Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-03-17

Of Alabama Until Ho Asks Prosectise
Decides That states May Tax Railway
FrsnchIses-Ficid and Harlan Dissent.
wAsHISGToS, March 17.-The senate
had an hour of spirited Cuban debate la.e
yesterday, after tho early part Of tine day
had been given to set speeches by Lodge
on immigration and Pugh ON silver. The
Cuban discussion was mainly important
in bringing out the full reading Of state.
mcnt OF tho Spanish side Of the case by
Scnor Dupuy de Lomc. the Spanish min
lister. This had been referred to somc
days ago, but could not be made public
However, Morgan read letter from Sec.
rcta-y Olney saying tho Spanish minister
had given his permission for tho public
use Of the statement. IL Ia claimed to dc.
tail the insurgcnt methods Of guerilla
warfare. the burning OF cane fields, and
the dlsorganizcd character of tho ir sur.
gent bands Morgan commented on the
minister's statement. The senator had
scvcral sharp controversies with Halo over
various phases Of the Cuban question.
Lodges Remarks ON Immigration.
Lodge spoke TO bill he has introduc
ON tho immigration question making q
test of ability to read and write In tho
immigrants own language. In speaking
of the bill he said that by existing law pau.
pcrs, disc,scd persons. convicts and con-
tract laborcrs arc now denied admission
To- the United States. by the bill under
consideration it was proposed to make n
.la - 81. I..I
tho totally ignorant. Two Qucstions arose
In connection with tho bill; first rs to
the merits of this particular form Of re-
striction, and secondly ms to the general
policy of restricting immigration at all.
IL was found rs result Of investigation
that the illiteracy test would bear most
heavily upon tho Italians, Russians,
Poles, Hungnrians, Greeks and Asiatics
and very lightly, or not OF all, upon
English-speaking cmigfants or Germans,
Scandinavians and French.
"Isoot of Our Financial rroubies.s
In speaking for FREQ silver Pugh dc.
clarcd that the restriction Of our money
To the single gold standard was the root
Of our financial troubles Hc added that
" tho Dcinocratic party under tho leader
ship of one man forsakcs the cardinal prin-
ciplc Of maintaining both metals It will
bo the most remarkable revolution in po-
litical history. Tho senator referred sar.
castically To those Democrats who have
been converted To gold in the Cleveland
iniirmary." No two presidents were moro
widely apart ON finance than Andrew
jackson and Grover Cleveland. Pugh
said he could name members Of Clevc-
lands cabinet who wcro clamorous for
free silver up To 1sg3 and who were now
paradinR for gold.
Cuba Takes the FLOOR Again.
Later the Cuban rc-olutions came up
and Morgan took the floor with Minister
de Lomc's letter. Hc began by reading
from many petitions showing the wide
public feeling In behalf Of Cuba. These
camc from city councils, &. A. X.
posts, a. y. a. bodies, ministerial unions,
normal schools. boards Of trade, citizens
meetings, labor and trade assemblies,
typographical unions, organizations of
labor, etc. The individual petitions were
nlso very numerous. Sherman rose to
state that no was authorized to say that
the house of representatives had received
Cuban petitions filling n largo box. Hale
hcrc prccipitatcd u controversy by saying
that senators were familiar with tho
methods employed In getting up petitions.
He did not know whether 10 was the case
In this matter. but he presumed they were
oil ON printed heads, sent out from one
source.
nais rrefers business Letters
Morgan passed the petitions to Halo
and asked the latter to examine them and
sec II any fraud had been committed.
Docs my colleague know Of rcmon
strancc against Crba.' asked Frye.
Yes said Hale. II have hundreds of
letters from leading business men" II
am not talking about letters" said Frye
Il regard letters as much more impor.
t,nt than petitions" declared Hale, 'and
they give tho views Of conservative bust.
ness men"
Morgan refcrrci contcmptuously to
those business men" who werc in tho
habit OF trying to defeat legislation by