go in spe clal trains , stopping en route at Omaha fo a elde convocation of two days. The program for the Denver conventlor Includes a large list of well known speakers who will present the work of tbo clubs un der the four heads of education , the home social economics , literature and art. Wednesday morning the formal opening will take place , with the president , Mrs Ellen M. Hcnrotln of Chicago , In the chair There will be addresses of welcome by th ( governor of Colorado , the mayor of Denver Mrs. E. M. Ashley , president of the Coloradc Federation of Women's Clubs , and Mrs Sarah Clapp , president of the Denver Worn aa's club. Aside from these literary sessions and con ferences on the practical phases of club life numerous roclil functions have been planner by the hostesses of the federation , the Den ver women , as well as sight-seeing trips Among the latter Is a 1,000-mllo trip to tb most Interesting points In Colorado. Specla railroad 'rates ' have been' ' conceded for thl outing , as well as to and from Denver. Interest In the election of president 1 great , as Mrs. Henrotln will retire. Al though the contrary has been asserted neither Mrs. Sarah Platt nor Mrs. E. M Ashley of Denver has declared herself t candidate for The office ; 'thoUgh so urged b ; western women , and Mrs. Philip Moore o St. Louis is Mid not to have sanctioned th use of her name. Simnlnu COUNU ! I'ackluflr Up. NEW YORK. April C. At the Spanls consulate In this city every preparation ha been made by the occupants for departure Clerks and subordinate officers have bee busy copying documents. packlng books an getting everything In readiness for Imme dlate leavetaklng. Members of Consul Gen eral Daldaeano's family hive bidden goodby to their neighbors and .twve-been busily en gaged In packing their household effects t the last three days. It Is said In conau'a circulars that the French consulate will as sume charge of the Spanish consulate an thU wu not denied it tU French commute STRAW BONDSMEN IN DANGER Hen Who Go Bail for Petty Criminals Mnst Settle , UDGE SUBAUGH ON POLICE COURT M DDES Criminal Section of the UUtrlct Court May Inquire- Into .Method * that Pertain Under Judge Clor. i don' Hale. Judge Slabaugh has about concluded , to ex- cute a flank movement upon the profes- lonal bandsmen. This conclusion was cached when the canei ot the State against ohn Brown and Lew Price was called for rial and when neither ot the defendants vcro present. The men were charged with ssault with Intent to do great bodily In- ury and were tried In the police court on Ictobcr 2 , 1897. At the hearing Police Judge Gordon held them under bonds of $500 to ppear and answer In the district court. ifter being called aad not answering , Judge Slabaugh commenced an Investigation and peedlly learned that V. D. Walker , a police ourt lawyer , was the bondsman for the men. The court declared the 'bond forfeited and aid he was of the opinion that he should nstruct the county attorney to not t aly bring suit , but to call Walker into court to answer questions relative to his qualifications as a bondsman. Speaking of .bondsmen . , Judge Slabaugh aid : "It appears to have become a practice n police court to accept bonds from any and everybody , regardless of property quali fications. If this practice Is to continue wo mlijht just as well turn the criminals out of ho jail and dissolve the criminal section of the district court , as the matter of giving mil Is simply a farce. In the matter ot police court bonds , there is no justification of sureties and nothing to Indicate that they are worth a dollar in the world. " DAMAGE : SUITS HOLD TUB HOARDS. Four In I'roce of Adjustment In Dis trict Court. Damage cults have ( he right of way In ho district court at this time end they are being brougtit and tried In surprisingly argo numbers. The case that Is attracting tie most attention Is oa trial before Judge Baker and a jury and Is entitled Edward Qlela against Swift and Company of South Omaha. The plaintiff , seeks to recover the sum of $5.000 , alleged domagcs sustained jy reason of an accident that occurredl at : ho packing house on August 3 , 1894. At that time the plaintiff was working In tbo sausage department ot the packing house and fell down the elevator shaft , from the sev enth to the ground floor , sustaining a broken leg and numerous cuts and bruises. He at tributes luo accident to' ' the detective con dition of the machinery. The defendant con tends that there was nothing wrong with : ho machinery that operated the elevator and that Blels would not have been Injured if be tad used ordinary caro. In 'the hearing of the case ot Diets agajnstSw > ft , and .Com pany a number ot witnesses were called , one of them being Felix .Wildo. Theco was no Id lug surprising about his testimony and no ooo paid any particular attention to tils evidence until it developed _ that.he , wasa , ner.bew of Adolph" L'uetgert' , ' ' h'e Chicago