The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-13
"RADICAL" REPUBLICANS.
They Agree to Accept the Foreign
Affairs Committees Resolution.

They Agree to Accept the Foreign
Affairs Committees Resolution.
WASHINGTON, April 12.-By a practi-
cally unanimous vote the Cuban conference
of Republican representatives decided to-
night to work in harmony with the House
foreign affairs committee on representations
of the latter's firm position, to be incorpo-
rated in report to the House, expected to-
morrow. This is the most significant step
yet taken by the body of about three score
aggressive Republican members, whose
course has been toward radical action. They
were in session for an hour to-day after adj
journment of the House, and after some
vigorous speeches and the submission of a
report on how the foreign affairs committee
stood, decided that they would be satisfied
with the report from the foreign affairs
committee if it made no change in the posi-
ton ii announced to the steering commit
tee, substantially as follows: A preamble
reciting the conditions in Cuba, consisting
largely of quotations from the Presidents
message, which constitutes scathing ar
raignment of Spanish misrule and the bar
barites of the war, vigorous reference to
the blowing up of the Maine, and resolution
authorizing, empowering and directing the
President to intervene at once for the pur-
establishment of a firm, stable and indie
pendent government of the Island of Cuba,
with the free consent of the people of the
island, and empowering the President to
employ the army and navy forces of the
United States for this purpose.
There were fifty-five representatives pres
ent, and while there were several who stood
out temporarily for more pronounced action
on the line of recognition, they finally
agreed on the necessity for unifying the
conclusion finally adopted Representative
Hopkins, of Illinois, presided, and promi
nent among others who attended were
Messrs. Pearce, Joy and Bartholdt, of Mis-
souri,; Belknap, Marsh and Lorimer, of Illi-
nois; Fletcher and Morris, of Minnesota;
Brownlow and Gibson, of Tennessee; Mudd
and Barker, of Maryland; Sulloway, of New
Hampshire; Bramwell, of Ohio; Aldrich, of
Alabama; Southwick and Mitchell, of New
York; Hicks, of Pennsylvania; Johnson of
North Dakota, and Weymouth and Knox,
of Massachusetts.
During the afternoon the steering com
mittee of nine, Mr.. Belknap, of Illinois,
chairman, had been before the Republican
members of the House foreign affairs COM
mittee and secured an informal statement
of their position. The members of that
committee stated they had agreed on a
resolution to be reported tomorrow, sub
stantially as cited above, with the excep-
ton of the words land independent" Some
of the members thought the resolution with
that omission would accomplish the same
ends as with the specific mention of indie
pendence, and might avoid unpleasant COM
plications that might possibly arise with its
use. The steering committee disagreed with
that view, however, and after some parley-
ing the foreign committee agreed to make
it read, ANA independent" This satisfied
the steering committee and with an in
formal discussion it withdrew, leaving the
foreign affairs committee in executive SEES
sion.
AT the conference tonight the results of
the steering committees visit were report
ed 1t announced that, as stated by
the committee in the steering committees
presence, the resolution the foreign affairs
committee proposes was satisfactory and
would accomplish the purpose sought and
results deemed best There was a reserya-
ton, however that if the foreign affairs
committee had seen fit to change it's mind
in any subsequent session and anything
short of that stated should be finally pro-
posed, it should not be accepted by the con-
ference, which would proceed to work out
it's own ends. Mr.. Marsh made dramatic
speech in which he held that the action
proposed was not enough, that he believed
that Congress should at once declare that
state of war between the United States and
Spain now exists Several others followed
in kind, but most of the speakers made re-
marks of a temperate character, largely at
tributable to the absolute necessity of
reaching some form of agreement within
the ranks of the Republican party. Inc
other speakers included MessrS. Belknap,
Lorimer, Mann, Pearce, Bartholdt. Morris
and JOY. Finally votes were taken on the
proposition to accept a resolution OF the
substance cited and to agree that that
should be the minimum action that would
be acceptable to the conference and the
agreement both propositions was en-
phatic and decisive. 1t was concluded that
the members of the steering committee
should see members of the foreign commit
tee tonight to learn if any action further
than that that had been communicated had
been taken with view to preparation for
immediate action tomorrow in case of any
alteration of the foreign affairs policy. This
precautionary action was taken tonight
and the conference adjourned subject to
immediate assembling prepared for prompt
action at the call of Chairman Hopkins. I'M
less another conference should be deemed
unnecessary in View OF satisfaction with the
results obtained.
The Democratic members of the foreign
affairs committee held a meeting and
adopted unanimously the following reSolu-
ton. which they will offer in committee as
a substitute for the majority report:
Resolved by the Senate and House of
Representatives of the United states in
Congress assembled:
Section 1.-The United States government
hereby recognizes the independence of the
Republic Of Cuba.
Sec 2-That moved thereto by many
considerations of humanity, of interest, and
of provocation. among which are the DELHI
crate mooring of our battle ship Maine over
a submarine mine and its destruction in the
harbor of Havana, the President of the
United States be. and he hereby is directed.
to employ Immediately the land and naval
forces of the United States in aiding the
Republic of Cuba to maintain the independ-
ence hereby recognized.
Sec 3-The President OF the United
States is hereby authorized and directed to
extend immediate relief to the starving peo-
pie of Cuba, and for this purpose the sum
of 81, 100000 is hereby appropriated"
a.