The San Francisco call., 1897-01-26
TURPIE TALKS FOR
CUBAN FREEDOM
Reviews the History of the
Island for the Past
Fifty Years.
AssaiIs the Presidents Policy Of
Refusing to Recognize
Belligerency.
Weyler He Terms Diminutiv9 Rep
tils aud Slayer of Women
and Children.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. 25.-ln MS
opening prayer in the Senate this. morn
ing the chaplain referred 10 the illness OF
the senior Senators from Indiana and
Misslssip ppi-Messrs. VOORHEES, and George
-and to the tribute TO be paid to-day to
ex.Speaker Crisp of Georgia, giving
thanks for "the army Of noble men who
have served and are serving this nation" !"
Cardinal Gibbons, wearing the red skull
cap of his office, occupied for a few
minutes a seat in the diplomatic gallery,
and ex-Senaior Henderson OF Nebraska a
seat in the reserved gallery.
A communication was laid before the
Senate from the Attorney-General in re-
spouse to q resolution of Saturday last in
relation to the foreclosure proceedings in
the case OF the Union Pacific RailroBd
Company.
Burrows (R.) of Michigan presented
petitions on the subject OF the Senatorial
election in Delaware, and Chandler (R.) of
New Hampshire gave notice that it was
his purpose 10 suggest 10 the Senate
wheth er some methods cannot be estab-
lished to prevent the wholesale larceny Of
senato-ships in various States
Pettigrew (Sil.) OF South Dakota offered
a resolution for a special com mittee of
five Senators to inquire into the issue of
land patents to the Pacific railroads and
to the California and Oregon Railroad, +,
and 10 the diversion from the reports of
gross earnings of the sums paid to the Pa
cific Mail Steamship Company. Referred.
Chandler (R. } of New Hampshire intro
duced q bill, which was referred to the
Judiciary Committee, providing that no
person shall be tried in courts Of the
United States for acts ID aid of the Cuban
Republic.
The Military Academy appropriation
bill was taken up, the pending question
being on the position of the West
Point cadets in the approaching inaugural
ceremonies.
After remarks by Thurston (R.) of Ne
braska in support of the amendment the
bill was laid aside to give Turpie CD of
Indiana an opportunity TO address the
Senate in regard TO Cuban matters.
II was 1875 P. N. when Senator Turpie
took the floor to make his promised speech
on our relations with Cuba. The galleries
were scarcely one-quarter filed, and the
Senator'S thin, non-resonant voice was
drowned in the opening paragraphs by
the buzz Of conversation on the floor. de
read 3 Voluminous tyoe- written manu-
script, asserting that even before the pur-
chase OF FLORIDA by the United States,
SPANS title to Cuba was no more valid
than TO Chile, Colon bia and Mexico, but
after that event It's title became much
more dilapidated.
The Declaration OF Independence o. the
United States, he claimed was for every
people to establish Government of
its choice and there could be no crime
against municipal law or against the Gov
eminent dlsavoTed by such q decree.
Since 1850 there had not been ten years OF
continuous peace in Cuba, and hundreds
OF thousands OF citizens of that country
had taken up arms to assert their rights
and stop existing forms OF tyranny and
despotlsm.
What then, he asked, was the duty OF
Congress in the premises? The constitu-
tiOnal power given by Congress 10 regu-
late commerce Win foreign nStions, he
declared with much emphasis. inSluded
the form of recognition OF governments.
He elaborated upon the definition OF the
word commerce. with some brief illus
trations derived from tie use Of the term
as applied between the sexes, and which
raised a litter OF laughter, and with num-
erous references to the legal definitions OF
the term commerce" as construed by the
courts.
Considering the clear language OF the
constitutiOn-which conferred upon Con-
Rress the law making power, not the law
passing power, ana hat q veto could al
'ways be overridden by a tYo-thirds vote
Il was plain TO him, he said that there
was scheme in the constitution for gov
eminent by Congress alone as well as gov
eminent By the President and Congress in
unison. The President might make
treaty and Congress confirm il, but Con-
gress could. the next day repeal 1t.
Al this point the Senator became ener-
geuc and brought his fist down on his
desk with much force, which scattered
his notes in every direction, but couple
of active pages picked up his notes, and
Mr.. Turpie con tinued bis remarks, which
were listened to with much interest by
those on the Democratic side.
The Senator concluded by saying that
he had not originally approved the form
of the Senator from Pennsylvania s
(Cameron) resolution, but approved of the
effect OF it.
The hour of P. NJ. having now arrived,
the Nicaragua canal bill was laid before
the Senate, but on request OF Morgan Cd
of Alabama was postponed until to-mor-
row.
his speech on the Presidents relation to
Congress in regard to thesrecognition Of
Cuban belligerencv. He illustrated the
existing state of affairs in Cuba, contend
ing that seventeen wears ago the Spaniards
by agreeing TO an exchange of prisoners
had recognized CUBAN beligerency. He
com pared the two trochas erected by Wey-
Ter 10 the wall built by Roman in Britain
TO keep out the Scots, and said the object
of the trochas was plainly to prevent the
capture of Havana by the forces OF the
Cuban republic.
He denounced Weyler as a diminutive
reptile, who used his sword against wo.
men and children and fought the enemy
with paper pellets, and said that Weyler's
apology for Zertucha's betrayal OF Maceo
-by stating that Maceo fell in ''loval bat
tie" was a recognition of belligerencv and
an acknowledgment OF the existing con-
diiion OF war.
Speaking of the recognition of the bel
ligerency of the Cubans by the United
States he said it would enable them to
issue letters of marque and drive Spain s
commerce from the oceans, and would
lead finally to the recognition of new
nationality.
1t being now P. N. Mr.. Turpie sus-
pended his speech, and, after receiving
the Presidents message giving the list of
persons claiming to be American citizens
arrested in Cuba, the Senate suspended
business to listen to euiogies on the late
ex-speaker Crisp, and Immediately after
adjourned until tomorrow.
SESSION OF THE HOUSE
d Lay Cons unlsd itl DfsDOain0 of MIS-