The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-04-14
RESOLUTIONS IN THE SENATE
Majority and Minority Reports Come
From the Committee

/ ASJoEAt5 ana AAAOf1Iy Reports Come
From the Committee.
Washington, April I3.-The following i
the majority resolution reported 10 tht
senate by Senator Davis Immediately upol
the converting Of the senate at noon to
| day:
Whereas, The abhorent condition,
which have existed for more than three
years in the Island of Cuba, so near oul
own borders. have shocked the local sens
Of the people of the United States. have
been a disgrace to Christian civilization
| eliminating. as they have. in the destruc.
ton Of a United States battleship, with 90
of its officers and crew. while on a friend
| iy visit 10 the harbor of Havana, and can
not longer be endured. as has been SET
| forth by the president of the United
States in mis- message to congress of April
Il, 1898, upon which the action of con-
| gress was invited; therefore
Resolved. First, that the people of the
| island of Cuba are and Of right ought "a
be independent.
Second. That it is the duty Of the
| United States to demand and the gov
eminent Of the United States does here
| by demand. that the government Of Spain
at once relinquish its authority and gov
eminent in the island Of Cuba and with
| draw its land and naval forces from Gu
! ba and Cuban waters.
Third. That the president OF the United
States be and hereby is directed and en-
powered to use the entire land and naval
forces of the United States and to cala
into actual service of the United States
the militia of the several states, to such
an extent as may be necessary 20 carry
these resolutions into effect"
The accompanying report of the COM
mittee was a very thorough review OF the
entire situation. and strong presentation
of the facts which had led the committee
to its conclusions. The report took up
the Maine disaster as the leading topic
for consideration and plunged into the
question in it's first sentence as follows:
The destruction of the United States
battleship Maine. Of two OF her officers
and of 264 of her crew in the harbor OF
Havana on the night of February Is.
1885, excited to an unprecedented degree
the compassion and resentment OF the
American people"
Continuing, the report says:
Manifestations of that resentment were
suspended, although the feeling was not
allayed, by the self-restraint OF our peo-
pie, who determined to hold their judg-
ment in suspense concerning their ulti-
mate action until an official investigation
should disclose the cause of that great
disaster and enable them by direct cir
cumstantial testimony TO impute tho 40
sponsibility therefor.
THE investigation has been made It
was conducted with judicial thoroughness
and elaboration. The difficulty of demon
strating by conclusive proof the efficient
personal cause of that sinister event was
the usual one of exposing plotted and
mysterious crimes. No sucn difficulty,
however, excuses its official and respon-
sible cause
The committee then say that the ex-
plosion itself of the Maine was linked with
a series of precedent transactions, which
cannot in reason be disconnected from IT."
with animus by Spain SO plainly appar-
ent that no one can ever plauslbly deny
its existence, il is merely one reason for
the conclusion TO which the Investigating
mind must come in considering the en-
tire subject of the relations of the Unit
ed States with that government. It is the
opinion OF your committee that the de-
struction of the Maine was compassed
either by the official act of the Spanish
authorities or was made possible by
negligence on their part so willing and
gross as TO be equivalent in culpability TO
positive criminal action.
when property and life are destroyed
by an act which the exercise OF due dill
gence by the person whose duty it is 20
use il could have prevented the happen
ing Of such an event Is sufficient proof
that that diligence was not employed.
THE time of the explosion" says the
report. must have been calculated for the
moment when the Maine should swing
within the destructive radius OF the Mine"
Concluding this report OF its presenta-
ton. the committee says:
''The duplicity. perfidity and cruelty OF
the Spanish character as they always
have been are demonstrated stI 70 con-
tinue, by their manifestations during the
present war in Cuba. AL these circum-
stances considered cumulatively. warrant
the conclusion that the destruction Of the
Maine was compassed either by the off,
cial act Of the Spanish authorities (and
the ascertainment OF the particular per
son is no materaD or was made possible /
by a negligence on their part, so wiling /
and gross as 20 be equivalent in culpa- [
bjlity TO positive criminal action"
In taking up the more general subjects /
the committee expresses the opinion ira, F.
the UNITED States ought a. once to rec I
ognize the independence OF the people 81 (
Cuba and also ought 20 intervene. 20 the /
eEd that the war and its uneKampled /
atrocities shall cease. and that such 4
shah become a settled poliu- /
cal fact az the earliest possible moment !
by the establishment By the free action /
Of the people q Cuba when such action I
can be had. Of a government independent /
In fact and form.
The committee asser; that the cause q 4
Spain has continually grown weaker. +
while the cause Of the insurgents has j
grown stronger. and says that the few .
NOW beng sent 20 Cuba +
d not supply tine o SPANS losses .
caused by battle and disease. TIE wesfN .
srn portion % the island is spoken ~ as
a 5esolAtioa created by SpsiH. in which .
portion Of tae fsIand alone she exercises +
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nFIsnnF long nv throat was
filed with sores. large .