The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-19

Mr. Mason followed Mr.. Hale in a speech
replete with sensational utterances. He
said, in beginning, that he had no dispo-
sition to inf1ame a situation already so eX-
citing, but he felt that his substitute was
| fully justified by the feelings and desires of
the people. Il understand, said he, that
| the Navy Department is making an invesu-
| cation of the disaster, but also understand
| that Congress has the authority to make an
investigation. Tt is a congressional investi-
cation that the people are demanding. They
are fast coming to the conclusion that mat
tiers concerning this Cuban affair, including
the De LONE letter incident and the loss
of the Maine, of which they ought to know,
are being concealed from them. The peo-
pie want to know the facts, and they will
know them"
Mr. Mason said he did not desire to re-
fleet on the motives or honor of anybody,
but he suggested that the officials of the
Navy Department in making their investi-
cation would be trying their own cases,
and would naturally endeavor to cover up
any blame that might attach to them.
''The trouble with us Isl declared Mr.. Ma
son, with great vehemence, that we have
adopted the Spanish policy of putting every
thing off until tomorrow. Let the investi-
cation of this disaster to our navy and to
our country be thoroughly investigated by
Congress, and then we shall know that it
will be done right" Let the people, SAID
Mr.. Mason, have the facts. They want
nothing less than investigation in their in
terest by the Senate and the House. Only
in this way could the facts which are locked
up in the departments be got out. The
country was tired of the secret consider
atoms of such questions. He was not Will
ing to strike out of his resolution the word
immediate" Every one was interested IN
knowing who blew up the Maine, and all
wanted that information now. Why delay?
Why adopt the Spanish custom of putting
off until tomorrow what should be done
to-day? We had already waited too long.
We were told three years ago to wait. we
had waited until night had followed day;
winter had followed summer, and time had
gone on while the terrible cruelty continued.
In the meantime Spanish diplomats had sat
at our tables and partaken OF our nos
pitality while we are still waiting ana had
continued to wait until the series of calam-
had been % es 6 by t6e precdns
American lives In view of these facts he
could never consent to striking ,, out the
ton, he said, and we want it now, now
the eternal and everlasting now.
MR.. HALES STATEMENT.
Mr.. Hale here interrupted Mr.. Mason to
make q statement. He said that so far
from having any desire for delay he was
anxious to have it go forward from this
very time as the investigation proposed by
the Navy Department would if not inter-
fered with There was no proposition to
postpone inquiry. The whole subject mat
ter was even now undergoing investiga-
ton and in view of the promptness which
had been exercised there was no reason
for impugning the motives of the officials
Of the department. This being the true
state of affairs there was no occasion for
discussion of incidental matters. The mem
bers of the board selected to Investigate
the Maine catastrophe were not officers of
that ship and they had already been sum-
moned to appear as witnesses before the
investigators. In view of this fact he
thought the Senate could reasonably wait
a few days until the results of the investi-
cation could be given to the public. is any
one" he asked, 80 much interested as
are the Navy Department and the officers
facts and in locating the responsibility for
the disaster? Who could conduct the 1nVes-
tigation so well as they or who do as much
to get at the bottom facts? He hoped the
Senate would see the propriety of not max
ing this an occasion for lnfammatory
speeches and that all would take the view
that in the presence of the great calamity
which had befallen us, calamity which
had appalled, the whole world, to-day was
not the proper time for an appeal 10 pas
sion and prejudice.
Replying, Mr. Mason said there was no
calamity so great as a failure on the part
of those in power 10 appreciate the real
situation when it was so serious as it now
is and sorrow so profound as that over
indifference to this situation. He was sur
occasion was a solemn one; surprised that
the Maine senator would admit that any
occurrence in Cuba was Of a solemn char
acter AS for himself, he had no desire to
make this an occasion for anything; the
occasion was already made. What he was
contending for was that all the facts
should be brought to the surface and he
could not see how a congressional inves-
tigation would in any. way interfere with
the Navy Departments inquiry. The peo-
pie were sick and tired of secret investiga-
lions and reports by cipher and of having
information suppressed ana theR aOlen oht
think suitable. He wanted congressional
investigation and wanted IT open to the
world. An investigation by Congress would
only strengthen the finding OF the Navy
Department in case the explosion proved to
be an accident. He had no desire to stir
nm trouble. but would only insist as he
had done before, on the stopping of human
slavery and inhuman warfare in this ad-
jacent island.
A SENSATIONAL REMARK.
Mr.. Mason had a letter from Mr.. Julian
Hawthorne read to- show, as he claimed.
that murder was the policy Of the Spanish
government in Cuba. He also had Mr.. De
Lome's letter read and asserted that the
late minister had been defended in the
Senate 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 secure delay on the part of the
administration in interference in affairs in
Cuba and it for this reason, Mr..
Mason said, that he wanted an immediate
report on his resolution for intervention.
In view of Mr. De Lome's confession there
was no longer excuse for delay. Autonomy
he denounced as sham, fraud and a
deuson and the De LONE letter only
served to emphasize the treacherous char
acter of the Spaniard. AS for himself he
would not, IL eligible, be willing to serve
on the proposed committee as he would
not want to sit at the table with a Span
lard who might have a stiletto under his
clothes, unless he himself was ironclad
The record of the Spanish nation, con-
tinued Mr.. Mason, who appeared to be Ia
boring under considerable excitement is
one of continuous treachery and we have
experienced that treachery In our history
for the past hundred years. 1t had been
made out that the Spaniard could not be
trusted in any capacity and for this reason
we should now have American divers in
vestigating the hull of the Maine and not
be depending on those of an unfrenGly
power. We are told. he said. that the naval
board may be able TO reach Havana by
next Monday. 'Manana. he exclaimed
Mariana" TO-morrOw-always tomorrow.
That is the Spanish motto, and are fall
ing into It..
In the meantime who knows but that
some more dynamite will be put in and
the evidences of the catastrophe averted.
He repeated that he wanted immediate ac-
ton, but did not want to be on the COM
mittee. He did not want to be anywhere
that a Spaniard could reach him. There
were. however. other senators who would
be safe among the Spanish, and he was
willing that they should take the chance
mittee He closed with an appeal Tor a
prompt inquiry and said that he Thought