Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-03-16
DE LONE CRITICISED,
Senators Think the Spanish Minis
ter Went Outside Diplo-
matte Bounds.

Ter went OUTSIDE IlDlC-
matte Bounds.
Washington, D. c., March 1O-The
Cuban question continues to be draw
ing card in the Senate, attracting l~rge
crowds. In the opening prayer, Rev.
| Wallace Radcliffe made passing refer
ence to the blessings of peace and in
oked divine guidance and blessings on
nations.
AS soon as the journal had been read,
Mr.. Lodge Rep., Mass.) rose to a ques-
ton of personal privilege. He said he
had read on Sunday an interview attrib-
uted to Senior Dupuy de Lone of Spain.
There was nothing singular in this fact,
as the Spanish minister communicated
largely through the newspapers, but in
this case the minister called in question
/ the accuracy of a statement made by
him uodge).
The senator sent to the desk and had
read the minister's reference to Mr.
Lodges utterances calling in question the
translation of a statement attributed to
Gen. Weyler in which the latter declared
that he would ''exterminate'' the insur-
/ gents. Mr.. Lodge commented on the ex-
actness of the translation and said that
a literal rendering of Gen. Weyler's Ian
guage would be that he would ''clean
OUT the large insurgent bands and lex
/ terminate the small ones.
Mr.. Lodge said he did not wonder at
the extreme sensitiveness Of the Spanish
people, but he did not think this offered
! any excuse for the Spanish minister in
| adopting the course he had. He Ode
Lome) had been referred to as histo-
rian, but In truth he was the ex-parte
representative of Spain and what he had
/ disclosed from time to time subtracted
from the general sum of information on
the Cuban subject. 1t was pretty well
/ established that the debates in the Sen
ate and House were purely domestic mat
/ tiers, and it was not proper for repre-
sentative of foreign country to commu-
picate except through the state depart
ment. If the American minister in Eu-
rope discussed the political affairs there
| he would be sent home.
Mr.. Lodge read from the letter of Dan
/ lei Webster when secretary of state pro-
| testing against statement by the Aus
| trian minister as to a domestic matter
The senator added a most emphatic
protest against public comment by any
| diplomatic representative on the debates
in Congress. The constitution protected
| senator's for language used i'll debate. 1t
was one of the safeguards of free speech.
| Mr.. Lodge said ne knew what any
| foreign government would do with
minister taking such a course. He knew
! what had been done under like circum-
stances. He knew what Daniel Web
ster would have done in such a case.
| Mr.. Gray Dem, Del) said the course
of the United States should proceed ac
cording to the judgment of a self-re
specting nation unmeyed by the emeutes
at Valencia or Madrid and without be-
ing turned aside to discuss question of
translation between a senator and min
lister.
Mr.. Gray said he would be quick to re-
sent an attack on the privileges of
senator. But in all fairness, he thought
it hardly worth while to stretch senatori-
al prerogatiyes and privileges in order
to question a gentleman who had no
power to reply in behalf of Spain. Our
feeling will be better expressed if we do
not take advantage of every criti-
cism which differs from our own
views. There should be some concession
to the stress of the situation. This was
q most vital time for Spain and of the
Spanish minister. With this stress of
circumstances we should not be oyer-nice
in insisting on diplomatic proprieties and
in finding fault with the minister in view
of what had been said in the Senate,
Mr.. Teller (Rep., COLI siad the rule
was unyarylng against communication
by foreign minister except through
the state department. There should be
no comment by foreign minister. He
should not be heard at all, except In the
regular channels. Twice had foreign
ministers been sent home for statements
OF less importance imam this.
s'But, considering the circumstances"
added Mr.. Teller, chad I been in au-
thority would not have sent him home
for this offense, but I would have had
the secretary of state in most kindly
way suggest that repetition Of the of
Tense would lead to- his going home''
Mr.. Teller then turned to the condi-
tions in Spain. He did not think the out
break of students should give offense.
The Spanish government was doing all
in it's power to stop the disturbance
Spain knew we had right to recognize
the belligerents. Spain would naturally
show some feeling, but she would not go
to war. There was ripple of applause,
which the vice-president checked, when
Mr.. Teller referred to his sympathy with
the Cubans
II would be delighted" said he. ito
hear that Havana had passed into the
hands of the insurgents. | would be de-
lighted to hear that the insurgents had
run the Spanish soldiers into the sea-"
But, the senator added. while he had
this sympathy, yet he felt no irritation
over the student ebullitions in Spain. In
conclusion Mr.. Teller vigorously repeated
that if the Spanish minister repeated this
public utterance the senator would favor
giving him his walking papers," The
American people would not tolerate any
dictation or criticism from foreign repre-
sentatives accredited here.