sausage maker who was convicted of mur dering and boiling his wife In a sausage vat. After this every1 move of the witness was followed by the gapn8crow ( ,1 , &no & court room. Wilde Is an expert saueago maker , but he was not employed by his Chicago uncle at the time ot the murder. In Judge Dickinson's court the damage case of John Opocensky against .John Knezacek IB on trial before' jury. The plaintiff seeks to recover tbo tmm. ot $1,500 , alleging that by reason of having been ar rested and conflnsd In the city jail his feel ings have been harrowed up and lacerated to such an extent that a money judgment Is the only thing that will restore , his , peace , of mind. The plaintiff alleges that as a law- abiding citizen , on May 10 , 1897 , the defend ant charged htm with publishing and circu lating a 'malicious libel. On thla charge ho was arrested , but on trial was acquitted. The damage eult ot Jacob Nelson against the Omaha & Council .Bluffs . Railway sod Bridge company has been disposed of by the jury finding for the defendant. Nelson sued the company to recover the sum of $5,000 The defendant admitted the occur- encet ot the accident , bill contended that It was duo to tbo fact that Nelson possessed a fractious and run away team , and In proof ot this showed that a few months ago , wtien he lived at Crelghton , this state , the same team ram away and threw him from the wagon , breaking the same arm that waa broken la the accident on the bridge. Elmer E. Thomas , as administrator of the eeate of Ruavell Bailey , deceased , has sued Rochford & Gould , the contrators ca the Armour plant at South Omaha , Armour & Co. ana the Standard Accident company tc recover the sum ot $5,000. The plaintiff al. leges that on December 18 , 1897. Bailey was In the employ ot Rochford & Gould , working on the Armour buildings. While Bailey was eo employed the plaintiff says that Lo was Instructed to rllmb a derrick and adjust a rope that was caught. Follow- In B the'instructions , he climbed to the top of the machine , and while working there was knocked off by some defective apparatus and sustained injuries from which he died , Bnjoln * the City. Thomas J. Rogers has secured an Injunc tion that prevents the city from laying a permanent sidewalk along his property on Farnam , between Twentieth and Thirty-sixth streets. He allecea that some time ago he received permission from the city to- con struct a vitrified brlpk walk along the prop erty and that later on. without his knowl edge or consent , tbo city rescinded Its action and Instructed the Board of Public Works to advertise for and lay a walk of either arti ficial or natural stone. Ho further says that his property Is In e district where vitrified brick Is used for walks , and that It would be a great hardship upon him to compel the. lay. ing of walks of a more expensive material. Will I'nun on Hartley Motion. This morning Judge Powell will pap , upon the motion for a new trial in the case o : the state against the "bondsmen of Joseph S Bartley , ex-stato treasurer. The state sue- the bondsmen for $555,000 , the amount o Hartley's defalcation and the jury returnee a verdict finding for the defendants. Attor ney General Smyth filed a motion for a Tlev trial , which was argued some weeks ago after which Judge Powell took the matte : under advisement. . iu > Note * from -the Court * . 'Henrietta ' Hoblfeld has , eued for a dlvorci for her husband , Julius Hohlfeld , alleglui abandonment and failure to support. Chrlftena Fraaman has been divorced frorr her husband , Swan "Fraaman , and allowed the sum of $500 alimony , the same to be paid within ten days. The decree also Te- quires the defendant to pay his wlMV attor ney the sum of $500 , as a fee for prosecutlnf the suit. The divorce * was granted on ac count of cruelty. The jury In the case of the State agalnsl Anton Bcrnecker , has returned a verdict o | not guilty. The , defendant was charged wltt stealing a lot ot harness. When the jury re turned with the verdict Bernecker seemed disappointed , and apparently wanted and ex pected a different kind of a verdict. He fin ished a penitentiary sentence but a fen ninths ago , having bc a ent up for three yrara for participating In an affray at Easi Omaha. ' ' ' ( Anxiety Over Gladstone' * Health. LONDON , April 6. Renewed anxiety i expressed today regarding the health ot Mr WILL , BUY WORE SHIPS. Secure * All tlmtAr Urnllnlilc for Immediate < De. WASHINGTON. April i Notwithstanding practically all the interefct'of the day cen tered In the president's nfotvage , and the In cidents at the capital , apparently the usual activity existed In tfce sUte , War and Navy departments today. ? Tho. | ctlvlty , however , was confined to the Wrea * officials 03 far aa the Navy' and War .departments were con cerned , aa bath Secretary Long and Secretary Alger left their olDcoa early , the former going to the Whlto HoOao. Secretary Alger alio went to the executive