The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-19
ment He said that SO

to make statement. He said that so
far from having any desire for delay
he was anxious to have 1t go forward
from this very time, as the investiga-
ton proposed by the navy department
would, if not interfered with. He hop
ed the senate would see the propriety
Of not making this an occasion for in
hammatory speeches, and that all
would take the view that in the pres
ence of the great calamity which had
befallen, a calamity which had appalled,
the whole world, today was not the
proper time for an appeal to passion
and prejudice.
Replying, Mr. Mason said there was
no calamity so great as failure upon
the part Of those in power to appre-
ciate the real situation, when 1t was so
serious as it now is. and no sorrow SO
profound as that over-indifference to
this situation. The people were sick
and tired of secret Investigations and
reports by cipher and of having infor-
nation suppressed and then doled out
to them as some executive officer might
think suitable. He wanted a congress
sional investigation, and wanted it open
TO the world. 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.
In view of Mr.. de Lome's confession,
there was no longer excuse for delay.
Autonomy he denounced as a sham, a
fraud and a delusion, and the De LONE
letter only served to emphasize the
treacherous character of the Span
lard. 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 q Spaniard who
might have stiletto under his clothes,
unless he himself was ironclad.
Mr.. Mason had scarcely taken his
seat when Mr. WolcOtt addressed the
chair. Mr.. President" he said, and the
words shot forth like a bomb to be eX-
ploded in the senate. 1t was evident
from the Colorado senator's counte-
nance and manner, to say nothing of
the intensity of his voice, that ne was
laboring under considerable feeling
He had listened to Mr.. Mason with
ill-concealed feelings of emotion. his
face growing redder and his brow more
and more like a thundercloud as the
Illinois senator proceeded. He spoke
with great rapidity, and occupied only
few minutes Of the senate's time. re-
fuslng to be interrupted, and speaking
very sharply when Mr.. Mason sought
to divert him. Mr.. Wolcott spoke as
follows:
Mr.. President, the resolution of the
senator from Illinois, however inoppor-
tune it may be at this time, in the
opinion of some Of u.s. might well have
been permitted to pass without COM
ment, had it not been for the remark
able utterance which he has given to
the fact that the people of these United
States have lost confidence in one of
the greatest departments Of the gov
ernment"
Mr.. Mason had resumed his stand
ing position, and he interrupted to say
that the senator from Colorado was
entirely mistaken.
Il made no such statement" he said.
Mr.. WolcOtt-I decline to be inter
rupted. 1 ask to have the remark read
from the reporters notes.
Mr.. MaSon-I said that some people
We're losing confidence in one depart
ment and
Mr.. Wolcott-I decline to be inter
rupted. | ask to have the reporters
notes read.
The reporters notes, quoting Mr..
Mason, We're then read.
Navy Defended.
Resuming, Mr.. Wolcott said: "T de-
sire to resent as utterly unfounded the
suggestion that there is a patriotic
citizen in the broad confines of this
land who has not the fullest conf
dence in every department of this gov
ernment and in the department of the
navy particularly. The people have
never yet been called upon to distrust
one of the coordinate branches of this
government Least of all is it decent
in my opinion, that in this chamber
there should be insinuations cast at
this critical time that there is a lack
in the minds of the people Of the Init
ed States of confidence in the navy
of our country
Today, as always, the officers Of orr
navy are honorable, courageous. m
right men, and above all they teu tba
truth. The captain of this ilI-fatnd
pattleship was walking his deck AT IN
o'clock on the night of the 18th. When
this awful explosion happened. II NAV
be that his public career is ended for,
ever, but the awful disaster that over
took his ship will count for nothing
by comparison with the degrading in
slnuatfon made here that an officer of
our country, with the oath and with
the flags above him, would lie and cast
the responsibility where it did not
rightfully belong,
i Go not know what slums the SEN
etor from illinois may have dragged to
Continued on Seventh Page.