The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-03-19
WASHINGTON.
from our Regular Correspondent.

Senators to monopoize the talk on
Cuban affairs, and they have certainly
done lot of it that was entirely un-
necessary, this week, inasmuch as the
acceptance of the report of the com
mittee on Foreign Relations in favor
of the Senate accepting the House
resolutions as a substitute for its own
resolutions, was foregone conclusion
from the first. And talking wasn't
the only unnecessary thing the Senate
did this week. While the report of
its committee was pending, it adopted
resolution, calling on the President
for all the information in his possess
ion concerning the present state of
affairs in Cuba. Cuban affairs were
fully discussed at the last cabinet
meeting, and there are rumors of the
President having sent trusted agent
to Cuba, to find out just how things
are, and of his intention to send a
message to Congress on the subject,
but neither the President nor any
member of his cabinet will talk about
it, at least not for publication. One
thing can be set down as certain.
Congress has been stampeded, but
the administration will not be. Mr..
Cleveland wants to know he is right
before he takes action that cannot be
recalled, and which may cost the
United States thousands of lives and
millions of dollars.
The report of the majority Of the
Senate Election Committee, written
by Chandler, OF N. H., in favor Of the
resolution for investigating the election
of the Alabama Legislature that elect
ed Senator Morgan exposes republi-
can plot to get majority in the Senate
by unfair means. Their purpose is to
use the populists to help the pass this
resolution. Then to have the inves
tigation committee report in favor of
unseating Senator Morgan, when the
populists are again expected to join
them in voting for the adoption of
that report.
The republicans in the House hope
to get some campaign thunder out of
the hearings which have been arranged
by a subcommittee of the House
committee on Ways and Means for
next week. These hearings are an
nounced to be for the purpose of
ascertaning whether the reciprocity
treaties and arrangements made by
the late Mr.. Blaine, during the last
republican administration, were of
sufficient benefit to this country to
make their renewal advisable, and
what tariff and customs regulations in
foreign countries are detrimental to
an increase in our foreign business.
AS to the reciprocity treaties, the
democratic Congress which repealed
them ascertained by thorough investi-
cation that this country received no
benefit at all from the most of them,
and from the others so little that the
whole business was thrown overheard.
Unless l miss my guess these hearings
will be followed by the same rose
colored newspaper fairy stories about
reciprocity which were SO plentiful
when Mr.. Blaine was working on the
scheme.
Senators Morgan and Chandler
made a very good imitation of
monkey out of Senator Hoar during
the somewhat acid debate which fol-
lowed Senator Hale's rather remark
able proceeding of having read a
statement made by the Spanish min
lister, which accused three Senators by
name with having made untrue state
ments during the argument on the
Cuban resolutions. Senator Hoar
put in his oar by offering resolution
to postpone consideration of the re-
port of the Foreign Relations COM
mittee until April 9th, and aggravated
the matter by some sneering remarks
at the expense of that committee for
having agreed to resolution that was
binding upon nobody. Just when he
was talking about the injustice of our
meddling with the affairs of Spain and
Cuba, Senator Morgan quietly upset
the old gentleman by asking "Where
did you get the information upon
which to sustain your earnest action
regarding Armenia /? After Mr..
Hoar had tried to reconcile his late
position toward the Armenians with
his present position toward the Cub
ans, to the great amusement of the
Senate and the crowded galleries,
Senator Chandler read telegram
which Senator Hoar sent to the Pres
ident, offering his support by speech
and vote for the most vigorous meas
ures against the Turks, even to treat
ing them as pirates and enemies OF
the human race, and turning to MIR.
Hoar, he said: 81 suppose you in