Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1898-04-22
CONGRESS- AND CUBA.

~ AiShtus OuS COukT6SSmen laQ Deen
doing owing to the delay in sending
the message it was supposed war
would be declared on Tuesday. Jhe
house Immediately passed a series OF
resolutions on the subject, but it took
the senate till late Saturday night to
make up its mind as to what should be
done. Then IL passed a set of resolu-
lions which had the house heading,
number and enacting clause, and a
few other combinations. They passed
by a vote of 81 to 81 and read as
follows;
Joint resolution for the indepen-
dence of the people and republic of
Cuba, demanding the government of
Spain to r~elinquish It's authority and
government in the island Of Cuba, and
to withdraw its land and naval forces
from Cuba and Cuban waters, and di-
recting the President Of the United
States to carry these resolutions into
effect.
Whereas, the %abhorrent conditions
which have existed for more than
three years in the island of Cuba, so
near our W borders, have shocked
the moral sense of the people of the
United States, have been a disgrace to
Christian civilization, eliminating as
they have in the destruction OF a
United States %battleship, with 266 of
its officers and crew, while on a friend
ly visit in the harbor Of Havana, and
cannot longer be endured, as has been
set forth by the President Of the
United States IN his message to Con-
gress of April II, 1898, upon which the
action Of Congress was invited, there
fore
Resolved, by the Senate and House
Of Representatives of the United
States Of America in Congress assem-
bled:
"First-That the people Of the is
land Of CUBA are and of a right ought
to be free aud independent, and that
the government of the United States
hereby recognizes the Republic of
Cuba as the true and lawful govern
ment Of that island.
''Second-That it is the duty Of the
United States to demand, and the gov
ernment Of the United States does
hereby demand, that the government
of Spain at ono relinquish its autho-
ritY and government in the island of
Cuba and withdraw its land and naval
forces from Cuba and Cuban waters
"Third-That the President of the
United States be and he is hereby d.
rected and empowered to use the en-
tire land and navel forces of the
United States and to call into the
actual service of the United States
the militia Of the several States to
such al extent as may be necessary to
carry these resolutions into effect.
"FourCh-That the Uuited States
hereby aisclaiuis any disposition or in
tention 70 exercise sovereignty, juris-
diction or control over said island, ex-
cept for p%aciacation thereof: and as
serts its determination, when that is
accomplished, to leave the govern
ment and control of the island to its
people"
There wasa hot time in Congress
Monday, aud il lasted till nearly three
O'Clock Tuesday morning. The house
agreed to concur with the senate reso-
lntions, printed above except the
words ''are and" in the first resolution,
aud the latter part OF the same resolu-
ton recognizing the independence of
Cuba. The senate refused to accept
the houses change. Conference com
mittees were appointed. The commit
tees could not agree aud so reported
back to the house and senate. The
senate wavered a little and the COM
mittees Of conference were again set
to work. The house committee gave
up a portion, and allowed the words
''are and" to remain, and the senate
committee allowed the latter part Of
the paragraph to be struck out. Both
houses then accepted the report Of the
conference committees and ajourned,
at nearly three o'clock ia the morning.
The resolutions as finally passed are
as printed above, except the first one,
which reads as follows:
"First-That the people or the is
land of Cuba are and of right ought TO
be free and independent"
The trouble over this resolution had
two causes: One was that it is con
tended that congress had no right TO
recognize the independence of another
country, that this was a prerogative of
the president alone. The other was
that some people thought that If con
gress recognized the independence Of
Cuba that it would thereby guarantee
all the bonds charged up against Cuba.
Those who favored the recognition
of independence claimed that the
great American congressman has got
a right to pass any kind Of a resolution
he wants TO, that by passing the reso-