mansion- for a short time , intending afterward to go to the apltol to witness the proceeding * In the louse. There were few senators or mom > > cra around the departments during the morning , most ot thcim going to the oipltol early to attend the various Informal confer ences under way and ( o discuss the sltua- lon. preliminary to the receipt of the mes sage. A largo delegation ot Maasachusetta ichcol teachers , who arc In Washington on a irlew visit , was at the State , War and Navy lepartmcnt building tha ! morning. The great. ttt object of Interest to them appeared to bo the model ot the battleship Maine , whlcih eilll stands In the corridor adjoining the ofllco of Secretary Long. The Navy department has about exhausted he field offered by tbe European elilp- rards for the purchase 'of ships for the Jnlted States navy. The officials are still cceplng a watchful eye for the acquisition ot any vccsels that possibly may be obtained abroad , but tbey do not believe If war oc curs soon any can be obtained. It has been he aim of the department primarily to se cure ships tbdt were finished or In such a itage of completion that they could bo trans- erred to the United States promptly before lostlllttes commenced. In many cases where ships were In process ot construction the department baa obtained refusals on them , which will preclude their acquisition by Spain should an attempt bo made by that nation to get them. There are a number ot vessels now building on which several months' work Is necessary before they are completed , but the government Is not anxious regarding these. Included In this class are the three torpedo boats , the armored cruiser Giuseppe Gari baldi and the Varez , which a Homo dispatch reports aa having been sold. The torpedo soatp , It la stated , have not been contracted for by the United States , notwithstanding contrary reports , for tha reason that they will not bo finished .lor from three to five months and the United States , therefore , does not care for them. ' It Is probably true , it lo stated at the department , that the Qarlbaldl has been sold to Spain and the Varez to Argentine , but 'as neither will be Inlshed for ( several months this government prefers not to take theichances ot having them lying In foreign ship yards should hos tilities begin before they are complete. The Varez and the Garibaldi ( arc sister ships to the Cristobal Colon , ooetof the formidable Spanish cruisers now rtndesvousod at Cadiz. The United States had the opportunity to purchase all the vessels ! mentioned In the Homo dispatch. The purchase of coall by the American fleet In Chinese waters la simply In accord ance with the desires btfthe department to keep a full supply on baud and to be ready for any emergency that may occur. The following ships compromise the Asiatic squadron : The first Class cruiser , Olympla , the second class cruisers Boston and Raleigh the third rate' jcatilser Monocacy , and the gunboat Petrel. , The British ship Nanshan , which the United States has bouglit , ila a collier , de signed to carry coal foptho-Jleet. It has 3.000 tons of coal aboard , and is now with the Asiatic squadron ! ' 'The Navy depart ment has added an a'ddlUbnal detail to''the naval attaches' office atLondon. ( Ensign A. B. Hoff , who Is now .oh duty with tbe Enterprise , bus'been detached from that ship and. will go to London as assistant to Lieutenant J. C. Colwetl , whols now naval attache. Lieutenant Col well's1 duty of late has been the Inspection of ships with a view to their purchase by the United States gov ernment. ' A telegram was received at the Navy de partment today announcing the departure of the battlechtp Texas from New York bound for Hampton Roads to join the flying squad ron , to which It la attached. Aeslstant Sec retary Roosevelt Is very much pleased with tbe present condition of this vessel. He says that as a result of the 'recent improve ments made during It * stay at the New York navy yard Its' batteries are nearly three times aa effective tin rapidity ot fire aa formerly. * Significant developmente are expected to follow the arrival ot the Texas at Hampton Roads. The flying squadron , under Com mander Schley , will then be fully organized and ready for any service that the depart ment has mapped out or may map out for It. Naval officials , while naturally reticent as to orders to the squadron , admit that the naval strategic board has determined fully upcn the use to which It Is to be put. MUST RECOGNIZE JXDEPENDEXOE. Cnhan * Will Not Accept Intervention on Any Other Ilnul * . NEW YORK , April 6. The Cuban Junta , through Ite counsel , Horatio S. Rubena , made an Important statement today. It declared In tbe most unoqulvocaf language that the Cuban provisional government and the Cuban army would reject absolutely Inter vention by the United States unless It ehould be preceded by a recognition of the Inde pendence ot the Cuban republic ; that If