Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-04-28

the Cuban Question.
PATRIOTIC FIRES KINDLED.
Republicans Forced to Act by
the Minority.
Popalists and Silver Republicans Also
Stood For National Honor Splendid
Fight Of Patriots Led by BsiIey-A
Speech That VIII Live In Hisfory-PAr-
tyism Was Arrayed Against Patriotism,
and the Democrats Triumphed.
Especial Washington letter.
So far as the house can do anything In
itself and Of itself the record on the Gu
ban question is made up. It's record is
now part Of the archives Of the republic
1t is meet and proper to state without
qualification that the conduct Of the
Democrats has been superb and ultra
patriotic through all this grave and vex-
atious business. We feel that we have
pursued without deviation or shadow Of
change line Of conduct 30 courageous,
so unequivocal, so American, SO human
itarian that our children and our chill
dren's children can treasure 1t with in
effable pride through all the years that
are to come. In this statement, as
matter Of exact justice, must bs included
the Populists and Silver Republicans.
for they have stood by us and our ma
tional honor with mistaken fidelity.
The truth is-and do not say 1t in any
faotious or partisan spirit, but the SOL
emn and inoontrovertible truth OF his
tory is-that even the resolutions passed
by the house-which fell short Of Dem
ocratic desire-were forced upon the Re-
publicans by the Democrats. ! say it
deliberately that we kindled the fires of
patriotism all over the land which forced
the Republicans to act at all and made
the country so hot for them that they
had to act or be universally exeorated.
Message Excited Disgust.
The president, in q message which
disappointed the patriotic desire Of the
people, recommended that congress give
him the power to intervene to establish
"a stable" government in Cuba. The
word "sta5le" in this connection was
SO evasive, SO equivocal, so liable to
double construction, that 1t satisfied no.
body and disgusted nearly all. To such
an extent was this the feeling that the
leading Republicans did not dare to sub
NIT to the house resolutions based on
the establishment of q "stable" govern
ment alone. Had they done so enough
Republicans would have bolted to en-
able us to carry the Democratic resolu-
| tions, which are bold, clear. compre-
hensive and susceptible of only one con-
struction-"the independence Of Cuba,
and war, If necessary, to sustain that
| Independence. This being the case,
"the steering committee of the Repub-
licans" instructed the majority of the
| house foreign affairs committee to in
sert the words "and Independent" after
| the word -s'stHble," thereby taking
much more advanced ground than the
president had taken. I repeat that the
word independent" was, in my judg-
ment, forced upon the Republicans by
| the successful efforts Of the Democrats
in arousing the people of the land.
| Recognizing clearly American duty
in the premises, Democrats have for
more than q year clamored for action
and at last are in fair way Of seeing
their onerous labors end in fruition.
Months ago the senate, which what
ever else it may be is not Republican,
passed Senator Morgan's belligerenoy
resolution. It was buried in the Repub-
lican house committee on foreign affairs.
In February, Judge De Almond of Mis-
souri, offered to the diplomatic and con-
sular bill belligerency amendment.
After one Of the bitterest and most pro
longed fights In this congress by strict
party vote the Republicans defeated the
De Almond amendment. Then divers
and sundry resolutions were introduced
by Democrats into the house, ranging
all the way from resolutions Of inquiry
to war-all Of which slept the sleer
that knows no waking in the Repub'
lican committee ON foreign affairs.
Baiiey's Great Speech.
Then Bailey offered in open house his
independence resolution, and under his
lead we made fight which has passed
into glorious history. Again we were
defeated by strict party vote.
The man who writes the annals OF
our times will record the fact that the
greatest speech delivered in either
branch of the Fifty-ffth congress wai
the thrilling speech made BY Bailey on
the 81st day Of March, 1893. It stirt
the heart like strains Of martial music
and contains many sentences which will
live forever, notable among which Ii
this, and none finer ever fell from hp'
man lips, Liberty Is not purohasable
commodity" saying fit to rank with
King Solomon's proverbs or Lord Ba.
cons Wisdom Of the Ancienta.
After much sore travail, much eau.
cusing, much profanity, much orimina.
| tion and recrimination, much Of effort
to stiffen the presidential backbone,
came the anxiously expected and often
delayed message, and, finally ignoring
or. more properly speaking, going be
yond the message, came the Republican
resolutions containing the word "inde.
| pendent" The Democrats went further
In their resolutions. earnestly desired
their passage and fought for that end.
Failing in that, they voted tor the Re-
publican resolutions on the ground that,
feeble as they are when compared with
ours, being
As moonlighs unto sunlight or as water unto
wine,
they are better than none at all and
are at least a step in the right direction
the direction Of the Independence Of
Cuba And now, having been passed,
every Democrat fervently hopes and
prays that the president may carry them