The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-04

recognizing the belligerency of the Gu
bans. 1t is against this that all the
Spanish influences in this country are
most strenuously exerted. 1t Is to this
hope of recognition of belligerency that
all Cubans and friends OF Cuba turn.
The reason is plain. They know II
would be of Importance and inestimable
assistance to the Cuban cause. II would
give them a flag; II would give them
status In the world.
THE success of the Cubans Is now
probable. For a yea rthey have baffied
the armies of Spain. In a recent state
ment by the Spanish minister. address,
ed to the people OF the United States,
he said that Spain had sent 125.000 men
to Cuba. With this great army more
than 40 war vessels have been cooperat-
ing to shut the Cubans in and subdue
them. Far from being subdued, they
have fought on successfully for a year,
each month and each week pressing
forward, bringing province after prov
ince under their power, until their au-
thority has extended over 800 miles
from the eastern to the western end of
the island. and the Spanish forces are
to-day largely penned in the cities.
THE million white people of Cuba,
once organized into an independent
government, will soon settle into a sta
BILE condition and enter upon a career
of prosperity. 1t Is our duty to treat
them to-day with fairness, to observe a
neutrality that Is real. Americans who
are descendants of those who struggled
through contest against tyranny like
that to-day in Cuba should not be false
to the memory of their fathers or to the
traditions and spirit of their history.
We are under no obligations to favor
Spain and oppress Cuba and freedom.
when this vote has been given. as
1t will be. overwhelmingly by this
house, concurring with the senate, in
expressing the will of the people of the
United States, we cannot doubt that
the executive will act and obey the
voice of the nation, and that we will
speedily hear that the president has
recognized the belligerency of the strug
Cling Cubans. The waning cause of
Spain has been apparent from week to
week for two months past. 1t will not
be long until we shall have an end of
all the bombastic pretensions and
denominations of Weyler's savage oper-
ations. and the Cubans. having vindi-
Gated their rights with their arms, will
enjoy the liberty they have earned"
Mr.. Hit was several times vigorously
applauded. Swanson, democrat, Virgil
MIA, asked II these resolutions would
carry with them the recognition of Gu
ban belligerency. Hit replied that they
would not of themselves, but he had no
doubt that they would lead to the
recognition of the Cubans by a presi-
Dental proclamation.
IT do not believe" said he, that the
president would be so recreant to his
duty as to disregard the expressed wish
of the representatives OF the people. /
have faith that the president is the
agent of the people and their represent
ative, not their ruler" loud ap-.
plause) +ss
The conference committee, he explain
ed, in answer to a question, had no
power to change the form of the reso-
luton from concurrent TO Joint, so as to
compel affirmative or negative action
by the president.
In reply to Patterson, democrat, Ten
nessee, who asked what proportion Of
the 1900, 900 inhabitants of Cuba were
adherents or in sympathy with the
cause of the revolutionists, Hit said IL
was hard to determine. More than g.
600 men had enlisted in the Cuban
cause.
How many Cubans have enlisted in
the Spanish cause?" asked Patterson.
I'VE are informed" replied Hit,
Officially informed, that many Cubans
are enrolled among the volunteers. The
term volunteers is much misunder-
stood. The volunteers are Spaniards
obligated to military duty in Spain who
elect to perform that service in Cuba.
They are among the bitterest and most
intensely hostile enemies OF the Cubans.
They are the privileged spoilers of the
Cubans and annually rob the Cubans OF
millions, and their peculations are enor-
NOUS"
'If the people of Cuba" said Patter-
son, ''are practically united In the
cause of autonomy. in my opinion, they
are entitled to II, and IL this govern
ment would interfere to prevent Spain
ff,ret vi Q0nfi-
nents of this hemisphere or the condgu-
Gus islands. i do not see why the Unit
ed States should not interpose to pre-
vent Spain from retaining territory by
subjugation." cloud applause.)
AS Hit concluded Hyde. republican.
Washington, asked him whether IL the
president refused to take any action on
to entertain such an hypothesis. a re-
sponse that was greeted with tumultous
applause.
Boutelle, republican. Maine, who has
steadily opposed the passage of any
Cuban resolutions. then took the floor.
He said he never regretted his course
and though this attitude had been vim
dicated by subsequent events. this pro-
ceeding was a remarkable illustration
of "how to do it," The resolutions had
no legal effect. They amounted to moth
ing. That had been proclaimed In the
senate and were well understood here.
The chairman of the foreign relations
committee in the senate admitted that
the resolutions. when brought back by
the conference committee, was as dead
as Caesar. They could never have
passed the senate and therefore the
house confreres thought IL wise to sur
render. He taunted the committee with
having refused to make the resolutions
joint and insisted that II was clearly
understood that the president did not
favor belhgerency. He did not pretend
TO voice the whole public sentiment OF
the country. but he did represent the
conservative element that deprecated
foreign broils that might eventuate in
foreign war. He attributed much of
the feeling in the country TO the SEN
sationalism of the press. which was
constantly seeking pretexts for infiam-
ing the public mind. He deprecated the
horrible atrocities committed by Spain
II f~t,ha x~hseh had haan L.,