The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-04-15
PROCEEDINGS OF THE SENATE
SENATOR MORGAN WORKED OFF
ANOTHER BATCH OF HIS CUBAN
SPEECH.
The I0RREY BANKRUPTCY measure
Senator Nelson of Minnesota
Strongly Opposed 1t and Urged
His Substitute-Senator Hoar
Defended the Bill.

His Substitute-Senator Hoar
Defended the Bill.
Washington, April S.-The senate to-
day heard Mr.. Morgan of Alabama for
the third successive day on his resolu-
tion declaring that a state of war existed
in Cuba. He severely criticised SPANS
methods against American prisoners and
went over in detail the circumstances in
the Competitor case. Mr.. Morgan said
he would close his speech at the next
meeting of the senate, when he would
present letter from one of the Cuban
officials of the eastern provinces in the
island, showing the complete system of
government now maintained by the Gu
bans.
Mr.. Nelson rep.) of Minnesota, spoke
for two hours on the bankruptcy bill,
opposing the pending Torrey bill as ex-
cessively harsh and designed as col
lection agency for trade creditors and
urging his substitute as a measure draft
ed in the interest of thousands of poor
debtors struggling to get on their feet.
Mr.. Chandler offered a resolution,
which was agreed to- as follows:
Resolved, That the committee on in
terstate commerce be directed to investi-
gate the payments made or agreed to be
made by the interstate commerce COM
mission for attorneys fees and also to
inquire whether in any cases the attor-
neys of the commission have also been
employed by railway companies in SINH
lar cases, and further whether any ad-
ditional authority from congress is re-
quired for the employment of counsel in
any pending cases that have been insti-
tuted on motion of the commission"
Mr.. Evans motion for the reorganiza-
| ton of the senate committees went over,
Mr.. Chandler presenting an amendment
to be urged when the motion is taken up.
The amendment provides that on
Thursday, April %, the senate proceed to
appoint its committees.
On resuming his speech on his reso-
| luton declaring that state of war eX-
lists in Cuba, Mr.. Morgan referred to the
statement of Mr.. Hale, made yesterday,
that the number of American prisoners
| in Cuba had been reduced to fourteen.
Mr.. Morgan said perhaps it would be
appropriate to adopt vote of thanks to
SDain for not Staying these prisoners out
right
| Outside of the question of autonomy to
| Cuba, the newspapers have piled up a
mass of testimony which esta blished be-
yOnd question that war was being prose-
cuted by Spain contrary to all rules of
civilized warfare.
Mr.. Morgan commented on letter
written by Senior Dupuy de LONE, the
Spanish minister, to Miss Clara Barton,
relative to the Red Cross work in Cuba.
In the course of the letter use is made
of the expression during the present
war" This, declared Mr.. Morgan, was
an admission by the Spanish minister,
despite all his diplomatic cunning, that
war was going on. And yet congress
and the president would not recognize
that state of war which would assure
to American prisoners the treatment of
prisoners of war and not Of insurrec-
tionists. Mr.. Morgan said the question
of protecting Americans imprisoned in
| Spanish prisons could not turn on num-
I bers, whether seventy-four or twelve
were imprisoned. Suppose instead of
seventy-four it had been only one. Who
/ could say the United States government
would maintain it's dignity by standing
| by while this one American citizen was
held By Spain in violation of treaty pro-
visions and contrary to every principle
of civilization and justice. The United
States had warned off European nations
from all control over Cuba, said Mr..
| Morgan. We have undertaken to eXer-
| else a sort of guardianship over that
| island against all other nations
| But" exclaimed the senator, "that
| guardianship, if we have it, is like the
| guardianship of the devil over a con-
demned soul. We are warning nations
| that they must hold off, while we stand
by and see the inquisitorial methods of
| Spanish warfare, Spanish dungeons and
| Spanish tyranny executed against Gu
bans and against our own people without
one word of protest"
Mr. Morgan spoke of the Competitor
expedition. He reviewed the details of
the case of the departure of the little
schooner. probably with the intention of
carrying aid to the insurgents.
| The senator took up the case of Owen
Melton. one of the Competitor prisoners,
and followed the progress of his trial
and his Imprisonment incommunicado in
a Spanish dungeon. Mr.. Morgan de-
| clared it was n long course of violation
| of treaty rights and the ordinary methods
of judicial procedure. Young Melton,
| said he. was held today in a loathsome
| dungeon, not because guilt had been es-
| tablished against him, but because. he
| is young American boy He was held
| in a miserable place in which at one
| time forty prisoners were crowded. Three
pals of water were brought to them
daily to quench their thirst from ratiOns
of dry Goldfish. These facts had been
stated to the senate committee on for
cign relations by two reputable wit
nesses. Mr.. Morgan then reviewed the
case of Rev. DR.. Diaz While preaching
at Havana bombshells had been thrown
into his church, he and his brother were
arrested and held seven days incommuni-
cado. The evidence of such Spanish
cruelty came to the senate from unim-
peachabe authorities. 1t was, declared
| the senator, record of horror unmen-
| tionable to decent and civilized ears. 1t
could not even be described on the floors
of the senate without shocking all pres
ent and driving people from the galleries
| to the outer corridors.
| Mr. Morgan read from the laws and
| treaties to show the unjustifiable char
acter of Mr.. Melton's treatment. Then
| the senator exclaimed:
"Whether there are seventy-f0ur pris-
oners in Cuba or 1900, or whether it
is one in the person of Owen Melton,
I