The age-herald., 1898-04-01
CUBAN SPIRIT RUNS RIOT IN CONGRESS It Practically Excludes All Other Matters
 for the Day. J0HNS0N'S PLEA FOR PEACE Baily Answered Him With Knockout Af-
 gument. GRosvENoR HANDS DOWN POLICY He Says Mckinley Will Consent to Nothing But the Absolute Freedom of Cuba-lnter-
 ventiOn Accompanied by aDe- @
 claration of War.

Iidl dliUll VI Hdi'
 Washington, March 31-For three hours today the packed galleries and excited members of the house listened to a passion ate outburst of oraJtory on the Cuban ques- ton, during which the intensity of feeling was alternately manifested by cheers, jeers and misses. Time and again the excited throngs in the galleries were admonished to be silent and once at least it seemed as if motion would be made ito clear them.
 The three speeches which stirred the as- semblage ito it's depths were made by MT. Grosvenor, of Ohio. who 1t was assumed spoke for the administration, and who practically pledged it to the cause of free Cuba; Mr. Bailey, of Texas, the democratic leader who announced the democratic posi- ton as for free Cuba without war if it could be avoided. but with war necessary, and Mr. Johnson, of Indiana, who spoke for peace, declaring that 1t was our duty to go to the extreme in magnanlmify to avoid the horrors of war.
 MT. Lewis (dem.) of Washington provoked the speech of MT. Johnson which aroused the members and the galleries to the fever pitch of excitement. MT. Lewis had de- nounced the proposition that Cuba purchase her freedom from Spain, which, it was alleged, the administration was fostering. Then it was that MT. Johnson, in a bril- liant speech, pleaded for peace. He faced the storm of hisse, which swept down upon him from the galleries, hke Spartan and with passionate utterance adjured mednpers to pause before they plunged the country into war, thesevils of which would 1of'o" after in endless train.
 Johnsou's Fearlessness
 The house has had before illustrations of MT Johnsons fearlessness, but none so striking as today, when he espoused the un- popular cause and pleaded to let diplomacy have its way. MT. Johnson said; Il nave realized from the start that the danger to the country was the hotheadedness of those men who never stop to reflect into what they would precipitate the country. My voice has been and still is for peace, wheth- CT 1t be proper or not, do not stop to care. I am opposed to war, war with its devastating consequences, war which .in- wolves A vast expenditure of public money, which involves burdens Of taxation 10 De paid by the people, which involves the fs- suing of paper money, which involves period of wild speculation. War which, while it affords opportunity for exalted patriotism and heroic devotion to the flag, at the same time opens up an opportunity for the coromant who always preys upon the vitals of the government and seeks to take advantage of its necessity. I am op- posed to that condition of affairs which would take away the flower of the Ameri- can people, which would put women in the garments of mourning and which would bring to our unwilling ears the voice of the orphan I would go to war only as last resort. would not sacrifice precious American blood except our quarrel should be a just one and the first gun would bring every American citizen to the support of his country's flag, that 1t would carry with it the moral support of the civilized world. And he who believes that the moral sup port of the world is to be ignored in a con- fiict between two great nations advertises himself to humanity as a man who knows nothing of those influences which in a time of national conflict tend toward peace and toward ultimate victory.
 It Means War
 "I believe that if this house had been as patient as it has been heretofore, and if the senate had been as far seeing as here tofore, and if they had given the presi- dent time to press all diplomatic and moral persuasion that will not interfere unduly with Spain, thirty days from this would not have elapsed until Cuba would be an independent state. I say again, if the pres- ident has sent an ultimatum to Spain 1t means war. If you tell her to get out you will make war. You excite the Spanish pride You leave Sagasta in a condition that he is not able to complete negotiations. You will shed American blood. You will expend millions of treasure in achieving Cuban independence. At what cost; stop and reflect minute"
 MT. Johnson said the government had bet ter allow the Cubans pay S2O0, ,000, 900 to ac- quire their independence than that one drop of American blood should be tunneces! sarfly shed. Applause on republican side and hsses from gallery). "Tt does not make any difference to me whether I am hissed orfnot believe we are standing on the verge of a volcano, and hope to God that the ultimatum of the president will not strike so suddenly that it will reach such a resentment as to pro- yoke war.
 Speedy Conclusicn
 "But if it comes every beat of my heart, every effort of which am capable will be thrown into the scale in behalf of speedy and victorious conclusion of that war. hope to God that the representatives of the American people on tlis floor, the senators who represent the sovereign states at the other end of the capitol will pause and see where we are standing Let us uphold the president He has brought the parties nearly together; he is trying to avert war I am told by those who consult him that he is restless, anxious and concerned; that he has declared he feels it a solemn duty he owes to the country to avert war. Let no man mistake the temperament of the American people. They are not all for war. Many men of good sense and judgment are ms!ed and they are in favor of war. But there is a great conservative element in the country that is opposed to war except as last resort. I appeal from the mis- guided sentiment of these misguided per sons: I appeal from the jeers from the chamber with which my remarks have been greeted appeal from the misses of the gallery which are not expected to do the fighting; appeal to the cool, calmer judgment of my countrymen which will pass upon my ubterances when the time for calm and respectful consideration comes That time will assuredly come and garlands will be pfacef upon the brow of those who have been willing to defer and have resisted the efforts to thrust a war upon them"
 Baily Trains His Gun in Reply
 Mir Raiiev inc demOcratic leader. re-