The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-04
HOW Mr.. ITTSTANDS
BE CLEARLY Defines His Attitude on
the Cuban Question.
THE SITUATION REVIEWED
Pension and Other Bills Passed
Dilatory Maneuverlng Over the
Quorum Count - Another
Bridge for ST. Louis.

Washington. April 3.-Murphy. re-
publican, Illinois. secured unanimous
consent for the consideration of the bill
authorizing the construction of a third
bridge across the Mississippi river at
st. Louis. After some discussion the
bill was passed. Pickler then demand
! ed the regular order and wanted to
proceed with the consideration of pri-
vate pension bills reported from the
committee of the whole. Hit wanted
to take up the conference report on the
Cuban resolutions, but finally agreed to
withhold his motion If Pickler would
demand the previous question on each
| bill as called up.
Erdman promptly made the point of
| no quorum on the first bill. The speak
er made the important ruling that IFS
| constituted a quorum, thus deciding
| that a majority of the living members
was quorum instead of a majority of
| the full membership of the house "a
| point raised in the Kentucky senatorial
| hght). This question had never been
| absolutely settled. In the Fifty-first
congress Speaker Reed held that a ma
jority of a full house was a quorum
Richardson called attention to the i'm
! portance of the ruling and asked IL the
| speaker intended to reverse his decision
in the Fifty-first congress. The speaker
replied that he did. He explained that
his former ruling was made hurriedly
on the side Of safety. After thorough
examination he had concluded that a
majority of the living members was a
quorum. He cited several authorities,
among others that of Reverdy Johnson
After 30 bills had been passed in
something more than an hour, Erdman
made a novel point of order demand
ing after bill had been ordered to be
engrossed that a copy OF the engrossed
bill be produced. AS this could not be
done, 1t was laid aside.
At 2:25 p. m, Hit, chairman of the
foreign affairs committee called UP the
conference report on the Cuban resolu-
tions. The report agreed to the senate
resolutions. the first of which declared
in the opinion of congress, that a state
of public war existed in Cuba and that
the United States should maintain a
strict neutrality between the belliger-
ents, and second requested the presi-
dent to use his friendly offices with the
Spanish government for the recognition
of the independence of Cuba The con-
freres originally agreed on the house
resolutions and the most important
favored intervention If necessary, but
when the senate rejected the report of
the confreres, the new confreres decid-
ed to accept the senate resolutions.
Hit moved the adoption of the con-
ference report. After explaining the
parliamentary status and pointing out
the difference between the senate and
house resolutions, Hit said: Mr.
Speaker the two resolutions which
your conference committee have agreed
to and now report propose, first that
we should accord to the people of Cuba
belligerent rights, and second tender
friendly offices. to the Spanish govern
ment for the recognition of Cuban inde-
pendence. These resolutions passed the
senate on the 2Sth of February by
majority of 5S votes. On the second of
March the house adopted in place of
them three resolutions, the first of
which proposed the recognition of bel
ligerent rights, the second the use of
our good offices and friendly influence
in the establishment of a government
by the choice of the people OF Cuba,
and third, that we should be prepared
to protect the interests of American cit
izens in Cuba by Intervention, IL neces-
sary. 1t will be seen that each of the
first resolutions proposes a recognition
of belligerency. The second resolution,
as we adopted Ii, was in a more eau
tious form than the senate resolution
and Spain could not, unless persistent
ly seeking a quarrel, have resented
such a proposition, while the resolution
of the senate, proposing independence,
was more exposed to captious objec-
ton.
"A proposition by one nation to an
other, in ordinary peaceful times to
recognize independence Of a part of it's
territory would be offensive; for ex-
ample, proposition by Great Britain
to our government to recognize the in
dependence of New England or Cali
fornia. But when a war between a
parent government and a dependency
has been going on for a considerable
time and separation is the best solution
of the war, the mediation or friendly
counsel of another nation to solve an
existing struggle by recognizing in
dependence may be a truly friendly
act. In cases almost precisely parallel
where Spain was at war with her de-
pendencies on this continent in the
early part of this century. our govern
ment did in fact take the very step
proposed in this second resolution.
During the presidency of Madison,
Spain was at war with her American
colonies. The colonies refused TO open
any negotiations unless the acknowl-
edgment of their independence was
made its basis, and a little later Presi-
dent Monroe said: To promote that
result independence by friendly coun-
ellis without other powers, including
Spain herself, has been the uniform
policy of this government. In his mes
sage of 1921 he repeats this language a
second time-almost the language OF
this second resolution. Again, during
the 10 years struggle between Spain
and the people Of Cuba. from 1868 TO
1878. General Grant, through our min
lister at Madrid. offered the good offices
Of the United States TO bring that war
to a close on the BASIS Of Cuban inde-
pendence. Spain to be paid an indem-
nifty which the United States should
guarantee.
THE recognition of the belligerency
Of the struggling Cuban people right
now is a far more important and i'm
mediately practical question. That is
the point covered by the first resolution
both by the senate and the house, and
transcends everything else. Ii is TO the
question Of recognizing this belliger-
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