The herald., 1896-03-17
THE F|FTY-FOURTH CONGRESS
THE CUBAN QUESTION BEARS THE BRUNT
OF SENATORIAL DEBATE
nS. Pugh Delivers Part Of His Speech :on
siiver-nr. Lodge Advocates Restriction
Of Immigrstion-Biii Passed and Matters
Considered In the House
Apseriated Press Special Wire.


Associated Press Special Wire.
WASHINGTON, March 16.-The senate
had an hour of spirited Cuban debate to-
day, after the early part of the day had
been given to set speeches by Mr.. Lodge
on immigration and Mr.. Pugh on silver.
The Cuban discussion was mainly import
ant in bringing out the full reading of q
statement by the Spanish side of the case
by Senior Depuy de LONE, the Spanish
minister.
referred to the prevailing unrest and ex-
element, and besought divine interposi-
tion for peace.
Mr.. Eikins, Republican, of West vir-
ginia. made early reference to the Cuban
question by offering resolution directing
the committee on foreign relations, before
the vote was taken on the Cuban resolu-
tiops, to make report to the senate of all
material facts on the subject, stating spe-
officially whether q state of war now existed
in Cuba, and how long 1t has been in ex-
istence, how many men are engaged on the
respective sides, whether the insurgents
have adopted constitution and organized
government, and at what place the seat
of government is carried on, what places
and ports are occupied by the insurgents
and to what extent they would affect our
relations with Spain.
Mr.. Sherman asked that the resolution
60 over under the rules unit. tomorrow,
and Mr.. Elkins aesented.
Mr.. Call, Democrat, of Florida, secured
the adoption of a resolution calling on the
secretary of the treasury for information
rs to the detention of vessels supposed to
be carrying arms TO Cuba and the legal au-
thority for such a course.
Mr.. Palmer, Democrat, of Illinois, Of
fered resolution, which went over, de.
claring that the unlimited coinage of silver
nv the 11nitp6 StatQS would oyvt,vort riot.
ing legal and commercial values.
Mr.. Cannon, the new senator from Utah,
made his first speech, sharply criticizing
Secretary Hoke Smith for the latter's re-
cent response to the senate resolution as to
Indian lands.
At o'clock Mr.. Lodge WAS recognized
for speech on immigration and in sup.
port of the resolution for additional immi-
grafton laws.
Senator Lodge showed that by existing
laws paupers, diseased persons, convicts
and contract Iaborers are now denied adj
miseion to the United States. By the bill
under confederation it was proposed to
make new class of excluded immigrants,
viz: the totally ignorant. 1t was found as
q result of investigation that the illiteracy
test would bear most heavily upon the
Italians, Russians, Poles, Hungarians,
Greeks and Adriatics, and very lightly, or
not at all, upon English speaking emf
grants, or Germans, Scandinavians and
French.
1.-The races which would suffer most
seriously by exclusion under the proposed
BILL" he said. furnish the emigrsnts
who do not 60 to the west or south, where
immigration is needed, hut who remain on
the Atlantic seaboard where Immigration
is not needed, and where their presence is
fnost injurious and undesirable
The question of the advisability of re-
stricting Immigration was a subject, the
senator thought, of the greatest magni-
tude and the most far reaching impor-
tance.
"If," he continued. I'VE have any regard
for the welfare, the wages or the standard
of life of American workingmen, we
should take immediate steps to restrict
foreign immigration. There is an appall-
from the food OF low, unskilled, ignorant
foreign laborers which has poured into the
country for some years past, and which
not only takes lower wages but accepts a
standard of life and living SO low that the
American workingman cannot compete
with it.
"More precious even than forms of gov.
ernment are the mental and moral uuali-
ties which make what we call our race.
They are exposed to but single danger,
and that is by changing the quality of our
race and citizenship through the Wholesale
infusion of races whose traditions and in
heritances, whose thoughts and whose be-
liefs are wholly alien to ours and with
whom we have never assimlated or even
besH associated in the past. The danger
is sdball as yet, but it is large enough to
warn us to act while there is yet time and
while it can be done easily and efficiently
Mr.. Lodge spoke for all hour and was
followed by Mr.. Pugh Democrat of Ala
bama). in support of the silver amend
ment to the tariff bill. Mr.. Pugh argued
States were caused by an insufficient and
congested currency. The senator de-
clared that the restriction of our money to
the single gold standard was the root of
our financial troubles.
At $3.50 Mr.. Pugh yielded the floor, to
continue his financial speech tomorrow.
Mr.. Sherman at once called up the Gu
ban resolutions and Mr.. Morgan ad.
dressed the senate on this question. The
senator said the American people had eX-
pressed their views on Cuban belligerency
and indepsndence by great deluge of Pc
titions and memorials, and read from
many petitions. showing the wide public
feeling in behalf of Cuba.
Mr.. Sherman rose to state he was a,l-
thorized to say that the house of represen-
tatives had received Cuban petitions filling
q large box.
Mr.. Hale Of Maine here precipitated a
controversy by saying that senators were
familiar with the methods employed in
gstt ng up petitions. They represented no
spontaneoqs public sentiment from the
country at large. but were elnanations of
agencies at New York and Washington.
docs my colleague (Hale) know of a
remonstrance against Cuba?" asked Mr..
Frye.
YES" said Mr.. Hale. ~ have hundreds
of letters from leading business men,
Mr.. Morgan referred contemptuously to
these "business men, who were in the
habit of trying to defeat legislation by
private letters to senators.
The senator next referred to Minister
Dupuy de Lome's statement received from
Secretary Olney by the committee. This
was the signal for further sharp questions
from Mr.. Hale. He said this statement
needed explanation even at this late day.
and he referred to the conflict between Mr.
Lodge and Mr.. Sherman as to the minis
tcr's statement.
Mr.. Sherman interrupted to say that Mr..
Hale was not correctly stating the circum-
stances of the receipt of the minister's
statement and when Mr.. Hale persisted,
Mr.. Sherman added that he would not be-
led to ''wrange."
Mr.. Morgan went on to say that the
Spanish ministers statement had been
drawn out by Spain's dcsire to delay ac-
ton in congress. Spain feared that the
United States would get into tantrum.
The Spanish minister, therefore, sent a
nud, tn otorv