The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-12-25
He Hopes Before Quitting Onice 10
Effect Treaty with Spain That
VIII Insure Peace I'm Cuba.
REFORMS FOR PORTO RICO
HOME-RULE ACT TO BE SIGNED BY
THE QUEEN REGENT TO-DAY.
Draper and Proctor ON Recognition
Oned American Correspondent.
pecial to the Indianapolis journal.

WASHINGTON. Dec. "a President
Cleveland is talkative and good-natured.
and visitors from the outside who call on
him report that he is more loquacious than
they have ever known him To be. He is
full of Cuba these days. and TO a number
of people he has been expressing the hope
and expectation that peace will speedily
be restored on the island through the me-
dunn Of diplomatic negotiations now in
progress under direction OF Secretary Oh
ney. Mr.. Olney is bending his energies TO
the completion of the new treaty between
this country and Spain. which is already
in very forward state and which he hopes
to have practically complete before the
reconvening of Congress. early i'm January.
Only the general outline of this treaty is
known. but ii can be stated on very re-
liable authority that the agreement VIII
enable the insurgents and the Spaniards
to come together on honorable terms and
dignified and common grounds. insuring
permanent peace and quiet and establish
ing trade relations between Cuba and this
country advantageous to both. The Ma
drid government has declared repeatedly
that autonomy would not be granted Cuba.
but the basis of the new treaty comes very
close to that. The Cubans are to be grant
ed large rights i'm the natter Of local self
government and guaranteed freedom from
oppressive exactions and tyrannies. The
United States will occupy the position Of
a strong neighbor, kindly spirited. but de-
termined that both parties to the agree
ment shall carry out every provision there
in in good faith. The Cubans and the
Spanish leaders are quite willing that this
country should assume the attitude of a
friendly big brothership. The substantial
element of the Cuban population has been
longing for a restoration Of quiet that
they might begin the upbuilding of pros
trated interest in the island. The whites
have been gradually withdrawing from fell
lowship with the colored and mixed-blood
insurgents for some time past. and there
is little doubt that the main provisions of
the new treaty will meet the entire ap-
probation and concurrence of a large ma
jority of the intelligent classes i'm Cuba.
The guerrillas and bandits i'm the eastern
part of the island may hold out for time
and continue i'm a state Of insurrection.
but IL s.&Iu seem that complete peace on
the island is not far distant
President Cleveland and Mr.. Oiney are
very anxious to consummate this treaty
and see ii carried into effect before they
go out of office. The President would like
achievement. hoping that I'm the light of
such a signal triumph. following. as IL
does. the alleged Venezuelan success. the
bad break with which he started i'm his
second term in the Hawaiian matter will
be forgotten. Hawaii has been the sore
spot in his administration. and he would
like to have ii put away out OF sight.
misconstruction put upon the remark
made by Mr.. Cleveland to-day 10 a Chi
cago delegation was the origin of wild
rumor sent over the country that a new
and desperate crisis had occurred i'm Gu
ban affairs. The visitors called on the
President 10 ask him TO have his admins
tration represented at the Jackson birth
day banquet In Chicago. and Mr.. Olney's
name came up for discussion as a very de-
sirable speaker for that occasion. The
President said that he would be glad IL
Mr.. Olney could fine time to CO. but re-
marked that he was very much engrossed
at this time i'm Cuban matters. Within a
half hour thereafter Wall street had IL
that war was about TO be declared. II
took quite while to chase the rumor
down and locate IL as utterly without
foundation in fact. 1t was the new treaty
with Spain that is engrossing Mr.. Olney's
attention. and the whole drift of the ne
gotiations Is pacific