The San Francisco call., 1896-03-11
SHOULD BE SENT HOME
PrecedentS to Show That Other
Diplomats Were Called Down
for Less Cause.
DEFENDED BY SENATOR GRAY
Hoar Has a Lively Tilt With
Sherman Over His Cuban
Resolution.

WASHINGTON, D. C., March 10.-The
action of the Spanish Minister in correct
ing or qualifying through the public press
statements made in the Senate on the sub
ject of the war in Cuba, and particularly
on the subject of General Weyler's pur-
pose and character, was to-day made the
groundwork of a qaestion Of personal priv
ilege by Senator Lodge of Massachusetts,.
1t was brought up Immediately after the
reading of the journal, and occupied most
OF the time which is usually given to the
business of the morning hour.
Lodge protested against any diplomatic
representative using the newspapers of
the United States to criticize Senators for
words spoken i'll debate, and intimated
that in any other country a foreign Minis
ter who should be guilty of such viola
ton of propriety would be sent home.
Minister de Lomes action was rather
palliated by Gray OF Delaware, although
be admitted it was a technical violation
OF diplomatic usage.
Teller of Colorado was less benignantly
inclined. He ayowed the delight he would
feel If he learned to-day that Havana were
in the hands of the insurgents and that
the Spanish forces had been driven into
the sea.
The discussion was continued for over
an hour and half, and when 1t termipa ated
another phase of the Cuban question pre-
sented itself in the shape of a resolution
which had been offered yesterday by Hoar
OF Massachusetts, to postpone the further
consideration of the conference report till
the 9Th of April, and to direct the Com
mittee on Foreign Relations to report in
the meantime the facts on which the reso-
luton was justified. A rather acrimoni-
Gus dialogue took place between Hoar and
Sherman, which seemed to amuse Sena-
tors and audience.
Morgan of Alabama was drawn into it
by an alluslon to. his remarks some weeks
ago about laying the sword on the table
and allowing Spain to take it up if she
chose.
Hoar's resolution went over until to-
morrow, when he is to speak upon it at
some length.
The rest of the days session was given
to the Delaware election case, Turpie of
Indiana continuing but not finishing his
speech against Dupont's right to the seat.
As soon as the journal of yesterday was
read Lodge (R.) of Massachusetts rose to
a question of personal privilege in rela-
tion to the statement of the Spanish Min
ister through the newspaper press. That
statement accused him (Lodge) of having
read to the Senate report which had
been imposed upon him and which he
1saIA ,l,,1
representation. He held in his hand a
copy OF Ell Liberal of Madrid, in which
the interview with General Weyler was
published, and he would have the article
printed in the Record in Spanish, so that
1t might be seen that the translation
which he had made of it was correct. He
(Lodge) could understand the sensitive
ness of the Spanish people-a people who
had in 300 years dissipated great EN- pire.
But he did not think there was any excuse
for the diplomatic representative of Spain
taking the course which he had taken. 1t
was a very we'll established custom and
fact that debate in the Senate and House
were domestic matters with which no for
eign nation had any concern.
The proper channel for a diplomatic
representative to make representations on
any subject was through the State Depart
ment not through the newspapers. If an
American diplomatist were to criticize in
European country the debates of the
representative body OF that country in the
newspapers he would be sent home. He
protested against having diplomatic rep
resentative using as a channel for COM
munication the newspapers of the United
States TO criticize language used in debate
in the Senate of the United States. He
protested against any criticism on the part
of foreign Minister. He knew very vel |
what any other country in the world
would do under similar circumstances.
Gray (D.) OF Delaware regretted that the
Senate did not pursue the even tenor of its
ways, undisturbed by emeutes in Madrid
or in other Spanish cities. Why, he asked,
should the Senate lay aside its business to
discuss the Interpretation or translation OF
a newspaper article in Spanish between the
Senator from Massachusetts and the Min
lister from Spain?
Teller (R.) of Colorado said that twice in
the history of the United States Ministers
OF great countries had been sent home
once to France and once TO Great Britain
for much less offense than the Spanish
Minister had been guilty of. He would
not say that if he were President he would
send the Spanish Minister home. Under
the circumstances, and considering the
friction which had arisen in Spain, he
should have not sent him home; but he
should have suggested very kindly to him
through the Secretary OF State that repe-