The San Francisco call., 1898-04-01
Gen. GrOSVenOp Speaks Of AdniniS tpatiOn'S
 Policy in Cuba.
Declares on the Floor of the House That Mckinley Does Not Favor Any Scheme
 of Purchase.

1 found an echo in the voice of the gen. tleman from Texas. He warns this side that if the President attempts to force the Cubans to buy their freedom hell will break loose in about fifteen seconds on the Democratic side. Slaughter on Republican side) Nobody proposes to ] force Cuba to buy her independence. | It jT Ike a tale told by the idiots, full of Sound and fury, and full of nothing. There is no such proposition by, to or from the administration, and the whole idle prattle of this character In the newspapers has been just so much folly and nonsense, and yet a statesman. leader of a great division on this floor, rises and Solemnly warns the Republi- can side of this house that if the Pres ident drives Cuba to buy her inde ord- ence they will go to work to prevent It. Nobody has attempted it; 1t is an idle dream of somebody and talk of the newspapers. Again what does the gen. tleman know about how far matters have progressed between the United States as the intermediary source of di- plomacy and Spain and Cuba on the other side? The gentleman from Texas did say yesterday that he believed the President of the United States was try ing to force it upon the Cubans and to- day he said he knew it. Now I rise simply to say that the gentleman is wholly mistaken. If he has such in formation from an authoritative source he ought to make it public The time has come in this country when misun- derstanding of what is going on is do- ing more harm than the views of people who do understand"
 Twill the gentleman state" inter- posed Williams D) of Missouri that he believes and knows that it is not in contemplation by the President in the negotiations now going on to treat of a money consideration for the freedom of Cuba?"
 Tt is too contemptible to answer. Such a thought never entered into the head of any man connected with the administration"
 rIs there not an intimation of that kind in the negotiations at Madrid?"
 What have we to do with the ne- gotiations at Madrid?" asked Grosve- nor. T say the purchase of Cuba by the Government or the suggestion of It's approval is story told by an idiot. There never was anything in it, and this is only done to fan anew the flame that seeks for political advantage on this floor by springing so-called ques- tions of privilege that make the author of them ridiculous in the sight of com- mon humanity"
 Were the fcrty-five gentlemen who met few evenings ago and agreed to vote for independence seeking political advantage?" asked Lentz D.) of Ohio
 T heard something of that kind" replied Grosvenor, but I heard some thing better Yesterday, when the scheme to promote a political advan- tage was sprung here with the awk- wardness of Fourth of July boy burn ing firecrackers, IFS gentlemen put their names on the right side of the organi- zation of a party and party concord No, in conclusion, the administration of this Government to-day is as anxious for freedom andindependenceo of Cuba as any gentleman on the other side of the House. There is not one man from the President down to the humblest mem. Der on this floor who will ever, with out the consent of the Cuban insur- gents, ratify, agree to, or approve any settlement of the Cuban question that does not involve absolute independence for Cuba. (Applause.) There is not a gentleman on the other side of the House who knows this better or from a more direct source of information than does the gentleman from Texas, because he has had the fullest oppor- tunity to learn the fact and knows 1t is unjust to the President to intimate. that he to-day knows that the Pres,- dent is trying to force Cuba to buy her independence"
 After declaring that the administra- tion was in favor of avoiding war if ir could possibly be done consistently with the honor, dignity and glory of the American country and after further decrying war talk which was for po- litical purposes, Grosvenor said:
 Cuba will be free, and Cuba willIbe free by the intervention of the United States. l would not give one cent for declaration of independence unac- companied by a further declaration. What nonsense it would be to declare the island of Cuba independent. and then let her starve to deathl The thing to- do in the case of Cuba is to exhaust all that honest diplomacy can do to achieve her liberty and independence, and fail ing in that, stop not at the halfway house that the gentleman from Texas ] IS talking about-not only declare that | Cuba Is independent, and shall be free, put accompany that declaration with an army and navy to make our dec
 iaraton worth something. Applause. l
 :, What means the mighty demonstra-
 ton Of war that is being made in this
 country? What does it mean when every arsenal, when every navy yard
 anu every appliance in the country is
 McI hhg night and day, irrespective of
 PrIee; 10 force the engines of war?
 what what does it mean? What is the
 Ohiled states going to do? Is 1t to
 ma tlahe q shllly-shally' declaration that
 the Cupahs are free and then let them
 go to the devil in the clutch of the
 spanish nation? Applause on Repub- mean side My countryrnen. you have not been betrayed by your administra-
 tion and not deceived by it. That ad-
 m nistration is in touch with the high est inspiration and the best motives of
 patriotic citizens throughout the whole land, and if the people-with the help
 of the Democratic party, if we can get
 it. or without it's help. if we cannot get
 It.. But we will get it. I say with the help of the Democratic party. without
 their engineering our machinery on inc i floor Of this house, in due time. at an
 early time too-the people of this coun-
 try will shout praise of a Repub,iean
 administration that will carry into ey- ecution it's purpose, the will and the edict of the American people" rPro | longed applause on the Republican 1 side.1
 | After Grosvenor sat down, the debate continued. Cummings (D.) of New
 York, made a speech in favor of i'm
 mediate intervention. and Bailey again got the floor. arousing his side of the House to enthusiasm and cheers. Sev- eral times he crossed swords with Gen eral Grosvenor and Johnson. and the