The San Francisco call., 1896-03-20

qmDbllng about the TACT whether tnere
was war in CUBA? He hoped to have ac-
ton and speedy action, and if it did not
bring results, let the Senate pass joint
resolution and throw the responsibility
on the executive.
Then Stewart took his seat, and, as no
other Senator sought the floor. the Vice
President asked whether the Senate was
ready for the question, and he stated the
question to be on agreeing to the confer
ence report.
Then Gray CD of Delaware, one of the
members of the Committee on Foreign
Relations, rose and said that he wished to
state briefly the reasons which compelled
him to withhold his assent from the con-
ference report. 1t was easy to say, Gray
remarked, that the resolutions of the two
houses were substantially the same, but
in matter of this kind words were things.
1t would be vain to attempt to disguise the
feeling of sympathy that occupied the
breast of every true American in regard to
that struggle. And yet the Government
of the United States, as in duty bound,
has been strictly observing its duties
toward the friendly Government OF
Spain. 1t had strictly enforced the neu-
trality laws. 1t had suppressed all aid in
the shape of military expenditions and
had gone to the very verge of its interna-
tional obligations in protecting Spain
from the effects of that widespread sympa-
thy. That feeling had found proper, re-
spectful and courteous expression in the
resolutions passed by the Senate. How
evermuch Spain might be irritated by that
action she had no right in any interna-
tional point of view to find fault with or
to call to account the Government of the
United States for that expression of the
opinion of its people.
Gray argued that there was no reason
why the Senate should accept the House
resolutions after its own resolutions being
contemporary swept aside. He thought
that there was grave objection to the Ian
guage of the House resolution. 1t did not
put the attitude of Congress where it ought
to be put as correctly as the Senate resolu-
ton did.
A spirited colloquy occurred between
Platt, Gray. Hale and Sherman over the
failure of the Committee on Foreign Re-
lations to furnish the Senate with informa-
ton.
Hale asserted that Spain had not vio-
lated the promises made after the war of
1878. as stated by Sherman.
Hale inquired whether anybody denied
that Cuba had representation in the Span
ish Cortes.
Sherman-She has one delegate.
Hale-I have a list here showing that
Cuba and Porto Rico have in the Spanish
Cortes forty-five members in the House of
Deputies and fourteen or fifteen members
in the Senate.
Gray-How many of them are appointed
by the Governor General of Cuba2
Hale-Not one. Every essential thing
in that pacifcation has been given by
Spain.
:, After some further remarks on that
point Hale exclaimed. II speak with
some feeling because I am laboring under
a sense OF Indignation ON account of the
suppression of the real facts in this case.
The committee has kept the facts from the
Senate.'
Gray sarcastieally apologized for break
ing so often into Hale's speech and re-
ferred to him, as if by slip of the tongue,
as ''the Senator from SPAIN" Laughter
In conclusion Gray said: "All reason
able men will agree that Congress can do
no less than it has done in giving utter
ance to the sympathies of the American
people for the people of Cuba in this crisis
of their existence and in expressing the
desire that Spain, without rupture of
friendly relations, shall sit down with us
at the council board of nations and con-
slider whether there may not be some
other issue to this controversy than the
determination of a whole people fighting
for their liberties.
Chiffon (D.) of Texas spoke against the
Cuban resolutions in their present form.
Caffery (D.) of Louisiana opposed the be-
stowal of belligerent rights upon the Gu
bans. The resolutins, he said, were passed
on the statements of irresponsible news
paper correspondents, whose accounts of
affairs in Cuba rivaled the stories of the
arabian Nights" There was not a scin-
tilla of evidence in support of the state
ments made by the Committee on Foreign
Relations in support of their resolutions
except accounts of atrocities perpetrated
twenty-five years ago and extracts from a
history of Cuba whose statements had been
fatty contradicted. He contended that
the right to accord belligereat rights re-
sided exclusively with the executiveIoranch
of the Govern ment.
Without finishing his speech Caffery
yielded to a motion to adjourn and the
Senate at 4P. NJ. ad journed until tomorrow.