The record-union., 1898-04-14


recess until / o'clock. The Republicans
We're agreed, and the recess was taken
to allow the Democrats to consult the
leaders with the hope that unanimous
action might be had.
MAJORITY REPORT.
At 1:30 the majority of the House
Committee on Foreign Affairs agreed
to the following resolution:
Whereas, The Government of Spain
for three years past has been waging
war on the island of Cuba against a
revolution by the inhabitants thereof,
| without making any substantial pro-
gress towards the suppression of said
revolution, and has conducted the war
fare in a manner contrary to the laws
of nations by methods inhuman and
uncivilized, causing the death by star
walton of more than 100000 innocent
non-combatants, the victims being for
the most part helpless women and
children, infiicting intolerable injury to
to the commercial interests of the
United States, involving the destruction
of the lives and property of many Of
our citizens, entailing the expenditure
of millions of dollars in patroling our
coasts and policing the high seas in or
Whereas, This long series of losses,
injuries and burdens for which Spain
is responsible has eliminated in the
destruction of the United States bat
tleship Maine in the harbor of Havana,
and in the death of 266 of our seamen
therefore
Resolved That the President is here
by authorized and directed to inter-
| a fn Stn Ct,h
and to that end and with the purpose
of securing permanent peace and order
and establishing by the free people
action of the people thereof a stable
and independent Government of their
own in the island of Cuba; and the
President is hereby authorized and en-
powered to use the land and naval
forces of the United States to execute
the purpose of this resolution.
The Republican members of the COM
mittee insisted on an immediate report
Of their joint resolution, which was de-
bated
The five Democratic members and
Newlands (Sil. R) withdrew from the
committee-roOm to prepare report of
their own.
Representative Dinsmore, the leading
minority member of the committee. was
deputed to get together a number of
representative Democrats and Popu-
lists and the silver men from the floor
to consult with them as to their fol-
| lowing the policy the minority may
adopt Representatives McMillin Of Ten
nessee, Sayres of Texas Cochran and
Dockery of Missouri of the Democrats,
Bell Of Colorado of the Populists, and
Hartman of Montana of the Silver Re-
publicans We're among those called.
They Immediately went into the meet
ing of the minority, and began an earn
est deliberation over the Democratic
Cuban policy in the House
There was much difference apparent
in reconciling their views. Represen-
tative Bailey of Texas, the floor leader
| of the Democrats, made a long and
earnest appeal for united action on a
strong party policy. Representative
Shafroth of Colorado (Sil. R) and other
Democrats Joined the conference
MINORITY REPORT.
Finally the minority reached an
agreement and presented the following
| report:
I'VE, the undersigneh members of the
Committee on Foreign Affairs of the
House OF Representatives, having con-
sidered the message Of the President
of the United States which was trans
mitted to Congress on Monday, April
IL, 1898, and on that day referred to
said committee, submit the following
report to the House of Representatives
I'VE recommend the following reso-
lutions as a substitute for the resolu-
tions submitted by the majority of the
Committee on FOREIGN Affairs.
Resolved, First, that the United
States Government hereby recognizes
the independence of the Republic of
Cuba;
Second that moved thereto by many
considerations of humanity, of interest
and of provocation, among which are
| the deliberate mooring of our battle
ship Maine over a submarine mine and
it's destruction in the harbor of Ha-
vana the President of the United
States be and he is hereby directed to
employ Immediately the land and naval
forces of the United States in aiding
the Republic of Cuba to- maintain the
| independence hereby recognized.
Third, that the President of the
United States is hereby authorized and
directed to extend immediate relief to
the starving Cubans.
In support of the first resolution
guided by motives of humanity and of
interest influenced by divers provoca
tions, among which are the deliberate
mooring of our battleship, the Maine,
over a submarine mine, it's ruthless
destruction in the harbor of Havana,
and the death of 266 seamen, we SUBJ
nit the facts to the House, to our
countrymen and to the world
For more than a quarter of a CEN
! tury with short intervals, a revolution
has been in progress in Cuba, destroy
| ing our commerce and causing finan-
cial loss to our citizens and unprece-
dented mortality among the contend
! ing factions. For more than three
years the Cuban patriots have strug
| gled for freedom with courage, forti-
| tude and self abnegation unexcelled in
the annals of the human race. These
| people are our near neighbors, closely
/ connected with us by ties of business
| and of friendship. In their aspirations
for liberty, they have been animated
by our example and have modelled their
form of government upon ours
During these three years the Span
iards have butchered these people,
starved helpless women, children and
old men by hundreds of thousands, and
have wasted the island by fire and
sword in violation of all the rules of
| civilized warfare. These acts of bar
barous cruelty have filed the American
people with horror and they are prac-
! tically unanimous in favor of recog-
/ nizing the independence of the govern
| ment established by that brave and
| heroic people by expenditure of so much