Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1898-04-11
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND
SPECTATORS. ~
MESSAGE TO BE HELD BACK
At Last Moment President Announces
That He Will Not Send His Cuban
Message to Congress Until Amerl-
can Citizens Have Pulled Out OF
Havana-Temper of Congress.

patiently in the galleries and corridors
OF the house for hours, the thousands
who had come to hear the presidents
CUBAN message turned away weary
and d1sgusted at the delay. Never
was there such disappointment at the
capitol. The members felt it even
more keenly than did the spectators.
For two hours they stood about the
J IoDD1es, discussing this latest phase OF
the situation. The proposed armistice
which came on the heels of the an
nouncement that Lee had cabled for
a delay received quite as much atten-
ton as TIE request of Lee. Consider
able opposition to the army reorgan-
1zatlon bill developed on the ground
that It's provision for an extension of
the regular army in time of war to
1O4,OOO men would be inimical to the
national guard and volunteer forces
upon which the country heretofore
relied in time of distress. There will
be strong effort to recommit the bill
The main argument against the bill
was that in case of war the national
/
ply the troops necessary above the
regular army of 10000. This was met
with the contention that as one-uuart-
! er OF the expanded regiment would be
regulars they would be ready for real
! service in much shorter time than
TIE volunteer forces could be- An
amendment was offered to reduce the
size OF companies from $50 to 200.
| Representative Jones (Wash.) in
tfoduced joint resolution to protect
Americans in Cuba, which directs the
president to Immediately order all yes
sells OF war of the United States in the
vicinity OF Cuba to proceed to Havana
without delay, protect all American
citizens and bring away all who desire
| to leave the island.
/ Notwithstanding the impat1ence and
disappointment among the republican
members of the house by the with
holding OF the presidents message the
frank statement of the president to
the leaders that such course was
deemed absolutely necessary by Lee
TO insure the safe departure of Amer
leans in Cuba has caused them to ac-
cept the situation in good faith. Some
or the most radical, after hearing the
statements OF those who saw the pres
ldent, appeared satisfied. Those with
whom the president talked came
away with the strong impression that
the message would mean war unless
Spain backed down. Pending the
transmittal Of the message, in view of
the situation presented by the presi-
dent, all plans looking to action in the
house will be abandoned A confer
ence which was to have been held last
night after the message was in was
abandoned. Fifty of those who orig
inally inaugurated the movement met
after the house adjourned. They
unanimously agreed to await the mes
sage, but movement for caucus was
started by the presidents supporters,
which exposed a danger upon which
they had not reckOned-namely eau
Gus of republicans might be called to
bind them by party action, and place
them in the position of boilers if oc-
casiOn arose for them to adopt indie
pendent action. A committee of eight,
was therefore appointed to count
noses, watch the situation, and devise
means to meet any tactics of the OPP
position. The committee is as follows:
Messrs. Hopkins and Lorrimer, ILL.,;
Tawney, Mimi; Cooper, Wis, Hep
burn, Ia; Bronwell, o.; Jay, Mo;
and Knox, Mass.
SENATE.
Washington, April when the
senate convened intense expectancy,
amounting to excitement, prevailed
on the floor and in the galleries. The
presidents message had been positive
ly promised and it's coming was await
ed with anxiety. Ten minutes after
| the senate convened consideration of
the sundry civil bill was resumed and
with the exception Of eight minutes
consumed by the executive session, in
which Senator Davis announced that
no message would be sent in yester-
| day, almost the entire session was
consumed by the appropriation meas
ure. 1t was practically completed
when laid aside for the day. Mr.. Da-
Wis secured the adoption of an amend
ment extending to $250,000 the limit
of the cost of the public building in st.
Paul. An amendment by Mr.. Cullom
appropriating $4,000 to restore the
banks of the Ohio river at Shawnee
town, ILL.,, recently swept away by the
floods, was adopted. An amendment,
practically a war measure, was pro-
, posed by Mr.. Pettus (Ala.). 1t pro-
vides for an appropriation of 100000
| for the improvement of Mobile Bay
that warships and barges might reach
the, wharves of Mobile to obtain coal
and supplies. Before action was taken
on this amendment the bill was laid
| aside