The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-03-19
SENATE PROCEEDINGS.

SENATE PROCEEDINGS.
Washington, March 1.-THE senate gal
leries are beginning to assume their nor
NAL condition, owing to the delays and
uncertainties on the Cuban resolutions.
Minister Mendonca of Brazil and Mrs.
John w. Foster. wife of the eX-secretary
of state were among those in the diplo-
matte gallery today.
Mr.. Elkins' resolution directing the
committee on foreign relations to report
on the status of the Cuban war went over
until tomorrow after a conference be-
tween Mr.. Elkins and Mr. Sherman.
Mr.. Mitchell Rep.) of Oregon complain
ed that the Cuban resolutions were max
ing no headway, and said if the Cuban
question could not be disposed of in
reasonable time he must insist on going
on with the Dupont election case.
Mr.. Sherman responded that he saw no
reason why the Cuban resolution could
not be disposed of in a day or two, but he
did not desire to cut off speeches. SO far
as he was concerned, he would insist on
keeping the Cuban resolutions before the
senate to the exclusion of any other sub
ject, yielding only to speeches. With
this explanation, Mr.. Pugh of Alabama
was recognized for continuance of his
silver speech begun yesterday. He ar
gued that the movement for an interna-
tional monetary conference was futile as
England would not consent to it.
The senator declared that if the friends
of silver in the three political parties
could be united on one man they could
elect Il president by an overwhelming ma
jority. But unfortunately the friends of
free silver were fighting each other in sep
arate political organizations, and this fact
was the greatest and the only obstacle in
the way of their success in the next presi-
Dental election. 1t was utterly unreason-
able, said Mr.. Pugh, to expect free coin
age Democrats, who constitute four-fifths
of the party, to go over to the Populist
party, made up of mere fraction of the
friends of free coinage
Mr.. Pugh concluded at 45 p. m.
The Cuban resolution was then taken
up and Mr.. Morgan of Alabama pro-
ceeded with his speech in support of the
resolutions. He spoke of the super
sensitiveness of Spain, caused, he said,
because she felt the sand slipping from
under her feet, while the gentlemen of
the Antilles were passing out of her
grasp. Spain had sucked this orange
we'll nigh dry until the sweetness was
about exhausted.
Mr.. Morgan said the Spanish minis
ter's statement, made public yesterday,
was most weak effort 1t had been
kept in secret. doubtless because all it's
prOphesies of subduing the insurgents
were disproved by facts. The Spanish
minister pleaded that the insurgents
would not come out for an open fight,
and spoke of the etiquette and chivalry
of Spanish warfare. And yet the in
surgents free their prisoners, being un-
able to feed them, and they maintain
no prisons such as the Spanish have at
Ceuta, Africa
Spain's conduct of the war in Cuba
ran with blood. The Spanish minis
ter's reference to sugar and our inter
est in sugar was not sufficient. Mr.
Morgan said, to sweeten the sentiment
of the committee and lead it to close it's
eyes to the feeling of the American peo-
pie.
The senator said the Spanish minis
ter, in his statement, admitted a condi-
ton of war existing in Cuba.
Mr.. Morgan referred to Minister De
Lome's celebrated "diatribe" criticising
senators and appealing over their heads
to the American people.
such an act by such a supercilious
foreign minister" he said, "was most
remarkable and it would be high time
for the American congress to retire if the
American people ever listened to the
appeal of a foreigner, calling in question
words used in debate"
Mr.. Morgan said he totally dissented
to the view that a foreign minister had
any right to appeal to the press as to
any pending question of legislation. In
view of the Spanish minister's fragrant
offense against this rule, the senator
said he would refer to authorities. 1t
was time to stop this uproar into which
our legislation and our state depart
ment was thrown by cablegrams from
prime ministers to the press and by APP
peals from foreign ministers. The
Spanish minister, as member of the
diplomatic corps, was free from prose-
cutlon for defaming senator's, and for
this reason his lips were closed
After reading Buchanans letter, while
secretary of state, to foreign minister,
declaring that the government would not
entertain inquiries as to subjects treated
in a presidents message, Mr.. Morgan
said:
Would to God we had some one now
who had some comprehension of the
different departments Of the govern
ment"
The senator read another letter by
Secretary Fish, saying that public