the United State * persisted In intervening with out recognizing Cuban Independence the Cuban government and military forces would refuse to co-operate ; and that It the United States troops should lie cent to Cuba upon the basis ot Intervention without Independ ence , the Cuban army would In the last re sort turn its arms against the United States The statement made , by Mr. Rubens was oreccded by the following : The'declaration I am about to make is official , for I am fne legal representative of t'ne junta and I know their unalterable convictions and position. It is In line with the utterances of the delegate of the Cubat provisional government to the Unltct States , Tomaa Estrada. Palma , when the suggestion was made that this government sViould counsel the Cubans , and If neces sary , coerce them , U > tan acceptance of autonomy. j ' I'REPAHIXa CAMJ * > FOR TROOPS Expect to. lie Concentrated In Chlckn- CHATTANOOGA , T nl . . April C. Prep- aratlons are rapidly goi OD here for the reception of the govermn at troops at Chickamauga - amauga park. A nuufrbe of new wells are sunk and If neteeaaary a pipe line tc Crawfish Spring con Ih't ' ' Irty-sfx hours eup- ply millions ot galloda < f.water by gravity to any point of th pa k. Tbe statemen sent out from Atlanta' that there la an In adequate supply ot waterj is without founda tlon. and ridiculous/In view of the fact tha Chlckamauga river runs ) through the reierva tlca. All the available-regiments ot Infantry In the army are expected , to be In camp here by the early part of the'week. ' , Heflttlnir ! ) ( c4hantnien. NEW YORK , lAprl\ > - Sol and El Norte two of the four Morgan jlne steamships ac quired by the government on the recom mendation ot the auxiliary cruiser board , will bo turned over to the government Friday and will then be. t ke to the navy yard hero for refitting for service as auxiliary cruisers. El Rio and El Bud are at New Orleans. They will .make their way to New York immediately * hd will be turned over aa teen aa their cargoes can be discharged It Is understood that the captains of HI So and El Norto Captain Meteon and Captain Hawthorne , respectively have been asked by the department to" continue In service aboard the boats , ttyt In what capacity la no known. The crews of'El Sol and El Norto also have been asked to enlist for nava service. The Creole , recently bought by the gov ernment for service M a hoapltal ihlp , let port today for Newport Nvwa , where It wll undergo extensive alterations. U was said that "Its teeth wer too sharp" for a hos pital boat and that U uould bo turned Into * fighting boat. TIES UP THE BACK SALARIES Failure to Ball Bofnuding Bonds Outs Short Payments. ACTION OF COUNCIL ON BOND ISSUE Manr Ontntnn llnir nllln , Including the Vnr of Cltr OfflclnlM and Em ployee for December , Go Over Indefinitely The action of the city council In deciding o postpone the ealo of the $300,000 refunding rands until the bond market recovers from ho war scare leaves a lot of people In the Urch who had expected that their claims against the city would bo settled at once with the proceeds of the bonds. Incident ally , the city la a loser to the extent that ntcrest may bo drawn on these obligations. There are sufficient outstanding obligations 0 take up the entire bond Issue , but until a number of claims that are now In con- ; rovcrsy are adjudicated It Is Impossible to loll Jurt how much the city will lose In In terest by the delay. Among the payments that are thus necessarily deferred ore these of the December salaries of the city officials. On account of the exhaustion of the 1897 general fund no December salaries were jald. No provlson has been nude to pay the salaries out of the 1S98 levy , as It was determined that all of the Old obligations should be met toy the Jasuo of refunding rands and the officials ) are still waiting for their money. A resolution was Introduced 1 couple of weeks ago which provided that Interest should be paid on theeo back salaries , > but it was referred to the finance committee , which will probably report ad versely. Most of the councllmen consider such a measure as Ill-advised and open to legitimate criticism from the taxpayers. In this connection the city officials unite In a very vigorous criticism of the local igent of the unknown New York firm cf brokers who Is considered responrlble for ill the trouble over the bond Issue. It was thought that if the 4 per cent bonds were wld for a premium of $3,000 , the city would bo doing remarkably well and If It had not been for the Interference of iho agent men tioned they would have been so'.d while iho Jond market was In a satisfactory condition For a slightly better figure than that. Bui the McCaguo bid of $12,000 premium pre vented the sale to any other bidder , and since the firm he represented bucked out cf the deal conditions have changed to an ex tent that forbids a successful dlspoiltton of the bonds. The officials