Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1896-03-07
BETWEEN TWO FIRES.
Will Cleveland Recognize the Cubans?
Chairman Carter.


WASHINGTON, March Who
afraid? Somebody is, and it seems
that his name is Grover Cleveland.
He is afraid that Congress is about to
compel him to aid the Cubans He
succeeded in getting the resolution
declaring the Cubans entitled to i'm
mediate recognition as belligerents
and asking that the President use his
good offices to persuade Spain to rec
ognize the independence of Cuba,
which was adopted by TIE Senate with
only six dissenting votes, made con
current" instead of Joint" which
makes it just about as valuable to the
Cubans as the concurrent resolution
adopted by both branches of Congress
some weeks ago and which is now hid
away in a pigeon hole in some White
House desk has been to the Arme-
mans whom it was intended to help.
He wanted the resolution made con-
current because it would then leave
him free to act just as he pleased and
just as though such resolution had
never been heard of. He was afraid
that the resolution would be made
joint, as many Senators wished it to
be, as in that case he would have been
compelled to show his hand. either by
vetoing it or allowing it to become a
law, with or without his signature.
Although he succeeded in getting
his way in the Senate, Mr. Cleveland
is very much afraid that he will not
in the House, and there is good
ground for his fear. Unless there is
an unexpected change in the existing
sentiment of the House. there is little
doubt that the Cuban resolution which
will be adopted by the House this
week will be made joint, and it is
probable that it will also be made
stronger than the Senate resolution.
Then if the Senate will adopt the
House resolution without amendment
Mr.. Cleveland will have to come out
of the woods and let the country see
just where he stands upon this ques-
ton, within ten days after its final
adoption. If he vetoes it it will be
adopted over his veto, and he will be
compelled to carry out its instructions.
1t is rather an extraordinary state
of affairs when men in Congress who
are disposed to be his friends have to
acknowledge that try as they will
they have been unable to ascertain
where the President of the United
States stands upon such an important
question-so important that the most
conservative men in the Senate have
publicly stated that it may lead the
United States into war with one or
more European countries. And what
makes the situation even more extra
ordinary is the repeated cablegrams
from Spain saying that the Spanish
minister in Washington has assured
his government in the most positive
terms that he has personal knowledge
that Mr.. Cleveland has no immediate
intention of recognizing the belliger-
eucy of the Cubaus 1t might be sup
posed that these cablegrams alone
would have been Sufficient to have
caused Mr. Cleveland to have at least
taken his friends in Congress into his
confidence Consequently there exists
a belief that he is afraid 20 define his
position. This is an unfortunate con-
clusion to arrive at, but what else can
people think.
Mr. Cleveland gave Congress quite
surprise by vetoing the bill provid-
ing for the leasing of school lands in
Arizona by the territorial authorities,
which was passed unanimously by
both House and Senate, and the House
returned the favor by promptly pass
ing the bill over his veto by vote of
200 to So, and there is little doubt that
the Senate will also pass it with the
required two-thirds vote. What made
the veto all the more surprising was
that similar bill was passed by the
last Congress for Oklahoma and has
worked proftably for that territory.
The rumors alleging that certain
Republicans were working to have a
special meeting of the Republican
National Committee called for the pur-
pose of deposing Chairman Carter.
have received no serious attention in
Washington, for the very good reason
that everybody knew them to be en-
tire1y without foundation. Senator
Carter will retire from the chairman
ship of the National Committee when
the St. Louis convention names the
new National Committee, and his sue
cessor will be chosen as usual by the
man nominated for President by that