Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-04-07

legitimate commerce has been swept
from the high seas, and man who
Worshlps the eagle on the dollar and
uoes not see one on his nag says be
silent, think of the horrors of war
and the dangers to business After
aIudlng to the lives lost in the Maine
explosion, he continued: What is to
De our answer? SNAIL we answer with
money! Mr. President, l speak only
some gentlemen may say: Don't saw
you are for war-say that you are for
armed intervention, which means
war. believe in calling things by
thelr right name. Ii we believe that in
the murderlng Of men, the sinking of
cur snip and the lowering of our flag
there is not cause for war, say so. and
refer 10 1t, as they did in the Virgin
Jus aHalr' and allow our brothers to
De sold like stock for gold. If it is a
cause Tor war, let us assume the re-
sponslbility put upon us by the con-
sttutlon and say so, not only To
spain, but to the whole world. For
Gods sake let us not Spanishize orr
diplomacies, but r~ther speak the
truth and prove ourselves true dis
clples of James G. Blaine. We can
hide no longer under the executive
wing. He can neither declare war nor
refuse 1t. Congress alone can declare
war l, for one, am ready to vote
now. You may continue to cry
Peace, Peace!' but there can be no
peace while Europeans own and
butcher their slaves on the same con-
unent where our flag toats.''
Washington, March 20. The house
quietly proceeded with the order of
the day-the consideration of private
Dllls. No opinion was offered under the
rules on debate on the all-absorbing
topic, the Spanish situation, but the
members stood about the cloak rooms
and lobbies all day long discussing the
situation. The most intense feeling
was manifested. The house devoted
the whole day to the consideration of
the bill to pay certain claims for
stores and supplies furnished to the
union by loyal citizens of the south
during the war, but recessed before
the bill was passed. 1t provides for
the payment of $50 claims, aggregat-
ing $1,200,000. Mr.. Marsh, chairman
OF the militia committee, introduced a
joint resolution declaring war between
Spain and the United States. The
Washington, March 31-An appar-
emily simple request was made by Mr.
Frye (rep., Me- on behalf of the
foreign relations committee that the
resolution reported by him from his
committee asking the president for
the Cuban consular reports, be recon-
mitted to his committee. This unex
pectedly precipitated a discussion ON
the Cuban question. 1t finally led to a
passage at arms between Messrs
Chandler rep., N. H.) and Frye, in
which the former made some sarcas-
tic references to the conduct of the
foreign relations committee and to
the attitude of the president. Concern
ing the latter Mr.. Chandler said: 81
have confidence that the president in
tends to pursue a patriotic and righ-
tous course in the present emergency
and I shall thank God when he
reaches a conclusion of some sort or
another. Therefore, l am not in
rebellion, as yet, against the powers
that be- The motion to recommit
was passed.
Mr.. Lodge reported from the COM
mittee on foreign relations the bill d.
recting the president to purchase the
Danish West Indian islands of st.
Thomas, st. John and st. Croix, or
appropriating $5,000,000 for the pur-
pose. MIR. Hawley (rep., Conn.,, on
the military affairs committee, pre-
sented in amended form the joint res
olution offered by Mr.. Bacon (dem.
Ga.) as follows: 'In case of emer-
gency when, in the opinion of the
president the immediate erection of
any temporary fort or fertilization Is
deemed important and urgent, such
temporary fort or fortifi alton may
be constructed upon the written con-
sent of the owner of the land upon
which such work is to be placed"
This was passed.
Washington, March S1-For three
hours the packed galleries and excited
members of the house listened to a
passionate outburst of oratory On the
Cuban question, during which the in
tensity of feeling was alterna ELY man
ifested by cheers, jeers and hisse.
Time and again the excited throngs
in the galleries were admonished to
be silent and once at least it seemed
as if a motion would be made to clear
them. The three speeches which
stirred the assemblage to it's depth
were made by Messrs. Grosvenor (rep.,
o., who, it was assumed, spoke for
the administration and who practi-
cally pledged it to free Cuba; Bailey
(Gem., Tex, who announced that
the democratic position was for free
Cuba, without war if it could be
avoided, but with war if necessary;
and Mr.. Johnson (rep., Ind), who
spoke for peace, declaring that 1t
was our duty to go to an extreme 10
in ordr to avoid the
horrors of war.
After Mr.. Grosvenor concluded the
debate went on, the most significant
utterances being made by Mr.. Cum
mings (dem., N. ", who denounced
the political character which the