Birmingham state herald., 1896-12-11
INDEPENDENCE FOR CUBA Is the Plea of Senators Call and
 CuIlom. SHALL WE WAIT FOREVER For Precedent With Which to Establish Her
 Rights 2S
 -y THE UNION NEED'.s NONE IN i77e
 z91 And if the Dut alls Upon the United States. < Be It. sald Gull l,SS"Cuba Libre-
 V Free Cuba"
SHALL WE WAIT FOREVER

A(SN' ence of Cuba and the recognition of the insurgents as a regularly organized gov- ernment had two advocates in the sen- ate today in the persons of Senators Gull lom Gep. Ill) and Call (dem FIa). MT. Cullom delivered a carefully prepared speech in support of his views; while MT. Call contented himself with a brief discursive statement.
 MT. Cullom prefaced his speech with the introduction of joint resolution de- claring that "the extinction of Spanish title and the termination of Spanish con- trol of the islands at the gateway of the Gulf of Mexico are necessary to the vel fare of those islands and of the people of the United States"
 MT. Cullom, in speaking to his resolu- tion, and after a brief refernce to the Presidents message in regard to the island of Cuba, said:
 We are already placed in such posi- tion that some certain course of action must be adopted. Whatever that course may be it must be such as shall give proper recognition to the rights, under existing conditions, belonging respective ly to Spain and Cuba. It must also rec ognize the rights and prerogatves of the world at large, of the nations and people who stand aloof and watch with deepest interest this struggle for independence and for liberty gainst absolutism. And not the least of the responsibilities im- posed upon us as nation is the conserva- tion of our own rights and interests. In fact, this latter Is the determining factor which must control our course.
 While I am not disposed to criticise President Cleveland, I may properly say that had hoped that he would find occa- sion to give more positive or emphatic expression of the true American conti- mental policy, which ought to be invoked x1A pendence of any of the peoples of the American continent are involved. And, further, think we ought never to hesi- tate or delay when the lines of this policy run parallel and coincident with those Of common humanity"
 Passing in rapid review the prominent facts in Spanish history for the last four or five centuries, MT. Cullom continued:
 "I protest that people with such history and such an education can have no just claim to a participation in the control of any territorial possessions on this hemisphere.
 "There may be no warrant In inter- national law for any interference be- tween government and It's subjects pro- vided that government belongs to the family of nations or Is recognized as one of the powers of the earth. Still, does not the great heart of humanity beat in sympathy with the poor souls apparently forgotten by the Master and left to bear the burdens of cruel and relentless op- pression? Is there no way. no light, no hope? Must the brutality of might alone define the offense and mete out the penal ty, with no human power to whom inter cession may be made? Oh, Spain! Oh, Spain! When will thy day be fulfilled? Was there no loyal Spaniard who could amid all these centuries, stay the hand of death or raise the sword of jus tice while there was time to save?"
 Having sketched the career of the former Spanish-American colonies, MT. Cullom went on:
 while all the provinces which have rebelled and separated from Spain have become prosperous and fairly well con- ditioned independent countries, the feeble old mother country has gradually fallen into lower and lower estate, depending and almost relying for existence upon the stolen gold levied on Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philippine islands. Spain continues to be what she has always beerr-a robber nation. l speak now or the nation and not of her people. Some of the best and noblest names of the ages come to us from Spain, where, un- happily, too many of them met their sad and melancholy fates. And today, as well as in recent times, there are many noble men and women who owe allegiance to the Spanish throne, who adhere to her cause hoping and striving to improve and make better her present and future, but who can never outlive or wipe out the traditions which have established her reputation and fixed her status among the kingdoms of the eastern hemisphere.
 'If we wait for precedent we shall walt forever. If a precedent is needed we shall make one.
 eve violated every precedent by the declaration of our own independence on July A. 1776. We had no precedent nor did we even ask for advice as to the change in 1779 from confederation to a union of states. When we announced the Monroe doctrine in 1923 1t was in de- fiance of precedent, and was the deter imitation of a rule which has become a law and will never be gainsaid.
 "When we announced not many months ago that we should intervene In the mat ter of the Venezuelan boundary and see for ourselves If our rights were to be concluded by foreign dictation, we fol- lowed no precedent but that of good American, common sense. Ana com- mon sense has won.
 "These instances only show that up to this time no assumption of authority in regard to American affairs which this government has made has ever been suc- cessfully contested.
 We now have reached the time to take another step in advance.
 We have already proclaimed that the United States will have something to say regarding matters affecting the American continent and we should now announce that the speedy termination of Spanish control of the islands at the gateway of the Mexican gulf is necessary alike to the welfare of those islands and to the people of the United States.
 "The present situation cannot con- tinue.
 This war of extermination must stop. The question to be determined Is not fully clear except that the war must cease.
 s'Whatever may be said regarding our dutr as xat1on toward friendly pow CT which is striving to suppress an in- surrection in Cuba, still no one. either in America or Europe, misunderstands the sifiIaffnn Every humane heart. Ameri.