Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-05-12

Washington, May 1.-THE Cuban
question occupied the entire attention
of tle Senate to-day, the debate taking
a wide range and at times becoming
spirited when comparisons were made
between the attitude Of the former ad-
ministration and the present on the
subject of Cuba. Senators Morrill,, of
Vermont, and Caffery, of Louisiana,
spoke in opposition to the resolution,
Senators Lodge, of Massachusetts, and
Foraker, of Ohio, advocated deferring
the question until further information
could be secured from the State depart
meIlt, and Senators Mills. of Texas, and
Allen of Nebraska, urged the immediate
passage Of the resolutions. The debate
went over until tomorrow.
During the debate in the Senate on
the Morgan Cuban resolution to-day. a
strong plea was made for its reference
to the Committee on Foreign Relations
on the ground that the State depart
ment is in possession of recent official
information on the Cuban question
which it is considered should be con-
suited before action is taken by the
Senate. This information consists in
the main of a report by Consul General
Lee. dated the latter part of April, in
which he deals with the general situa-
tiol and presents all the facts at his
command without making any recon-
mendations as to the policy to be pur-
sued by this government. Gen. Lee
states that the insurgents are not de-
creasing in numbers but that according
to the most trustworthy information at
hand there are more OF them now than
when he went TO the island. He eX-
plains the apparent want of organlza-
tion bv the statement that it is against
the Cuban policy to conduct the war
after the accepted modern idea on this
point.
Gen. Lee also dwells upon the con-
dition of affairs in the island. Inc
document is of private nature, DuC
while it could not be presented TO the
Senate it is believed that it would be
| accessible TO the committee.
The President to-day sent 10 the Senate
= report by the Secretary of State con-
tai9ing the State Departments transla-
ton of letters written by Gen. Gomez oil
the Cuban army, TO President Cleveland IN
February last. and 10 President Mckinley
in March, appealing for the sympathy
and support of this country. The letters
are the same which were published six
weeks or two months ago. differing only
on account of the fact that translauons
were evidently made by different persons.
! In the same communication the Secre-
ta1y takes up the report that the Cuban
authorities have refused to permit the
consul of the United States at Sagua la
Grande TO communicate with Consul Cen
ersl Lee at Havana by means OF cipher
dispatches.
He says the consul did receive such pro-
hibition from the mayor of Sague n
Grande but that the mayor was promptly
reprimanded upon protest by General
Lee. by the Governor General. copy oil
the Governor Generals letter is transmit
ted. He SAYS the mayor misinterpreted
his instructions not 10 allow personal
cipher dispatches to be sent without seeing
the code used, but that in order 10 avoid a
repetition of such acts he has ordered
that the mayor be severely reprmanded
and that the governors and mayors be
hereafter instructed not to obstruct official
telegrams addressed to United States cou-
mercial agents or consuls in this island
and their superiors or interiors"
The Secretary says this terminated the
incident and that since this occurrence
neither the department nor the United
States consuls in Cuba have experienced
any difficulty in the matter Of telegraphic
correspondence.