The times., 1898-01-23
THE SPIRIT OF '76 IS DEAD.
Cummings Asserts This In His
Speech for Cuba.

Speech for Cuba.
The Indian appropriation bill was be-
fore the Committee Of the Whole yes.
| terday for consideration. 1t provides
for the expenditure of about $S,O00,000
There was no debate on the bill, but
under the latitude afforded by it there
were some remarks made relative to
| Cuba and free silver
Mr. Cummings, of New York, made
an earnest appeal for Cuba, which he
said borders on this country, being sep
arated from it by only sixty miles. He
dwelt on the spirit of TO- which ami
| mated the revolutionists in this coun-
try, declared the same spirit had man
ifested itself among the Cuban patriots
and asked with emphasis if when Grant
and Sheridan died the spirit of '76 died
with them in this country" He de-
plored war and did not like to see it
contemplated by this Government, but
declared that all the horrors of war
were not equal to the horrors that have
beset the flower of the Antilles
The cruelty of the acts Of this war
wrings our hearts," he said, but the
grandeur of the enterprise of the pa
triots enobles it." He declared that
y
mination and through him 100000 per-
sons had starved to death and that
they were being followed at the rate of
1000 a day. He closed by entreating
the House Ito put an end to the mon
strocity upon our border which is ab-
horrent to everyone"
Mr.. King, of Utah, also spoke briefly
on Cuba, and insisted that this Gov
ernment should interpose in it's behalf.
He referred to the execution of Col.
Ruiz as a judicial one, the officer hav-
ing violated both the civil law of the
Cuban Republic and the martial law
of the army. He said Col. Ruiz haa
been detected in the act of attempting
to bribe insurgent soldiers, and after
a trial had been convicted and exc
cuted. Mr.. King notified the House
that within a few days he will have
the official record of the trial of Col.
Ruiz, which he will present To the
House. In conclusion he declared that
the responsibility for peace rests with
the American Government, and urged
that the Government interfere in the
interest of peace.
Mr.. Lewis, of Georgia, made n brief
speech in favor of the free coinage of
silver, asserting that this country, and
particularly the South, will never OBJ
tain prosperity until silver is placed
on a par with gold as a circulating me-
dunn. He advanced no new theories as
to why the free coinage of silver should
take place, but placed the facts as they
exist in plain and lucid manner be-
fore the House.
Mr.. Underwood, of Alabama, follow
ed in a plea for a Government armor
plant. He asserted that if the navy
was not prepared for war it was be-
cause contractors had wanted to
charge such exhorbitant prices for
armor plate that the Government could
not purchase it for the completion of
the three battleships now being con-
structed. He declared that the Gov
ernment if it owned it's plant could
the armor plate for
S2S2.31 a ton. The contractors had re
fused TO supply it for less than $400
ton. He insisted that If the Govern
ment could save such an enormous sum
il ought to have plant as soon as
possible.
Mr.. Gaines, of Tennessee, followed.
adding his opinion to that of Mr.. I'm
derwOod, that the Government should
establish q plant. After some other
the committee adopted a mo-
ton to rise, and the debate will be con-
tinued tomorrow.