Kansas City journal., 1898-02-19

| this an occasion for anything; the occasion
! was already made. What he was contend
| ing for was that all facts should be brought
to the surface. and he could not see how
| congressional investigation would in any
| way interfere with the navy department. S
inquiry. The people were sick and tired Of
| secret Investigations and reports by cipher
| and of having information suppressed and
| do!ed out TO them as some executive Of
| ficer might think suitable He wanted
| congressional investigation, and wanted 1t
oEen to the world. An investigation by
| congress would only strengthen the finding
of the navy department in case the eN-
| plosion proved TO be by accident. He had
| no desire to stir up trouble, but would only
| insist, as he had done before, upon the.
| stopping of human slavery and inhuman
| warfare in this adjacent island.
DeLome Letter and Autonomy.
He had a letter from Mr.. Julian Haw-
| thorne read to show, as he claimed, that
murder was the policy of the Spanish gov
| ernment in Cuba. He also had Mr.. De-
Lome's letter read. and asserted that the
late minister had been defended in the SEN
| ate until he had confessed out of his own
mouth that autonomy was a fraud and that
| he was the author of the letter quoted.
This plea of autonomy had been used to Sc
cure delay on the part of the administra-
ton in interference in affairs in Cuba. and
ii was for this reason that Mr.. Mason said
he wanted an immediate report upon his
resolution for intervention. In view of
Mr.. DeLome's confession, there was no
longer excuse for delay. Autonomy he de-
nounced sham, fraud and delusion.
and the DeLome letter only served to en-
phasize the treacherous character of the
Spaniard. AS for himself, he would not. If
eligible, be willing to serve on the pro-
posed committee, as he would not want to
sit at the table with a Spaniard who might
have stiletto under his clothes. unless he,
himself. was ronclad.
The record of the Spanish nation" con-
tinued Mr.. Mason. who appeared to be Ia
boring under considerable excitement, sis
one of continuous treachery, and we have
experienced that treachery in our history
for the past hundred years. 1t had been
made evident that the Spaniard could not
be trusted in any capacity, and for this
reason We should now have American div
ers investigating the hull of the Maine
and not be depending upon those of an un-
friendly power. We are told, he said. that
the naval board may be able to reach Aa-
vana by next Monday.
"Manana," he exclaimed; ''manana-to-
| morrow, always tomorrow. That is the
Spanish motto, and We are falling into it.
In the meantime who knows but that some
| more dynamite will be put In. and evidence
| of the catastrophe averted?'
He repeated that he wanted immediate
| action, but did not want to be on the
committee. He did not want to be any,
| where that Spaniard could reach him.
There were, however. senators who would
be safe among the Spanish, and he was
willing that they should take the chances
involved in the service on the proposed
committee.
He closed with an appeal for prompt
| inquiry and said that he thought the SEN
| ate, which had voted 100000 to save the
| property of the United States, could and
| should vote $500 100000. if necessary, to
save its honor and its dignity.
senator Wolcott's Roast.
Mr.. Mason had scarcely taken his seat
when Mr.. Walcott addressed the chair.
Mr.. President" he said, and the words
| shot forth like bomb to be exploded in
| the senate. 1t was evident from the Colo
RADIOS senator's countenance and manner
| to say nothing of the intensity of his
| voice. that he was laboring under consid-
cradle feeling. He had listened to Mr..
| Mason with i'll concealed feelings of emo
ton. his face growing redder and his
brows more and more like a thunder
cloud as the Illinois senator proceeded.
| He spoke with great rapidity and occupied
only a few minutes of the senate's time
| refusing to be interrupted and speaking
| very sharply when Mr.. Mason sought to
| divert him. Mr.. Walcott spoke as fol-
| lows:
'Mr. President the resolution of the
| senator from Illinois. however inoppor-
| tune it may be at this time, in the opin-
ion of some Of us, might well have been
| permitted to pass without comment had IL
not been for the remarkable utterance
which he has given to the fact that the
| people of these United States have lost
confidence in one of the great departments
OF the government"
Mr.. Mason had resumed his standing DO
| sition and he interrupted to say that the
senator from {: dorado was entirely mis-
| taken.
| 4 made no such statement" he said.
| Mr.. Wolcott: Il decline to be inter-
| rupted. 1 ask to have the remarks read
| from the reporters notes."
| Mr.. Mason: Il said that some people
| were losing confidence in one department.
| and
Mr.. Wolcott: 81 decline to be interrupted.
ask to have the reporters notes read"
Mr.. Mason Not Misquoted.
The reporters notes. quoting Mr.. Mason,
| were then read, as follows:
| Il understand that the navy department
| Will make the investigation. but also un-
| derstand that an investigation could be
| made by this branch of the government.
and that would not in any way interfere
with the naval Investigation. I also un-
| derstand that the people of this country
are fast coming to the conclusion that the
| real situation is not only being concealed
| from the people but from the members of
congress and senators.
| The people have a right to know some-
thing about the situation. I say the people
do lack confidence in some departments of
the government and they sometimes. per-
| haps. do in this department. What pos
sible harm can 1t be to a fair and full
| investigation II the two departments
| of the government are investigating the
same thing at the same time?''
| Mr.. Wolcott then continued. The senate
would, he said, bear him out that he did
not misquote the senator from Illinois to
the extent of a single word or a single
| syllable. Resuming. he said: Il desire to
resent as utterly unfounded the suggestion
that there is patriotic citizen in the
broad confines of this land who has NOT
the fullest confidence in every department
of this government. and in the department
of the navy particularly. 1t has been true
in every administration since the time of
Washington.
| American NAVY Lnuded
The people of the United States have
never been called upon TO distrust one of
the coordinate branches of this govern.
ment. and they never will while the flag
floats. Least of all is 1t decent, in nv
| nnfn hot tn &c oh