The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-02-28

was particularly true as regards Great
Britain. our traditional enemy. He
also compared the inadequacy of our
navy with what coast defenses would
accomplish and said:
"Such is our navy, but suppose that
like sum had been expended on land
defenSes, what would the country now
have to show for the expenditure"
The senator quoted Admiral Walker
as saying that If our harbors were
properly fortified no squadron would
attempt to take them; presented tables
comparing the cost of land and float
ing batteries. showing the great excess
of cost when batteries are placed in
ships, and cited events in the China
Japan war to show that the Japanese
land forces were an essential factor in
the capture of Port Arthur and Wei
Hal Wei.
In the course of his further remarks
he said: 1T would be much better to
provide the land Notifications at cost
so many times less than the expense
of making our navy anything like
equal to that of Great Britain mas
much as it is universally admitted that
the land Notifications would render our
coasts impregnalble.
The needs of the country appeal to
congress for action in this direction;
property that could be destroyed by
bombardment appeals to us; the ma
terial interests of the nation that
would be affected by the destruction
appeal to US; our common sense ap-
peals to us. We can effect our pur-
poses more cheapIy now than hereafter.
Let us provide suitable fortifications
| and render our harbors imDregnable.
Whatever works are made will be such
| that additions can from time to time
be made to make them equal to with
stand the advance of science. If we
do this we will receive the commenda-
ton of the whole country"
On the conclusion of Mr.. Proctor S
speech the bill was passed for the
construction of two steam revenue cut
ters to cost not to exceed $25O0OO each,
for use on the Pacific coast
The army appropriation bill, carrying
$2S, 279,0OO, was then passed.
CUBA
The Cuban resolution was then TAX
en- up and Mr.. Morgan asked unani-
nous consent that final vote on the
resolution and all amendments be TAX
en- at o'clock tomorrow. This led to
considerable discussion, but an agree
ment was finally reached for vote at
that hour.
]
| would speak tomorrow, and Mr.. Nor
gan readily assented that Mr.. Sher-
man. as chairman of the committee on
foreign relations, should close the de-
bate
Mr.. White Dem.) of California
thereupon resumed his speech on the
Cuban resolution.
The senator laid down the principles
that the United States coug1 not recog-
] 11Sz ha e ohN f,le, ~
government until the vital disturbance
is closed and actual independence is
an accomplished fact
Mr.. Vest disagreed with this PROPOSE
ton Was it not for congress to de-
ternline the question of fact as to
whether the uprising had not gone so
far that Spain was powerIess to sup
press it? Is not. asked Mr.. Vest. the
condition of Spain today desperate?
OPEN TO DOUBT.
Mr. White answered that this was
open to doubt He sincerely hoped the
Cubans would win their cause. but
with Spanish power encircling the is
land, with Spain holding every post in
Cuba. with the insurgents unrecog-
nized anywhere, he could not conclude
that independence had been accom-
plished.
Mr. Vest pointed out, however. that
the Cubans. without ships, without
arms, except those made by them
selves, maintained a rebellion for ten
years. If this has been, why cannot
the insurgents again maintain war
fare until Spain is forced to yield?
Mr.. Vest added: eff this proposed ac-
ton is mere sympathy, let US drop the
question, for mere sympathy is g.
miserable farce from beginning to
end
Mr. White closed with the statement
that while he hoped to see Cuba free,
yet the United States could not declare
that Cuba was free and independent
without believing established facts.
AT this point Mr.. Vest came forward
with Characteristic speech. His
words came with such fire and such
beauty of diction that the senate cham
Der was quickly crowded to hear him.
VEST IS VIGOROUS.
"Where would the United States be
today" asked Mr.. Vest, 'if the policy
urged by the California senator had
| been followed? Instead of assembling
here as a congress, there would be
another British colony and an appen-
dage of the British crown. France
recognized the independence of the
United States and sent her armies and
fleets and placed on us a debt of I'M
dying gratitude.
In ringing tones Mr.. Vest declared
that if we, as the great republic of the
world, proposed to stand by these peo-
pie in their struggle akin to our own,
then we must help them in their time
OF need. And If this aid was not given
by sending our fleets and our armies
for no one expected that-then, at
least, it should be by stating to the
whole world what the senator believed
before God to be true-that Spain
could never again establish her do
minion over that island. Mr.. Vest
drew vivid picture of SPANS bloody
rule over the old Spanish de-
Tendencies. "Of ALI these vast domin-
ions won by blood he added, won
through torture and fire, there remains
today to this
TOOTHLESS OLD WOLF
the simple island of Cuba; and Spain
today, like the Giant Despair in that
wonderful picture of Bunyan, almost
helpless, sits at the door of the dark
cave of despotism and grins with i'm
potent rage at the procession of splen-
did republics that march on in the
progress toward civilization and lib
erty. That wolf can never retain that
single cub Never can Spain hold the
island of Cuba after she has been I'M
able to hold one foot of soil south of
us in all the wide area of the southern
half of this continent"
Mr.. Gray interrupted to ask If, as a
matter of existing fact, Cuba had now
esta blished condition Of existence.
With another burst of eloquence Mr..
Vest responded that it was not for us