assert that the trouble Is entirely due to this firm J > IK | It Is given out cold that that $ G,000 c'.ieck will bo collected If there Is aiiy power In I he courts that can accomplish It. Mcchnnlenl Wnler Vemlem. An ordinance wljl be Introduced at the next meetlns of the city council by which the privilege of putting up penny-ln-the-slot machines on the street corners will bo granted in exchange for an annual license tee of $5. The privilege , will be limited to Machines which dispense a glass of Ice water In exchange for the coin. The fountains are somewhat similar to these which- were used at the World's fair , and they are to be kept filled with mineral water. It Is alleged that this will be a very salutary device , as so manr people are not able to drink water that.they are not accustomed to without dis agreeable results. Exposition visitors will thus bo enabled to be independent of the local water supply at a very moderate , ex pense. Mortality StntUtlcM. The following births and deaths were re ported at the health office during the twenty- four hours ending at noon , yesterday : Births N. B. Horton , 2127 Farnam street , boy ; Fred Chrlstensen , 1108 South Sixth , boy ; Fred Sltmmo. 1915 Center , boy ; Alphonso Lagsden. 3319 Ames avenue , boy ; John Doran , 607 South Thirty-third , boy. Deaths Mrs. E. T. Rennlck , 48 , 419 South Twentieth , liver complaint , Wayne , Neb. ; Simon Vie. ,83 , 205 South Ninth , cirrhosis of Hverr Jonas Hedberg , 71. 2938 Frtnklln , pneumonia , Forest Lawn ; John G. Miller , 40 , 1308 Douglas , pneumonia , Thurman , la. ; Elizabeth Albln , 49 , 3804 Parker , Valparaiso. Neb. ; Florence , Livingstone , 22. 519 South Sixteenth , acute nephritis , Forest Lawn. Remodeling ) Sixteenth Street' . The ordinance which contemplates the re construction of the gutters on North Six teenth street is still waiting for a legal opinion in regard to the possibility of as sessing the cost against the property. If the opinion of the legal department la favorable the ordinance will undoubtedly be passed as it involves a very decided Improvement in the appearance and utility of the stree at a comparatively slight expense. The measure has been recommended for two or three years , but under the old charter I could not be carried out except with the as sistance of a majority petition from the prop erty' ' owners and this was impossible to se cure because so many of them , were non- resldenls , Smother the Kite Ordinance. Councilman Lobeclc has had more trouble during the last week than anybody on ac count of an ordinance which he introduced at the request of one of his constituents The measure made it a misdemeanor to rol a hoop or fly a klto on any of the streets or boulevards of the city and the way in which Young America has been Jumping on Lobeck's official frame since then has made life a burden to htm. The ordinance hat now been squelched and the kites will have the right of way. Electrician' * Monthly Report. The report of City Electrician Schurlg foi March shows that $117.39 was received dur ing the month in fees. Thirty-five permits were Issued for interior wiring and the nev\ electric Installation put In during the month Included nineteen arc lights , 1,085 Incandca cent lamps and seven motors. During the same period thn department made twenty four tests of street lights on the varlout circuits , the average result showing a ca paclty of fifty volts and 9.CS amperes. IlnllilliiR : Permit * . A permit has been Issued "by the building Inspector for the construction of the Hagen beck animal building on the Midway at th exposition grounds. The building la to b 120 feet square and the estimated cost It $5,000. A permit has been Issued to Zlm Conn t build a brick store at Fortieth and Cumin : streets at a cost of $3,500. Mcenie Innpector' * Report. The report of License Inspector McVlttle for March shows the biggest month's busi ness ever done by that department. There were 183 licenses Issued during the month from which the city derived a revenue o $1,620.50. This exceeds the collections of the corresponding month of 1897 by $976. Cltr Hall .Vote * . Mary M. Glllesple has filed a claim agalns the city for 5100 damages on account of i sprained ankle , alleged to be due to a de > fectlvo sidewalk on Twenty-first street , noai Wlrt. Mayor Moorrs has received a personal let ter from Mayor F. A. Graham of Lincoln conveying the thanks of the people of tha city , through their executive , for the assist ance given by the Omaha fire department It tbo disastrous fire of last Friday night. Rob * n > L nndrx. A burglar gained entrance to the Frontle steam laundry Tuesday night through th coal chute that leads to the basement an carried off & quantity of linen and under wear. The police have recovered most o the stolen property , but as yet there i # n clu to the robber. , * r 'JBi iiiifi'i n'ru'ii . . . . . . nvsixBss is PAYIXO. Tourist Company Find * Knelt Kept Actively