Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1896-06-05
MORGAN BELIEVES NO RELIEF/CAl
BE GIVEN By AMERICA.
Refusal to Recognize the Rec0mr
mendatiOns of Congress III sNeA
had Precedent.

Washington May Ex-senator Morgan
was asked today concerning the proba-
bility of securing action on the CUBAN
resolution before adjournment. He SAID
Congress Will PROBABLY dispense before
any further action is possible Inc us
position of the majority OF the senate
committee is to devolve upon the press
dent responsibility that he Is eViaehtiy
eager to assume. Congress mas praoi-
cally ceased to be factor IN the gov
ernment' except in the case Oh Veto'
when the constitution permits 1t TO ACT
finally by a two-thirds vote. Even TINS
function is denied when it is applied 10
our foreign political relations.
For a government with coordinate
DEPARTMENTS in which we boast, we are
making a strange and rapid movement
toward re-establishing a royal preroga-
tive in the hands of our executive as one
comfortable power. If any British con-
stitutional power was destroyed in Amer
lea by the revolution of 1776 it was the
prerogative of the crown. If the crown,
acting alone can substitute the entire
laws of war for the laws of peace which
and if he can make this total revolution
of our legal status as citizens and as
nation binding upon us by his procla-
nation, it Is in vain that we abolished
the prerogative in our federal constitu-
ton. If the president, without the con-
currence of congress, should proclaim
that war existed in Cuba and the United
States assumes the relation OF neutral
power toward the recognized belligerents
under the laws of nations, he would
usurp a power of the most dangerous
character In the moment of their en-
thusiasm for decree that would be
so just and so humane, the people would
forgive the usurpatlon, but the shock 1t
would give to our free government would
lead in time to great disaster. In the
present state of political agitation in the
country. it is dangerously apparent that
declaration of war with Spain or a
declaration of the existence of a state of
war in Cuba, made on the sole authority
of the president, would create fever of
excitement that would remove all other
questions now under discussion from the
minds of the people and would control
the presidential election near at hand.
Il am convinced that the president will
not venture on SO dangerous course
when congress disperses. leaving our re-
lations to this subject in their present
| equivocal situation.
| War exists in Cuba and the whole
world knows it, and while Spain admits
| its existence in every act, but denies It
on paper and in a diplomatic way, our
government and people are required to
indorse this falsehood and to admit that
| peace prevails in the island. They pun
| ish our people for treason, instruction
and piracy with the death penalty be-
cause they are charged with disturbing
the peace and breaking laws that are in
| tended to preserve peace in Cuba, while
peace does not exist,
After the almost unanimous declara-
ton by both houses of congress that bel
| ltgerent rights should be accorded to
Cuba, if we dispense without giving relief
to our people from this situation we can
find no excuse for abandoning them TO
their fate except that we are ready to
abdicate our power in favor of the sup
| posed power or wishes of the president
The presidents powers are not increased
by our refusal to exercise powers that
rightfully belong to congress alone or
Jointly to both departments of the gov
| eminent.
For more than seven weeks the pres
ident has known the will of congress.
which expresses constitutionally the will
| OF the people. If that declaration is not
sufficient to give our people security
against Spanish violation of our treaties
or to impress the president with its SOL
emnity we should not, and can not, in
justice to ourselves, omit to present the
same facts and convictions to the presi-
dent in definite form of action that he
can not refuse to consider.
Spain fully understands the cause of
our resentment and the justice of the
Indignation of our people, and boasts in
| speeches from the throne that the presj-
dent is not in sympathy with congress
| or the people, and for this cause she adj
neres the more savagely to her resolution
that this shall be war of extermina-
ton and that we shall be compelled To
| call 1t peace, and shall refuse on that
raise declaration to give the shelter of the
laws of war to those who are moved nv
humanity to help the Cubans.
| THE president has refused IN inform,
congress of the attitude of the executive
department as to the conviction and son
tence of death of our citizens cantura,
ON the Competitor
The plea is urged for the delay of fur
Their action by congress that a recogni-
ton of belligerency morally, will give
rise to new complications, and IL we do
anything 1t is wiser to recognize the
Independence of Cuba and leave il to
spain to declare war for that course II
she resents such course. That pronnd
Is taken with no expectation of its ra-
sulting in such recognition"