The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-01


party sanctions the agreement. to compel
any people under Gods sun to buy that
liberty which God has given to them, that
party will never survive long enough to es-
cape the odium which will be fastened on
IL by the outraged sentiment of the Ameri-
can people. (Applause on the democratic
side.)
mir. Chairman, liberty is not a pur-
chasable commodity. tRenewed app.ause-)
There was time in this Republic when no
man in high station would have suggested
that one nation could sell it or that another
should be compelled to buy it. applause on
the Democratic side) 1t was birthright
OF man, ana it is the duty TO assert it,
though war be necessary to its assertion.
prolonged applause on the Democratic
side)
II am myself, Mr.. Chairman as averse to
war any gentleman. On this side. twice
during the present session. we nave walked
up to the altar and made Wiling sacFince
of our political advancement. We know,
and you know, that war will be to the ad-
vantage of the party in power; ana you,
knowing it. will still know 1T no better tnan
we do. Yet with a knowledge that we are
pursuing a policy to the advantage OF our
political opponents, and to the injury OF our
selves, you must admit that we did all you
asked US to do. In all the history or TINS
Republic no party has ever acted more pa
triotically or more unselfishly than the Dem
ocratic party have acted during this crisis.
Applause on the Democratic side.) Ihere
was a time when this threatened war could
have been averted. Six months ago, IL you
had done as we urged you to do, if you had
recognized the rights of these struggling
patriots to fight for independence, war would
have been averted and Cuba would to-day
be an established fact in the history Of the
world" applause on the Democratic side)
A member: And the battle ship Maine
with all the accompanying lives or Aneri-
can seamen would not have been sacrl-
feed"
THE MAINE DISASTER.
Mr.. Bailey, continuing, said: And that
unfortunate disaster which has Mortified
humanity and Inundated our American citi-
zenship would never have occurred. Cap
plause.) The great battle ship-the Maine
the ship which bore the name of sovereign
State of this Union-would still have been
upon the high seas, flying the flag of this
Republic; and the more than go brave sea-
men, many of whom now sleep many
fathoms deep beneath Cuban waters, would
have been wearing the uniform OF the ma
ton which they honored with their courage
and sought to defend with their lives. Cap
plauSe.) You refused to act, and the prog
Iess of events have simply intensified the
situation. The longer you postpone doing
Iight-the longer you postpone action-the
more certain it is that war and war alone
will extricate you. In trying to allow Spain
to complete her reconquest of CUBA you
have made it absolutely necessary that You
shall intervene in the cause of freedom.
There may be time still to avert war.
Within the last twenty-four hours rep
resentative of the Cuban republic has said
to me that they did not desire us to engage
in war with Spain; that all they ask is That
we recognize their independence to give
them the credit and standing to which they
are entitled among the nations of the earth.
and with their own strong arms and with
their own brave hearts they will achieve
their independence APPLAUSE on the Demo-
cratic slde) They prefer that course, and
/ sympathize with the spirit which prompts
them TO prefer it. Any people worthy to be
free desire to achieve their own freedom,
and if the Cuban people sought their free
dom through American arms should doubt
their ability to maintain ii when 1t was
given to them. They hope to have national
history. They hope to have national he
roes. They hope TO teach their children;
who, in turn, will teach their children and
/ their children's children, how Cuban patriots
wrought out the problem of Cuban freedom.
Applause on the Democratic sde) Where
is there the man who does not sympathiZe
with that lofty sentiment? A representa-
tive of the Cuban republic said to me with
great frankness and feeling: We do not
seek to involve the United States in war
with Spain. 1t is unnecessary. Give us
recognition of our independence, so that we
can obtain arms and heavy artillery, and in
thirty days we will put army of a hun
bred thousand Cuban patriots In the field.
and in thirty days more the flag of Spain
will be trailing in the dust of Cuba. ZAP
plause on the Democratic side) That is
their spirit. Why do we not meet them in
it?
l know the horrors as well as the gentle
man from Indiana (Mr. Johnson); | wit
messed its desolation. We do not want war.
| to avoid It, But, Mr.. Chairman, we might
as well be frank; if it takes war to free the
island Of Cuba, my voice and the voices of
| those with whom have the honor to act is
| Cuba free without war If possible, Cuba
! free with war If necessary (Prolonged
applause the Democratic side)
GROSvENOR TO BAILEY.
! Mr. Grosvenor, whose utterances are
given great weight owing to his close
| friendship with the administration, an
swered Mr. Bailey He said he did not in
| tend to reply to the argument of the gen.
| tleman from Texas, but he felt for him a
| very strong degree of sympathy When
| said he, "a man has been for nearly a year
trying to play game of politics on the
| question of war and has failed, and has
finally made an exhibition. futile effort in
| that direction. unparalleled in the history of
! this body, it becomes pathetic when he talks
about war and war that will never
happen.
Il rise to point out one or two absurd
statements constantly repeated in the news
papers and which found an echo in the
| voice Of the gentleman from Texas. He
warns this side that If the President at
tempts to force the Cubans to buy their
freedom hell will break loose in about
fifteen seconds on the Democratic side.
! daughter on the Republican side.) No
body proposes to force the Cubans to buy
their independence. 1t is like tale told by
the idiots, full of sound and fury and full
OF IneI0 10 uO SUN pAOpOoitlOH
by. to, or from the administration and the
whole idle prattle of this character in the
newspapers has been Just so much FOLLY
ard nonsense. and yet a statesman, leader
of a great division upon this floor. rises and
solemnly warns the Republican side of the
House that if the President drives Cuba
to buy her independence they will go 70
work to prevent it. Nobody has attempted
it, Il is an idle dream of somebody and talk
of the newspapers.
about how far the matters have progressed
between the United States as the inter-
rnediary source of diplomacy and Spain and
Cuba on the other side? The gentleman
from Texas did not say yesterday that he
believed the President of the United States
to-day he said he knew it. Now. rise SIM
ply to say that the gentleman is wholly
mistaken. If he has such information from
an authoritative source he ought TO make
try when misunderstanding of what is go
ing on is doing more harm than the views
of people who do understand.
"Will the gentleman state lnterpoSed
Mr. Williams (Dem., Miss.l, that he be-
lieves from what he knows that 1T is not
in contemplation by the President in the
negotiations now going on to treat of a
money consideration for the freedom of
Cuba?"
1T is too contemplate to answer. Such
thought never entered into the head of any
man connected with the administration.
Isn't there an intimation of that kind IN
the negotiations at Madrid?
What have we to do with the negotia-
tions at Madrd?" asked Mr. Grosvenor. Il
saw the purchase of Cuba by the govern
ment or the suggestion of its approval is a
story told by an idiot. There never was
ANYTHING in it, and this is only done to fan
anew the flame that seeks for political ad-
vantage upon this floor by springing So
coll Cd nTEXllGQp that makes