EnRiiRed , C. A. Cook of- Boston , representing the laymond & Whltcomb Tourist company , was e > the city to meet two large partita from California and escort them back cast. The wo excursions came In from the west ovcv ho Chicago , Hock Island and Pacific rall- oad at 12:30 : o'clock yesterday , each rain consisting of seven cars. A atop of i couple of hours was made here , the tour- sti ) putting In their time going about the Ity , while a few got out as far as the ex- osltton grounds. Speaking of the tourist business for the eason just ending , Mr. Cook said to The lee : "This7 * season has been ono of the > cat we aver had. Buslno ) was much greater than It was during the last few cars. Our California travel has been ex- icedlngly heavy , and It has kept us on the ump to handle It all , I cannot say that his Is the best season wo ever had , but it s ono of the best. Before the depression pt la we were doing a big business , then In 89G a i v.l 1897 It fell off. The company anticipated ttiat It would , and set aside 50,000 that It might lose during thes ? years on account of the lack of business , but I icllevc It lost only about $15,000 each o ! hose dull years. Now , however , wo arc melt on a firm level , and our business \ moro than paying. " > " \Ve tern I'linncnKer AfTnlrn. The meeting of the Western Passenger association in Chicago has not yet reached ho subject of rates to the Transmlssleslppl 3xposltlon. The time of the general paiucn- ger iigenta at Tuesday's meeting was fully occupied wltih a discussion of proposed reme dies for the demoralization In transcontlnen- : al rates. Tbo reports of the Buffalo and Mew York conferences were received , but no action taken on them. As the 'northwest situation will require considerable attention ret , and as there are numerous other matters : o como up tor consideration , It Is likely that : ho meeting will bo In swsbn all this week and may run Into next week. General I'as- eenger Agent Lomax of the Union Pacific will probably go over to the meeting when : lie subject of exposition rates Is reached. The Union Pacific Is now represented by Assistant General Passenger Agent Hutchi son. General Passenger Agent Francis of the B. & M. and Buchanan of the Elkhorn. with Assistant General Passenger Agent Phllllppl of the Missouri Pacific , nil of this city , are still in Chicago In attendance at the meet- Ing. Rnlew for MoetltiKfl. Western railroads have declared rates of ono. and one-third regular fare for the round trip for these meetings : Woman's Christian Missionary society of the United fresbyterlan church , Cleveland , May 10-13 ; Christian Endeavor league of the Reform church of America , Grand llaplds , Mich. , May 11 and 12. For the St. Joe Jubilee , St. Joseph , Mo. , May 11 and 12 , all western Ines have declared a one-fare rate for the round trip from all points In Nebraska and Kansas. 111 I'liNNciiKer Circled. ST. LOUIS , BAprll C. General Manager Yoakum of the St. Louis & San Francisco railroad announces that Benjamin Wlnchcll , general passenger agent of the Union Pa cific , Denver & Gulf road , has been appointed general passenger agent of the St. Louis & 3an Francisco line to succeed George T. Mlcholson , who will go to the Atchlson , Topcka & Santa Fo as passenger traffic man ager. The change will take effect May 1. Fort-Wnyiic Klectlon. NEW YORK , .April C. The dlrqctora of the Plttsburg , Fort Wayne & Chicago rail way met hero today and elected Charles McCulIocb of this city a director in place of E. F. Williams , resigned. John Stiermah , secretary of state , Is a director of thla road , and attended today's meeting. Railway Xote and 1'ornonuli. John Flannlgan of the Union Pacific audit ing department Is suffering from a dislocated shoulder received in a recent bicycle acci dent. E. H. Hawley , a truckman In the employ of the Union Pacific at Denver , bad his right foot badly Injured by the falling of a piece of heavy steel on it. Eben E. MacLeod , assistant general pas senger agent of the Rock Island , and W. M. Hobbs , superintendent of the Iowa lines of the same system , are In the city. The windows of the Elkhorn headquarters in the United States National bank building have been ornamented with largo trade marks of the Northwestern rystem. The Burlington has just Issued a new folder , devoting a page to the Transmlpslsalppl Ex position. With a bird's-eye view are given facts about the enterprise , a list of the principal buildings and the ppevlal attrac tion : ! . Henry Croker , Immigration agent of the Sablne Land and Improvement company of Eabtno Pass , Tex. , Is working for an ejchlblt by that company at the exposition. It will be largely made up of maps and other repre sentations of Sabtne Pass. DEFICIT I.V CANADIAN FINANCES. Annnnl Rndvet In Ircented to the Home of Common * . OTTAWA , Ont. , April 6. W. S. Fielding , finance minister , delivered his budget speech yesterday In the House of Commons. The minister showed that the revenue for 1896-7 was $37,829,778 and the expenditures $38- 349,759 , leaving a deficit of $519,981. For the current year endtog June 30 next , Mr. Fielding estimated the revenue at $39- 300,000 , and the expenditures $38,750,000 , leaving a surplus of $550,000 which will wipe out the deficit of last year. Canada's debt was $261,518,596 on Juno last , and $4,500,000 will be added to It during the current year. The revenue for 1898-9 he estimated at $40,500,000 , and the estimated expenditure now before the bouse was $39,129,000. 