Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-04-19


his seat on the opposite side of the cham
ber, and. walking over to within few feet
| of Mr.. Tillman, said:
II challenge the decency of the senator
from South Carolina in putting such an
| interrogatory to me by name. I want to
| say now that the suggestion to be sent out
from here in such an exigency as now con-
frcnts this country is little less than a
slander upon the president Of the United
States
Il am pretty thick-sknned, Mr.. Presi-
dent" replied Mr.. Tillman.' IF I can ac-
complish my purpose in preventing the
possibility of fastening this debt upon these
people l shall be satisfied to take all the
odium that may attach to it."
Mr. Allen then withdrew his substitute
motion and the motion made by MIR. Davis
that the vice president should appoint the
| conferees was agreed to without division.
The vice president appointed as conferees
on the part of the senate Mr.. Davis Mr..
| Foraker and Mr.. Morgan.
| The senate then took recess until p.
m. Mr.. Chandler. at s O'Clock. upon the
|
sence of quorum and. the roll being
called, fifty senators answered to their
| names.
The long waited for situation, the return
| of the conferees, came at $40 p. m. There
was a visible stir in the galleries as the
chairman of the conference committee. Mr.
Davis, of Minnesota, rose to present the
report and make his statement to the
senate.
By this time nearly every senator was
in his seat and the interest became intense
as it was whispered about that an agree
| ment had been reached. Mr.. Davis said
| that, In conformity with the instructions Of
| the senate. the conferees met like COM
mittee from the house and that, after full
| and free discussion, he had to report that
the conferees had failed to reach an agree
ment. There was intense silence 1t was
the unexpected that had happened, and
| then a half sigh was heard over the crowd
ed galleries that all the eloquence, the
logic and the exhaustive presentation of
every phase OF the pending proposition
must go for naught.
Mr.. Davis then stated the points of dis
agreement, that there. had been no diff
Guilty to agree to the house resolution as
amended, but the point of contention arose
over the insertion of the words "are and"
in the first section which says the people
of Cuba "are and of right ought to be
free and independent"
He said the majority of the conferees had
n,,t xIa
ment. providing that the words mention-
ed be inserted. But the senate conferees
were met with refusal SO to agree and he
reluctantly reported the same to the SEN
ate.
Mr.. Morgan stated that the chairman of
the majority. For one. he had not re-
linquished the hope that the Cubans might
be free, but thought that, under the temper
Of the house, there was little or no use to
send the conferees again into conference
unless it was indicated that the house
would recede.
Mr.. Foraker then explained his position
as member of the committee. He said
he had accepted the appointment on the
committee, with the understanding from
members of the house that, if the Turpie
amendment were receded FROM there would
be little trouble to reach a conclusion.
Upon this he entered upon his duties and
endeavored to reach harmonious conclu-
sion. Instead, as member of the COM
mittee, he met an entirely different situa-
tion than that outlined to him, the house
and which they had eliminated from the
| resolution. even though the senate would
abandon its position OIL the Turpie amend
ment. He said this action was wholly un-
satisfactory to him. He then, in an i'm
passioned manner. said, if the senate did
not intend to stand by its position. it would
be absolutely unjustifiable before the
world. If we are to interfere with force of
arms its must be with the understanding
that the people of Cuba are independent of
Spain.
Mr.. Cockrell then offered a motion to
Insist upon the senate resolution, where
upon Mr.. Morgan said, in loud voice. that
he had not yielded the republic of Cuba as
a member of the conference committee
said that it was the understanding that, if
the United States went to war and sent its
ships into Cuban waters and its armies
into Cuban territory. our navy surely would
be under the direction of the Cuban gov
erEment If the senate insisted upon the
Turpie amendment.
Cries of mo. no." were heard over tho
chamber.
MIR. Hoar continued to argue that the
president should be left as commander-in-
chief of the army and navy. master of the
situation, that he should not be hampered
in any manner, allowing him in his own
way to recognize the independence of Cuba
which right he held was sacred under the
constitution.
Mr.. Mills. of Texas. said that the house
had turned its back upon the fundamental
| principle of the constitution, and the proper
course for the senate now to pursue was to
! refuse to grant further conference with
| the house conferees.
Mr.. Daniel, of Virginia. said the situation,
so far as the senate was concerned, made
| the last stage worse than the first and he,
| for one. was in favor of insisting upon a
disagreement with the house.
Mr.. Mason. of Illinois. stated what he
conceived to be the parliamentary status
| of the pending question. He said the hope
had been that, if the senate would yield the