The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-05-15
This time Tillman talked sense.
Gossip at
the Capital
Special Correspondence of The Tribune.

Washington, May II.
Take it all in ALL probably the greatest
farce ever enacted In congress is the
treatment of the Cuban question. Al the
beginning of the last congress, when con-
gressmen discovered through the medium
of the press and of popular outbursts IN
the form of public meetings all over the
country that a war for an independent
republic was being waged in Cuba, MEM
bers of the house and senate We'd with
each as to which would introduce the
earliest and most radical resolution. Reso-
lutions of sympathy with the struggling
patriots were piled upon one another
mountain hiSh in both houses, and the
desks were made top-heavy with resolu-
tions recognizing the Cubans as belhger-
ents and recognizing the independence Of
the Cuban republic. The nearest APP
proach to practical action was the pas
sage of "A concurrent resolution recogniz-
ing the belligerency of the Cubans, and
il was confessed at the time that this was
of no force, as it did not demand any ac-
tion on the part of the president. All at
tempts to adopt a joint resolution failed,
out of some tender and unaccountable
emotion for the man Cleveland, whom
everybody denounced. A joint resolution
would have compelled the president to
take some action one way or another,
either for or against the act OF recogni-
tion, but that secret clique of Republicans
on the one hand and the secretary OF state
and the president on the other, was a.
ways powerful enough to prevent the pas
sage of the only resolution which was of
the value Of a picayune in its effect upon
the Cuban struggle.
When the house had passed a mass of
these resolutions as worthless as the pa
per on which they were written, 1t sensi-
| bly, ceased further amusement Of that
! kind, leaving 1t entirely to the senate.
| The latter body has bravely kept up the
! farce. Some sort of Cuban resolution has
been a standing order of the senate con-
| stantly. No sooner was the extra session
| begun than the Cuban resolution doomed
| up in all its pristine grandeur, and the
| ever good and tedious Morgan has de-
| voted hours and days to it while his SYM
pathizers and opponents have lashed
| themselves into fury in shorter space and
| time. Yet the war goes on. Every soul
| in the senate knows it will amount to
nothing. Even If the resolution were
| adopted il would be of no benefit to the
| Cubans, and it is well understood that it
will not come to a vote, Notwithstanding
the willy and oily assurance of Hale of
| Maine, that he does not intend to obstruCt
a vote. At least, if it reach a vote the
most unexpected thing in the world will
have happened.
| More amusing than all else, among the
| farcial features of the performance, is
| The assumption of Hale of Maine, that
| he Is the spokesman of the administrator
| That he was in league with Olney and
| Cleveland, in their astonishing treatment
| of the Cuban question, is the opinion or
| all who will express an opinion. But that
the course of those gentlemen was shaped
| 1i,NIC
lieves. Their policy was well known to
| have been dictated by private influences
inlmical to Cuban independence. That Is
not the case with the present administra-
ton. The influences which constantly
commanded the long ears of the former
administration are unknown to this.
Therefore, when Hale solemnly argues
that the senate should not take any ac-
tSon which would embarrass this admins
tration, and vaguely hints that he is ut
tering the prayer of Mckinley and Sher-
man by prearranged proxy, smile that
is in no way covert runs around the
chamber If there be any man in the SEN
ate who is not privy to the policy OF this
administration 1t is Hale, of Maine When
he and Sherman sat side by side In the
senate they were antipodal on the Gu
ban question, as well as in most other
things. 1t is, not logical to assume that
Sherman and Mckinley would make him
their spokesman and champion now.
The Cuban policy of this administration
Is we'll understood. The president does
intend to thrust that or any other matter
before congress until the revenue problem
is settled in some way. If a proper de-
claration in regard to Cuba is to invite
possible war, there must be revenue tC
meet the extra expense. That is one fea
ture of the matter that must not be ig
nored. But that and all other eXtraneou'
, questions aside, the government must DC
strengthened by an assured income supe
rior to expenditure before anything else II
attempted. That has been announced II
such absolute terms that the Cuban farce
In the senate becomes all the more sense
less and grotesque. The surprising thing
is that senators do not stop the consump
tion of time by the nonsense, put'a stop
per on the vaticinations OF Morgan. thu
eloquence of Turpie, and the mated fiub
dub of Hale in assuming the possession o
an administration confidence which no
: body knows better than himself he doe
not enjoy. After the revenue question Il
disposed of, and certainly not later thar
the first annual message to congress, th'
country will hear in plain terms what th'
administration thinks OF the Cuban ques
tion,
Ex-senator Charles FELTON,, of Califor
mia. has seen ft TO deny that he an,
Henry Oxnard and John Spreckels arr