1'KXSIOXS I'-Olt WESTKR.V VETERANS. Survivor * of I-JVle * Wjvr illcmcntuerru by the General < < overnment. WASHINGTON , April C. < 8pecIal.-Pen- ) slona have been issued as follows : Issue , of March 24 ; Nebraska : Original Isaiah C. Foyo , Box Elder , $ S ; Israel F. Hartzel , Bratton , $0. Restoration , reissue nnd increase Charles B. Fessender , dend , Merna , JS to $21. In crease William I' . Trent , Kdgnr , $ G to JS ; George M. Heed , Davenport , $10 to $12. Original widow , etc. , supplemental Minors of Charles B. Fessender , Mernu , $ G. Re issue Sara'n A. Fessender , Merna , $ S. Iowa : Original John L. WutHerlll , Chero. kee , JC. Increase George W. King , Uavo. * . port , M to $8 ; Increase , John T. Leach , Col- fax. $12 to $14. Reissue Rlpafi Warden , Clinton , $17. South Dakota : Increase Lester C. Tur ner , Aberdeen. $ S to $12 ; James W. Harden , Woonsocket $8 to $12. North Dakota : Increase Alexander W. Russell , Jamestown. $10 to ? 12. Montana : Original Hugh McCune , Glen- dive , $10. Italy Helllnir War Ship * . LONDON , April 6. A special dlapatch from Home , published today , says contracts were signed during the day for the sale of three torpedo boats to the United States , for the sale o ! the armored cruiser Giuurppo Garibaldi to Spain and for the sale of the armorci cruiser Varez Ho the Argentine Re public. The armored cruiser Gulseppe Garibaldi Is a steel vessel of 6,480 tons and 13,000 Indi cated horse power. It Is 358 feet long , has fifty-nine feet eight Inches beam'and draws twenty-four feet of water. The cruiser has a belt of six Inches of Harveylzed rtcel , has six Inches of tbo same metal over Ha gun positions , and her armored belt Is 1 % Inches thick. The armament of the Garibaldi con- sicta. of two ten-Inch guns , ton six-Inch quick , firing guns , six four-Inch guns ; ten 2.2-lnch guns , ten 1.04-Inch guns and two Maxim guns. It has four torpedo tubes. Its speed U estimated at twenty knots , and it carries 1,000 tons ot coal , and its crew num ber * 450 men. L SQUATTERS CLAIM THE LAND Resist in Federal Court an Effort to Dispossoii Them. FEATURE OF A FORECLOSURE SUIT Oneof the Mlnnnurr * Yngnrlei Comef Into Court In Connection Ttlth the Olnrko Uatnto IB , 8nrii > n County * An Interesting foreclosure cose , Involving Sarpy county lands and In which the va- garlco of the Missouri river figure to a con siderable extent , U coming to an end In the federal court. The tltlo of the raso Is the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance com pany against Henry T. Clarke and many others. A good portion of the ground over which the legal dlsputo has occurred Is located on the river bcnk near llelleviie. The mort gage upon It was given by Clarke to the Itmurunco company lo secure a loan of nearly $50,000. There ore also a number of second end claims against the property , also given aso security for loans. Finally the other defendants In the suit arc a number of squat ters. ters.Tho The squatters have Injected the Interest- Ins feature Into the case. They admit that In years gone by Clarke owned a lot of land located on the banks of the Missouri river , but they co-itcnd that once upon a tlmo the river took ono of Its ultimo to change Its channel and transferred Its bed some dis tance upon the Iowa side. The result waa that the old channel of the river formed a new batch of Nebraska land , leaving Clarke's property some distance from the bank o ! the river. The Insurance company alleges that thla new land was mortgaged as much im the old and that It belonged to Clarke. The squatters who came to live upon It deny this claim. They not only say that the land docs not belong to Clarke , but that It Is t hells by reason of having lived upon It without dispute for the last ten years. The case opened up for hearing this morn- Itiff and was argued by the counsel. Judge Mu-agcr agreed to accept briefs of the evi dence and consequently the final determina tion ot the case Is postponed. COU.XTV ciimc AMI r llnvcrly , Sii } All .Mint Follow thn I.ait'M Strict Letter. County Clerk Haverly says that eome people ple may question his methods In dealing with pensioners. Ho will still continue to follow out the requirements of the law and do hla duty , treating all pcracna alike. "Tho law , " says Mr. Haverly , "compels met to require two witnesses who know all the facts In connection with the parties