The San Francisco call., 1896-03-13
Exceptions Taken to the Ian.
guage Contained in the Con-
ference Report.
SHERMAN SPEAKS POINTEDLY.
Says There Never Was a Stronger
Case of War Than Now Exists
in Cuba.

it. The first was by Hill Cd of New
York announcing his purpose of voting
against the conference report, and stating
the reason which induced him to take that
position after having voted for the resolu-
ton that passed the Senate. His opposi-
tion was to the third clause of the con-
ference report, which procIaims the pur-
pose of the United States to be prepared to
intervene III order to protect the legitimate
interests of the United States. He opposed
that resolution as being liable to misin-
depreciation, and as being unnecessary,
and therefore unwiSe. He thought it was
too much like threat; too much like bun
combe, and that it was putting interven-
tion on too low a ground. He could not
vote for it, and as a conference report is
not amendable he would have to vote
against the report.
The action of the Committee on Foreign
Relations and OF the Senate conferrees was
defended by Sherman, and then the mat
ter went over till tomorrow, Morgan of
Alabama having the floor. 1t was sabse-
quently stated that Sherman would ask
unanimous consent to.mor to take up
the conference rep ort, displacing temper
arily the Delaware election case, and that
if objection were made be would move to
take it up, so that the matter would be de-
cided by a majority vote.
After some routine business had been
disposed of, Sherman (R.) of Ohio gave
notice that be would from this time for
ward press for as early vote as possible
on the conference report on the Cuban
resolutions.
The conference report on the Gu ban
belligerency resolutions was taken up at l
P. NJ. and Hill CD of New York addressed
the Senate. He said he should non-concur
i'll the conference report, because he
wanted to place the resolution in such
parliamentary shape that the third resolu-
ton, reading, "The United States has
not interviewed in any of the struggles
between any European Government
and their colonies on this continent" !"
could be amended and made more clear
All depended upon what Interpretation
was put on the word ''intervened." We
had recognized insurgents in the past, and
that, Hill contended, was intervention OF
a certain kind. The resolution was un-
necessary. Ii We mean that we have in
tervened with force of arms to assist any
one, that should be stated, but that, Hill
said, was also unnecessary.
The threat that we would intervene to
protect the rights of American citizens
was unnecessary, and unnecessaries were
always unwise. The language used by the
House was capable of double meaning and
might create trouble. 1t was unwise. 1t
was sufficient to let the future take care of
itself. This proposition looking to ''inter-
vention" and the staten ent that we should
be prepared to protect American citi-
zens" looked too much like buncombe.
If it was meant to be serious, the propo-
sition should be seriously made; if it was
meant that we should increase our army
or our navy, that should be done by bills
requiring the signature of the President,
not by resolutions that meant nothing.
was nonsense TO say that We were prepared
to protect the legitimate interests of our
citizens; no one presumes that we would
seek to protect their illegitimate interests.
Our interposition in this matter should,
Hill asserted, be placed on higher ground
than that some of our people are losing a
few dollars by this. struggle. Interfere in
the cause of liberty and seek to save hu-
man life and prevent suffering, but do not,
Hill exclaimed, draw the United States
into this matter because of some little
property that may be imperiled.
Hill said that he had received a number
of telegrams one of them from a man nigh
in the commercial world, which he read
1t stated that the attitude of the United
States toward Cuba was seriously affecting
the commerce of New York. Merchants
of Cuba were, it recited. resolving to boy
colt American merchants and had cabled
the cancellation of all their orders with
New York houses land" exclaimed Hill
with intense feeling. 81 am asked to record
my vote on great question OF interna-
tlonal right or wrong on the ground that
some of the Spanish merchants in Cuba
were Doycotting the trade of some of my
constituents. With all due respect to
these gentlemen, / must say that we should
rest our action on more tenable grounds
than this. If Congress Is to do anything
it should be done without buncombe and
without threat"
He favored the other two resolutions
because they were substantially the same
as the Senate resolutions. He would not
retrace his action on those resolutions He
expressed the opinion OF Congress. He
was not deferred by recent events or anv
sentiment that may have been brought
about.
He was not he said, to be frightened off
by the acts of few Spanish students who
had stoned our Consulate and despoiled the
American flag. 1t was self-eyident that a
state of war existed in Cuba. The news
papers were full of it, and Hill declared
there were some reliable newspaper cor.
respondents, and their reports gave an
accurate account of the condition of affairs
in the island. Hill was willing to stand by
what these correspondents said. 1t had
been said by some that the administration
was being embarrassed by these resolu-
tions.
"If the administration thought those
resolutions were embarrassing TO it." said
Hill, ''some one here would have knowl-
edge OF that fact. ! cannot believe the
administration would keep its own counsel