Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-03-27
MILLS TALKS.
Texas Senator Speaks in Advocacy
Of His Joint Resolution.
Wants United States to, Take Posses
sion of Cuba-House Conference
Committee Appointed.

sion of Cuba-House Conference
Committee Appointed. ).
Washington, March 81. = A bill was
reported from the judiciary commit
tee and passed amending the law in re-
gard to the punishment of Indians for
the crime of rape (the penalty now be-
ing death), SO as to leave it discretion
airy with the court.
Senator Hoar (rep., Mass.) offered
resolution which was agreed to re-
Guesting the president to transmit to
the senate copies of all dispatches,
notes and kilograms in the department
of state from November, 1875, until
the pacification of Cuba in 1878, which
relate to the mediation or intervention
by the United States in the affairs of
that island, together with all CORE
spondence with foreign governments
relating to the same topic.
Mills Speaks on His Joint Resolution.
The joint resolution introduced Mon
Gay by Senator Mills dem, Tex.) look
ing to the seizure CT the island of Cuba
by the United States in case the Span
ish government shall refuse to grant
self-government to the Cubans, was
taken up, and Senator Mills addressed
the senate in advocacy of it. He would
have voted, he said for all the resolu
tions offered on the subject of Cuba,
because they were steps although
1t was the duty of the people of the
United States to take. The island of
Cuba did not, Senator Mills declared,
stand in the same relation to the peo-
pie Of the United States as Hungary,
Poland, Ireland or Armenia did. If it
did, then the craftsmanship of the
United States had been at fault for 100
years.
The United States has never asserted
that it had any right in Ireland, Hun
gary, Poland or elsewhere in Europe,
but it had asserted it's right in every
solitary acre of land on the western
hemisphere. 1t had there the highest
right-the right of self-preservation
The Monroe doctrine, he declared, was
MS old as humanity and God Almighty
was its author. For when He made
man He placed in him the right to pre-
serve his life and liberty. The fathers
of the republic had said. for hundred
years, to Cuba, to England, TO France, to
oil the earth: "You shall not touch one
solitary acre of this land with your
sovereignty"
No Transfer of Cuba.
I'VE have said" Senator Mills continued,
that we will resist with all the power Of
this government the transfer of the island
OF Cuba to any European power. Jefferson
said 1t. Gallatin said 1t. John Quincy
Adams said it. Henry Clay said it. Mar
tin Vnn Buren, said it. James Buchanan
said 1t. William E. Marcy said it. 1t has
been the unchallenged American doctrine
Spain unless 1t comes to us; that Spain
shall hold 1t in trust; that we shall resist
Its transfer by the whole power of the
army and navy; and there we have had 1t
the point. If we have held that position
by an assertion of a moral right to protect
ourselves, to secure our own homes, to Sc
cure our own commerce and trade on the
ocean; we have said that Cuba shall not go
out OF the hands of Spain. notwithstanding
that England might say to Cuba: I will
give you the government that give to
Canada: will give you a parliament an
executive OF your own selection; will give
you the power to levy your own taxation
II YOU pledSet Will give you nome govern
ment; Will not interfere except to protect
you in case any other power interferes with
you.' yet the United States has stood by as
jailor and has said: That trade shall
not be made"
House Agrees to Another Conference.
Washington, March "a. The first
business of the house Tuesday was the
question of the passage of the Curtis
bill discussed Monday to reduce the
number of crimes for which the death
penalty may be inflicted. On division
the vote was 80 to 35, but Mr.. Crowther
(rep., MOI demanded the yeas and nays,
and the vote was SO taken: Yeas, ITO;
nays, GO. So the bill was passed.
The message of the senate announc-
ing the rejection by that body of the
conference report upon the Cuban res
olutions and asking for further con-
ference was called up by Mr.. Hit (rep.,
lll.) and the requesta agreed to.
Mr.. Boutelle (rep., Me-, chairman of
the committee ON naval affairs. report
ed the naval appropriation bill for the
years 1867, and it was ordered printed.
Conference Committee Named.
Speaker Reed announced the appoint
ment of Messrs. Hit (rep., lll.), Adams
(rep, PAP and McCreary (dem., Ky.)
as managers on the part of the house of
the conference on the Cuban resolu-
tions.
House bill to increase the penalty for
transporting and selling by liquor
dealers of liquors under false and
spurious brands was taken up.
Mr.. Evans (rep., Ky.) explained that
the practice of selling liquors under
false brands or names had grown into
extensive frauds upon the public and
the internal revenue. The provisions
of the bill make the penalty $1,000 in
stead of $500 and direct the forfeiture
of the seized goods.
After discussion of the provisions of
the bill it was passed.
The joint resolution restoring to the
Mormon church the property and
money now in the hands of the receiver
and formerly belonging to the church,
to be used for the payment of the
church debts and its charitable objects,
was called up by Mr.. Broderick (rep.,
kan.) who asked to have substituted
for the house measure the joint resolu-
ton which had passed the senate.
The property involved is of the value
of nearly $500 OOO