who receive pensions. The law requires that these parties , who are witnesses , must know the pensioner personally and tmwt know whether he or nho U married or dingle , and. must also know that ho or she Is the Identical person described In the pension certificate. These persona must be examined by mo personally , or by my deputy , under oath. "Heretofore the pension matters In connec tion with , this office have been run In duch a lax manner that the government has taken hold of the matter and has sent a special agent hero to Investigate. For two days thin niaa has sat In my office- and has watched the administering' oaths. Silppcnc I had allowed parties to como In and 8lgn for pen sions and had not required them to qualify as provided by law , what would have been the result ? Under the rule of some of my prede cessors , witnesses knowing the facts were not required. Clerks from the < back room wore called In a-nd allowed to sign as witnesses and frequently these clerks did not evsn know the applicants. In this pension mat ter I am doing my duty and nothkig but my duty and I shall continue to pursue tha course that I have adopted. " So far as Is known no difficulty ever arose from the methods pursued by Clerk Haverly'i predecessors. AVDUliW J. HOT GIVES HAIL. Kiicllil Martin. Slu n lloml for Ifii.OOO for Him. . Andrew J. Hunt haa given bonds for hla appearance bcfcro County Judge Baxter to answer to the charge ot embezzlement. Hunt was at the office ot the county judge , accompanied by Detective Chaptn , Euclid Martin and Attorney Gurley. Ho said that he desired to give bonds and Mr. Martin wan accepted as surety. The bond Is In tbo sum ot $2.000 and provides that he shall ap pear from day to day until tbe case Is called and disposed of. Dcrtlilck Clnh 'Mcetlnir. Tuesday evening nt the Hoyden Annex th t Derthlck club held one of the most suc cessful meetings of Its entire series. The attendance was largo nnd every number of the program performed ns originally planned The composer of the cvenln was Uelllnt and In Miss Vnn Kurnn'B Vinnda ho fared well Indeed. The characterization was read by Miss Uene Hamilton and the analyses by Mrs. J. Mlckcl. Mnster I-ouls Corblet , a youthful pupil of liana Albert , played SlnBeleo'H paraphrase , on "La Som- nambula. " Mr. Lumbnrd and Mr. Moore ' Bang the "Liberty Duet" from "I Purltanl. " . Miss Thatcher pluycd as a piano solo a paraphrase on "Norrnti. " Miss Murdoclt and Mrs. Ely sang fne duet from the sumo opera , entitled "Hear Me , Norma , " MIH3 Van Kuran contributed the areat aria , nlso from "Norma , " entitled "Castn Diva. " The performance closed with nn aria from the "Masked Hall. " composed by Verdi , nnd sunjr by Mr. Moore. The next meet ing will bo held two weeks hence In the same place. Omuhw Wheel Club AfTnlrn. Last year's administration of the Oman * Wheel club was given a decided vote ot approval at the regular annual meeting oC tha club Tuesday night , for the entire oltlclat list of the lust year , except captain , was re-elected. The. officers are : President , J. L. Llvcscy : vice president , n. W. Heck : treasurer , Jnmcs Morton ; secretary , Jo'nrx II. McDonald ; trustee for three years. Art V. Angell ; captain , Tom Mlckel. The reports of the olIlcerH were of a do- cldedly encouraging character. In a finan cial way the club has been prosperous during the past twelve months and faces the future In much better condition than It Via * for Borne years past. In membership it IUIH more than kept even. The matter of enlarging the quarters In some way was discussed at porno length , but no decision wax arrived at. It waa finally decided to leave the matter In the hands of the directors. I , * i > tiir < * N tf the Denf mill Dumb. Tuesday night at the Nebraska Institute for the Deaf and Dumb a lecture was given before the studenta by William Drake , a man blind from birth. Mr. Drake spoke on t > if subject. "PiiHli-Along t'no Line. " Ho gave a talk which wan very much enjoyed by the young pjople. He spoke of the necessary effort to overcome the obstaclra and ( llfllcultlen In the way to succesx In life. In his own case , ho was compelled to work to get money to pay 'nl expenses In ac quiring an education. This effort was worthy of the object. His talk was well re ceived. \ VhnlenViit on IJIM Nlirht. ipollce Sergeant Michael Whalen , who ha * beer reinstate * ! to hlfl old position by the Hoard of Flro and Police Commissioners , began duty last evening , taking the place on the. force left vacant by ths resig nation of Sergeant Hufus W. Chamberlain. The latter has retired from the pollco de partment permanently and has accepted tha situation of assistant pasemer director at the depot of tha Union Pacific Railroad , company , Uhlch ho Is now filling. Dully Trri ury Statement. WASHINGTON , April 6. Today's state ment of tbe condition of the treasury ehowil Available cash balance , 1224,500,781 ; fold r * crve , { 176,388,181.
