The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-03-28
THE SENATE AND HOUSE
MILLS MADE 4 SPEECH ON CUBAN
RESOLUTIONS.
House Passed a Number of Bills,
Among Them One Effect
ing Ex-Confederates.

apparent effect in leSSening the attend
ance in the senate galleries today, as it
was expected that Senator Mills reso-
lutions proposing to use the army and
navy In taking possession OF Cuba and
holding it until the people had estab-
lished local self-government would oc-
casion further debate. The bill passed
amending the law prescribing the death
penalty for Indians convicted of rape
and leaving the punishment discretion
-ary with the court.
A resolution offered by Senator Hoar
was adopted requesting the president to
transmit to the senate all dispatches,
correspondence ETC., from November 5,
1875, to 1878, concerning the pacification
of the pending conflict In Cuba.
Senator Mills was recognized at this
point in support of the Cuban resolution
introduced by him yesterday. He said
the resolutions heretofore before the
senate were steps in the right direction,
but very short steps. The people of
Cuba had far greater claims on the
United States than mere recognition of
belligerency. If Ireland struck for lib
erty today, the hearts of the American
people would beat in sympathy, and so
If Poland or Hungary asserted the right
of liberty. But the United States had
much closer relations to Cuba than to
Ireland or Poland or Hungary for it
was a part of the western hemisphere.
over which the Monroe doctrine extend
ed the influence of this country. Sen
ator Mills declared the Monroe doctrine
was the law Of protection. and as such
God was the author of it. 1t was the
same right of self-protection which an
individual exercises in abating a nui-
sance or destroying a powder house
near his premises.
He said: Jefferson had used plain
words in threatening to join England
and sweep the French fleets from the
seas II France persisted in holding the
mouth of the Mississippi river The
same spirit had brought forth President
Cleveland's Venezuelan message"
Cuba stood as the key to the gulf,
and our unvarying policy, said Senator
Mills, had been to resist any transfer of
Cuba to any other monarchy. The Uni
ted States had stood by as jailer and
prevented Cuba from going to France
or England, and If we insisted on keep
ing Cuba in the possession of Spain,
was 1t not the moral obligation of the
United States to see that Spain gave
Cuba fair government; to see that the
hell of Spanish despotism was lifted
from the Cuban people. The day will
come, said he, when the American con-
science will be aroused to it's guilt in
permitting the oppression of Cuba, and
when that consciousness comes the
American people will fill this chamber
with senators who will stop that oppres-
sion.
The senator spoke of the atrocities at
tributed to General Weyler and added
This is the work of ar atrocious
scoundrel He could not be in Cuba to-
day If the United States would draw
the sword. How the cheeks of our
American women must be suffused,
how our children must blush TO know
that this government stands idly by
while Spain, with the keys of her dun
geons dangling at her side, permits such
an atrocious villain to raise his hand
against defenseless women"
The protection which Spain gave to
Cuba was the protection which the
hawk gives to the dove. Cuba cries to
US, Deliver us from these monsters, -
but we stand meekly serving as Spain S
jailer. In our state of Texas they had
drunk of the dregs of Spanish brutality
He related the circumstances of the
>
Texas soil and reviewed the bloodiness
of the Virginius affair. To the shame
of this government we had permitted
the Virginius atrocity to stand almost
without PREPARATION. For SO people
butchered in Spain while rightfullS
claiming the protection of the United
States, after a diplomatic correspond
ence of years, Spain paid $77, 900.
Senator Stewart asked If Spanish
bonds were not potent factor in resist
ing intervention.
Senator Mills replied that there wai
something beneath the surface. He die
not know what this mysterious fore
was but he felt that it existed. He die
not know how far sugar stocks would
be affected by action on the part o
the United States. 1t was asserted tina
trade would suffer, but Senator Mill
declared that a hundred billion dollar
would be a small expenditure for tn
glory of releasing the prisoners on tn
Isle of Pines. 1t was the DUTY of tn
United States to protect and reliev
these people, or else to say to England o
Russia: "Take that island and protec
the people" Until we do this a stocl
of bloody guilt is on our heads.
Referring to the objections comm
from commercial sources, Sen
ator Mills quoted the words of Gold
smith: Honor fails when commerce
long prevails"
The senator said he had just receive
a letter asserting that another foo
has turned lingo" and asking him VIII
he had not left jingoism to Senator
Lodge and Chandler. The letter wa