Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1896-12-23
CUBAN INDEPENDENCE.
Senate Committee Agreed to Repor
Cameron Resolution.

Cameron Resolution.
Washignton, Dec. 1.-The meeting
OF the senate committee of foreign re-
lations was important in two respects.
1t resulted in an agreement to report
the Cameron resolution for the recogni-
tion Of Cuban independence, and it de-
veloped, through the statement of Sec.
retary Olney, the Administrations pol
10y in regard TO the insurreotion in
Cuba. The secretary occupied the
greater part of the time of the meeting
answering questions and suggestions
made by the committee. He and Sen.
ator Morgan engaged in several spirit.
ed colloquies. Mr.. Olney made two
points against the Cameron resolution,
as follows:
First-That the Cuban insurgents
have established no government.
Second-That the right to recognize
new state rests with the president,
independent of congressional action.
He contended, in elaboration of the
first point. that the pretended govern.
ment of the island was without habita.
tion. Suppose you recognize the in.
dependence of the island" said he,
Wh"o az yOo BoihS w uO Win
The secretary said the story which
had been very industriously circulated
that Consul General Lee had provided
the state department with an elaborate
report on the condition of affairs in
Cuba, was untrue.
1t is not true," he said. General
Lee has made no general written re-
port at all. He has made reports on
several special cases, but not ON the
situation as a whole.
1t so developed during the examina.
tlon that the governments had made no
demand in the case of the Competitor
prisoners, and in other cases of simi-
lar character, beyond requests for in
formation.
All the members of the foreign rela.
tions committee were present today,
except Gray and Daniel.
The meeting was held for the ex-
press purpose of continuing the discus
sion of the policy ON the Cuban ques-
tion to be recommended by the COM
mittee. The meeting was strictly pri.
vate, Olney being the only person not
member who was admitted.
The committee changed the Cameron
resolution SO as to make it more en-
phatic. The title was changed to
read: "A joint resolution acknowl
edging the independence of the repub-
lie of Cuba" the words, 1.-THE repub-
lic'' being inserted. Instead of declar-
ing the United States ."should use its
friendly Offices" the resolution was
made to read that the United States
will do so.
The agreement to report the resolu.
tion was reached Immediately after
Olney left, without division or an ex.
pressed difference of opinion.
One member of the committee said:
"Of course Spain will fight, but
there is no danger of other countries
getting in our way. No other Euro
pean nation wants to fight us, and we
would wind up the war with Spain in
short order
The opinion was expressed that
Cleveland would veto the joint resolu-
tion. Another member of the commit
tee said he believed that in case the
president should veto the resolution, it
would pass over the veto, as more than
two-thirds of both the senate and house
IdVOIou III.
Senator Cameron's report to accom-
pany the resolution deals at length
with precedents in the matter of rec e.
milton of independence and interven-
tion, beginning with the Greek reyolu-
tion and coming down to the present
time. The senat ois who heard the re-
port say it goes over the entire ground.
The Cameron resolution, as modified
and agreed upon by the committee, is
as follows:
Resolved, By the senate and house
Of representatives, in congress assem-
bled. that the independence of the re-
public of Cuba be and the same is here
by acknowledged by the United States
of America
"5ection 2-That the United Stat
will use its friendly offices with the
government of Spain to bring to close
the war between Spain and Cuba"