Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-06-06
CUBA ONCE MORE,
Probably for the Last Time This
Session Of Congress.
MORGAN BRmgs UP THE NATTER,

Declaring II TIE Duty Of Csasrsss % Pre-
vSds sse se.dlng warsAips to Havana
Before Adjourning-Sherma and Lodge
80 eAe Adninistration L. Doing Hts Duty
Prepesly-H6use seats Rinaker in Place
ofDswning-nlinois Delegates Solid.
WAsMNsToN, June 6.-Morgan asked
for action In the senate ON his resolution
requesting tho president for information
as to the capture Of the Competitor by .
Spanish warship and the condemnation to
death Of United States citizens; whether
any demand has been made for the release
Of tho United States citizens The sena-
tor said that while the case was one Of
great gravity, involving the unwarranted
condemnation to death of American citi-
xens, yet no information was available ex-
cept through press reports and rumors.
The executive branch had not given the
likhtestinf0rmation on the subject. He
argued that 1t wns the duty of the presi-
dent under the constitution to keep con-
gress advised ON the state Of the Union,
and in particular on foreign affairs.
"Requests" Only Courteous Custom. Z
OF lato q courteous custom had arisen
to adopt resolutions making requests on
the president for information, but this did
not relieve the president from the duty Of
giving full Information. And it was only
Of late days, Morgan said, that this failure
Of the executive to give Information to
congress had grown up. When some
question WINS raised by Sherman as to the
propricty Of Morgan making public use
Of the testimony of Lawrence before tho
committee on foreign relations the Ala
bama senator sharply rejoined that there
should be no such concealment and hiding
OF facts from the country. Morgan said
that the testimony Of Lawrence, who was
present at the Competitor trials at Ha-
vana, showed the grossly irregular charac.
ter Of the proceedings.
Should Send Ships to Cuba.
"And yet" declared the senator, "the
president pays no more attention to the
subject than though it had been the
slaughter of some poor negro or mulatto
in the Cuban army" Before congress ad.
jOurncd, he said, IL should know from the
president what the situation was, and If 1t
was true that hundreds Of men are penned
up In small room; whether these Ameri-
cnn citizens are to meet death without q
fair trial. In the event that those Ameri-
can prisoners are not released and de-
livered to the president" concluded Nor
gan. I'VE should authorize him to send
ships Of war to Cuba and make war sufi1-
cient to secure their release"
President Doing His whuas Duty.
Sherman said that such proceedings in
tho senate should be in executive session
and the galleries were cleared Sherman
and Lodge then made brief explanations
of their visit to the White House and their
conference with tho president, saying they
had gone there as a subcommittee Of tho
foreign relations committee. They ex-
pressed the opinion as result Of that in
teryicw that tho executive was using all
due vigilance in the protection Of the
rights of American citizens, and said that
while 1t might be well enough for con-
gress to put forth its opinion In regard to
the situation in Cuba in The shape of a
joint resolution there was little probabili-
ty Of getting suchN resolution through
without prolonged debate which, in view
Of the general desire for early adjourn
ment could not be had.