The San Francisco call., 1896-04-04

Hyde (R.) of Washington asked Hit to
state if the President should not take any
action upon the resolutions, whether or not
they would be entirely nugatory, except
merely as an expression of sentiment.
HIT replied that he could not recognize
the possibility of such condition of af-
fairs and therefore declined to express an
opinion.
BoutelIe (R.) of Maine referred to the
fact that when this subject was first
brought before the House, February 81, he
interposed an objection against the hur-
rled and lnconsiderate action then pro-
posed. He did not suppose then that he
was the only member who opposed such
hasty action, but the press of the country
had given him wide prominence in con-
nection with what it termed 'arresting
action" on the Cuban resolutions. He did
not complain of that prominence then,
and did not now. For, if any vindication
OF his position was needed, it was fur
nlshed by the appearance of these resolu-
tions,in the House more than a month
later for further consideration. That
demonstrated that somebody, somewhere
had been of the opinion that a question of
this importance should not be voted upon
and passed while mem bers of the House
were hnrrying out of the hall. hated and
coated. to their belated dinners.
Boutelle reviewed the history of the par
liamentary progress of the resolutions
and expressed the opinion that it was not
the intention of the movers of the resolu-
tions to commit Congress to any d efinite
and decided policy. Congress, he said,
had the power to put the resolutions in
such form as to compel the President to
act upon them, but that had been care
fully avoided. No joint resolution was
before the House and none had been. 1t
was as we'll known as anything possibly
could be that the President did not believe
that state of belligerency exists in the
island of Cuba.
Referring to the matter of public senti-
ment, alleged to be supporting the resolu-
tions. Boutelle said he did not claim to
speak for the entire American public, but
he had not received in the course of the
discussion single letter from a man of
reliable, thoughtful, considerate judgment
expressing an opinion in favor of the
United States embroiling itself in this
contention in the island of Cuba. He
said people knew how this alleged public
sentiment was created and fostered, es-
pecially by portion of the press which
lives and thrives upon sensationalism.
Boutelle said there was tendency on
the part of some Representatives in Con-
gress, as we'll as other people, to jump to
the conclusion that it is the duty of the
United States to step in and right every
wrong that is brought to public notice. He
denied it. 1t was not the duty of the
United States to be the Don Quixote of the
earth. Even if the duty were conceded
the country did not have the ability to
perform that part.
Boutelle said the House was in duty
bound not to act upon matter of such
great importance without full knowledge
of the facts. What were the Representa-
tives doing here? he asked. Why did they
not try to elevate and lead public senti-
ment? The people were looking to them
for light and guidance, and they ought to
know more than has been vouchsated to
the House before taking any action on a
subject which might lead the country into
complication of war with foreign
country. He believed he was in sympathy
with men anywhere trying to gain their
freedom; but 1t was strange condition,
in his opinion. when the tacit admission
was U1auc LII tuc hepuDllCdH party mere
that with our constitution and laws we
could not maintain the liberties of large
proportion of our own people " hen the dec
laration was made in every conteste d cleo
ton case that over large area of this
country portion of its citizens were de-
MED their most precious rights; it was
strange, he said, that it was deemed the
duty of the United States to dash across
the Gulf of Mexico and establish and
maintain the freedom OF the mulatto in
surgents in Cuba.
There were no facts here. he said, suffi-
cient to justify the House adopting these
resolutions. He was free to say that the
administration had not received facts
| which justified the President and his ad-
visers in recognizing state of belligerency
in Cuba. That belligerent rights had not
been granted to the Cubans was, in his
opinion, ample proof that the President
had no ground upon which to act. Bou-
telle closed his speech by quoting from the
documents and writings of General Grant,
Secretary Hamilton Fish and George
Washington to sustain his contention that
to grant beiligerent rights to the Cuban
Insurgents or TO interfere with Spain to
secure the independence of the island at
this time would be unwise and an un-
founded action.
IL ~. H. IL 4 =