The National tribune., 1896-12-24
CONGRESS
Abstract Of the More Important Pro
ceedings Of Both Houses
TUESDAY, DEC. Is.

TUESDAY, DEC Is.
In the Senate, the aggressive speech made oy
Senator Morgan this Afternoon, taken IN coz
nection with the circumstances which nave
brought the Cuban question 20 forcibiy to the
attention of Congress, served to increase the
general interest in the subject felt oy mem Ders
of both Houses There were. however, no de-
vclopments foreshadowing change in the ex-
istinr situation. There is little probability
that. except possibly a few more speeches In
the Senate anything will be done until after
the holidays and even then action will depend
largely upon whether changes occur on the
island itself in the meantime.
Mr.. Morgan said. in part: " I am not able to
discover that the President has made any
specified Recommendation or indication in his
message as to any action he deems It proper or
exnedient for Congress to take with reference
10 Spain or Cuba, nor that be has indicated
sny course, except a still, patient waiting that
the Executive proposes to take. Congress,
thus left to its own initiative, must assume Its
own responsibility in a matter OF the most
serious gravity. Congress must give TO the
statements of the President unhesitating &C
centance as to matters that were committed oy
the Constitution to his especial charge. When
he undertakes TO state the facts that affect our
relations with other powers we must accept
those facts unless the disproot of them is over
towering"
Mr.. Morgan went on to speak of the trying
situation which required prompt action TO save
thousands of innocent people from cruel ana
deliberate butchery. If war with the United
States is necessary to reconcile the Spanish peo-
pie to the loss of Cuba by foreign conquest" he
said, I'VE shall be compelled to meet that
emergency. IL the destruction OF Cuba is
enough to satisfy the popular sentiment OF re-
venge. we can avoid war with Spain by re-
naming inactive while our own people are
being ruined or slaughtered along with the
Cubans. If we mean TO take any action toward
stopping this war of humiliation and extermi-
nation. we have no time to lose.
1.-THE war has continued" said Mr.. Morgan,
"until it has reached the final and desperate
stage of war Of devastation and extermina-
tion. with the people of Cuba as prey to those
who have set aside the usual honorable usages
of warfare and have become robbers, cut
Threats, assassns, ravishers and pirates" All
OF these crimes, Mr.. Morgan declared, would be
found TO have been automatically stated to our
Government when the seals of secrecy are
broken and they are brought to the knowledge
OF the world for the vindicaton of our course
:" if we are forced to war to put an end to this
ssturnalia of blood and fire."
The resolution was adopted that the Presl-
dent is requested, il il is not, in his opinion,
Incompatible with the public service, to send to
the Senate copies of the papers relating to the
condition of affairs in the Island of Cuba which
are referred to in the report of the Secretary
of State that accompanies his last annual mes
sage as papers collected in the annual volume
entitled Foreign Relations of the United
States; also statement of the several amounts
of the claims lodged ia the Department of State
by citizens of the United States against Spain
growing out of the alleged instruction; also
all dan NIT al fi tn a
petitor and the charges pending in any court
in Spain or Cuba against the persons captured
on or near her, and other data.
In the House, the Loud bill to amend the law
relating to the Transmission of second class
mail matter was considered. Routine business
occupied the day.
WEDNESDAY,, Dec. 16.
In the Senate lengthy debate occupied the
day, in which it developed that the Dingley
bill is dead. The Republicans considered the
matter in caucus some time ago. but could see
no way to get the bill through. Every Repub-
lican Senator was ready to vote for the bill
should itever reach vote, but, as Mr.. Aldrich
told some of the PhiladeIphia manufacturers
who came here, what was needed WAS q change
In the Senate rules SO that the bill could be
brought to vote and seven more Republican
Senators to make majority for the bill.
Neither thing was possibility.
Mr.. Teller declared that the Silver Repub.
licans would not permit this bill to become .
law. Mr.. Allen, who called up the bill the
other day for hostile purpose. announced
ut the time that the Populists would not vote
for 1t.
The debate arose to-day on q motion made BY
Mr.. Vest to call up the Dingley bill for the
purpose Of making some remarks. He said he
appreciated be was talking of dead issue, and
he would not sllude to il il many well-meanine
people were not urging on Congress to act upon
this measure. He regarded the Dingley bill as
one of the most remarkable pieces of Iegisla.
ticp ever presented. It was the result OF the
Presidents warning to Congress one year age
that the condition of the finances was 80 dan.
gercus that the usual holiday recess might be
abandoned.
This bill had not come from the wool grow.
ers or from the iron interests. The production
Of tin-plate had increased, Notwithstanding the
decrease Of one cent per pound on tin secured
by the present law, and yet that reduction had
been secured only at the point of the Legislative
bsyonet.
This brought on spirited passage between
Mr.. Aldrich and Mr.. Vest. The former de-
clared that it was well known that the iror
schedule of the Wilson bill was protective in
character, and that If iron and tin had beer
treated as other articles bad been they, too
would have been struck down. This produc
tion was due first TO the original protective,
duties on tin. and to that partial remnant O
duty maintained in the present law.
The Senator from Rhode Island does no
seem TO agree with the President-elect, Mr. Nc
Kinley, on this tin question" responded Mr.
Vest. He then asserted that the price OF raw
wool had gone up since the free wool schedui
OF the Wilson bill had gone into effect. VIII,
ie H. asked the Senator. that with the balauc
OF trade in our favor and with the gold stand
ard in force, the eountryis in q state of dis
tress2
while may be subjected to the charge @
being lunatic. anarchist and repudiator,
declared Mr.. Vest. assert that the only relic
for the people is to givethem more money.
we are lnnatics and anarchists because we as
for the opening of the minis to the free coinag
Of silver, then over six million American free
men who voted for William J. Bryan are luns
tics. and may God help the Republic"
To question by Mr.. Aldrich as to why II wa
that the WOODEN industry and all other indus
tries were asking for more protection. NJ
Vest answered that of course they wanted NOR
protection. Like lot of coyotes" greed
aud famished. they awaited more bounty.
Mr.. Frye Me-, T. said he would preseu
Just two points In answer to the Missouri Ser
stor: First, never before in his experience ha
he known a time when the wool industry VIZ
SO dead as il is to-day; second. leading wos
authorities had declared that one-half OF tI
wooden mills were closed. The wool schedul
wee the very worst one of all in the preseI
tariff law. 1t had resulted in an inundstion
the country with cheap shoddy goods.
Mr. Fry went on 70 say that if the Dingle
bill was not passed. he predicted an enormo,
increase of imports within the next four month
in anticipation If the greater duties thereafte
Mr. Mitchell t0re.. B. also came into the d
bate. 1t was a constant cross fire of question
assertions rs TO wool nriceS and contradiction