St. Paul daily globe., 1896-03-24
CLIMAX IN THE CUBAN DEBATE
ATE SENT BACK FOR CON-
FERENCE.
TEXAS sOLON SEEKING TROUBLE
He Would Take FOrcibIe Possession
of Cuba Until Political Inde-
pendcnce Is Assured.

the Cuban resolutions were recommit-
ted to the conference committee. The
vote to recommit was unanimous and
without the formality of a roll call,
representing a general consensus of
opinion that the committee should so
change the resolutions as to overcome
the opposition that has developed
MessrS. Sherman, Morgan and Lodge
were appointed to represent the senate
IN further conference. simultaneously
with this action Mr.. Mills presented
Cuban resolutions which propose to go
further than has been suggested at any
previous time. They direct the presi-
dent to request Spain to grant local
self-goVernment to Cuba, and in case
Spain refuses, the president is author
lied to use the military and naval
torces In taking possession of Cuba
and holding it until government is
established by the Cuban people Mr.
Flatt introduced resolutions limiting
the action OF congress to an expression
of sympathy for Cuban's struggle, and
authorizing the president to extend the
friendly offices Of the United States
toward securing free, Independent
republican form of government.
The joint resolution introduced bv
Senator Mills Is as follows:
be 1t resolved, by the senate and house of
representatives of the United States of Amer
lca, IN congress assembled, That the president
of the United States is hereby directed to re-
quest the government of Spain to authorize
the people of Cuba. to institute such local gov
erhihent as they may wish, and invest it with
sucn powers as they may think necessary to
secure to the people of Cuba the right of life
liberty and the pursuit of happiness
in case Spain shall refuse to grant to the in
hab1tants of Cuba the rightful power of self
government, then the president of the United
States is hereby directed to take possession of
the island of Cuba, with the military and
naval forces of the United States, and hold
the same until the people of Cuba can organ
lze government, deriving it's just powers
from the consent of the governed and arm
and equip such military forces as may be
necessary to protect them from invasion
Senator Blackburn's return to the
senate today, after the exciting and
fruitless senatorial contest before the
Kentucky legislature, was signaIized
by an unusual demonstration by his
colleagues. On the senator's desk was
the most mammoth and elaborate flo
rol design ever brought to the senate
The tribute came from. Mr.. BIackburn's
senatorial associates. Several other
large designs were from personal
friends. Mr.. Blackburn entered the
CT amber shortly after the session open
ed and was warmly greeted by his asso-
ciateS.
When Mr.. Sherman brought forward
the Cuban resolutions there was an ami
mated debate as to securing a final
vote. Mr.. Cullom, in charge of the leg
1slatlye apprOpriat ation bill, said he could
not give way for an indefinite extern
sion of the Cuban debate to the eXclu-
sion of appropriation bills. Mr. Sher-
man responded that the committee de-
sired vote, and he thought it re-
rrarkable, with the war proceeding in
Cuba that the question could not be
speedily acted on. Mr.. Plat Rep.,
Ccnn) said the trouble with the resolu-
tiCnS was that three senators on the
conference committee had thrown aside
the senate resolutions and had accept
ed the house resolutions. "And, 1 ven
ture to say" proceeded Mr.. Platt, "that
not five senators approve the house res
OlutionS now before us"
81 suggest to the chairman Of the
committee" said Mr.. Hoar, rising and
addressing Mr.. Sherman, that he ask
the unanimous consent of the senate to
a disagreement to the conference re-
pert, thus sending the subject back to
the conference committee" Mr.. Hoar
added that the whole subject could be
dealt with in two minutes if Mr.. Sher-
man would ask unanimous consent to
recommit the pending resolutions.
"Then," said Mr.. Sherman decisively,
81 will make the motion to test the
question" This colloquy proceeded out
of order, as Mr.. Palmer of Illinois, had
the floor for speech against the Cuban
resolutions, and insisted on going on.
He yielded, however, to allow Mr.. Sher-
man to give the following formal no
tice:
1 now give notice that in order to expedite
action on this subject and in order to dis
pose of the question, 1 will move to recommit
the pending resolutions to the conference COM
mittee.
AS Mr.. Palmer had the floor, MI
Sherman could not secure immediate
action on his motion. Mr.. Palmer
urged the unnecessarily offensive and
contradictory terms of the house reso-
lutions. They embraced a needless
threat Of intervention, which, if exc
cuted, meant intervention by war.
Mr.. Mills here offered his joint resolu-
ton, on which he said he would speak
tomorrow. Mr. George, of Mississippi,
spoke in opposition to the resolutions.
At 2 o'clock there was a lull in the
speeches, whereupon Mr.. Sherman
sought to secure vote on his reSolu-
ton to commit the resolutions to the
conference committee. A vote was
about to be taken when Mr.. Allen
arose to make a speech Many sena-
tors urged him to wait, as the Sherman
motion would dispose of the subject
for the present. But Mr.. Allen insist
ed on going on. and the vote was de-
ferred. Mr.. Allen said that II the
United States stood by while Spain ap-
piled the knife to the throats of the
Cubans we would be justly charged by
the world with cowardice. AT first
senators had "fallen over each other"
to support this resolution. But now.''
concluded Mr. Allen. "the senator from
Ohio (Sherman) moves to recommit. It
looks as though he had joined in the
retreat, and this will be the last of this
resolution"
AS soon as Mr.. Allen closed. Mr.
Sherman pressed his motion to recon-
NIT. There was no word of opposition,
and the presiding officer, Bacon, put
the question. Not more than twenty
senators were present. No request for
a roll call was made, and the senate
Immediately turned to it's business. The
recommital came so quickly that the
crowds did not realize what had been
done until the clerk began reading
the items Of the legislative appropria-
ton bill, which had been taken up.
Subsequently Mr.. Platt offered another
phase of the Cuban subject by putting
forward the following concurrent reso-
luton, which was referred to the COM
mittee on foreign relations:
Resolved That the senate the house Of
representatives concurring hereby expresses
its earnest desire and hope that Cuba may
soon become q free, Independent and republic
an government and the friendly offices of the
United States should be offered by the pres-
dent to the Spanish government TO secure this
result.
After the Cuban resolution had been
committed to conference the senate
+,,r,,a5 itc attention tn tho