The herald., 1898-02-19


beginning. that he had no disposition t,
iH;iame a situation already so exciting. bu
he felt that his substitute was fully justi
fed by tina feelings and desires of tn,
people.
II understand" said he, that the nav,
department is making an investigation o
the disaster, but I also understand tina
congress has not authority to make an In
vestigation. It Is a congressional investi
cation that people are demanding. The,
are fast coming to the conclusion that ma.
ters concerning this Cuban affair, includ
ing the De LONE letter incident and th'
loss of the Maine, of which they ought 4
know, are being concealed from them. TIT
people want to know the facts, and thel
will know them"
Mason said he did not desire to refiec
upon the motives or honor of anybody, bu
he suggested that the officials of the nav!
department, in making the investigation
would be trying their own case, and woult
naturally endeavor to cover up any blam
that might attach to them.
'.The trouble with u.s. declared Mason
with great vehemence, 'fs that we hav'
adopted the Spanish policy of putting
everything off until tomorrow. Let the In
vestigation of this disaster to our navy ant
to our country be thoroughly investigated
by congress, and then we shall know tha
1t will be done right"
Spanish diplomats, he said, had sat at oul
tables and partaken of our hospitality
while we were still waiting, and had, unit
the series of calamities had been crowned
by the Maine catastrophe, with its loss o.
257 American lives. In view of these facts
he could never consent to striking out tn,
word Immediate"
1--WE want an investigation" he said
"and we want 1t now, now-the eternal ant
everlasting now!''
HALE INTERRUPTS
Hale interrupted Mason to make state
ment. He said that, SO far from having any
desire for delay, he was anxious to have
1t go forward from this very time, as thu
investigation proposed by the navy de
partment would, If not interfered with
There was no proposition to postpone in
quiry.
SIS any one so much interested as tho
navy department and the officers of thai
department in ascertaining the real facts
and locating the responsibility of the dis
aster?" asked Hale. "Who could conduct
the Investigation so we'll as they, or who d6
as much to get at the bottom of the facts?'
He hoped the senate would see the pro
priety of not making this an occasion fol
making infiammatory speech, and that al
would take the view that in the presence
of the great calamity which had befaller
us--a calamity which had appalled, the
whole world-today was not the proper
time for an appeal to passion and prejudice
Replying Mason said there was no calam.
ity so great as a failure on the part of those
In power to appreciate the situation wher
1t was so serious as 1t now is, and no sor.
row so profound as that of Indifference tc
this situation. He was surprised that Hale
would admit that the occasion was sol
emn one. surprised that the Maine senator
would admit that any thing, any occur
renee in Cuba, was of a solemn character
THE OCCASION MADE
AS for himself, he had no desire to make
this an occasion for anything; the occa-
sion was already made. What he was con-
tending for was that all the facts should
be brought to the surface, and he could
not see how congressional investigation
would in any way interfere with the navy
departments inquiry.
The people were sick and tired of secret
Investigations and reports by cipher, and
of having information suppressed and
doled out to them as some executive officer
might think suitable. He wanted a con-
gressional investigation, and wanted it
open to the world. An investigation by con-
gress would only strengthen the finding of
the navy department, in case the explo-
sion proved to be by accident. He had no
desire to stir up trouble, but would only
insist, as he has done before, upon the
stopping of human slavery and inhuman
warfare in this adjacent island. AS for
himself. he would not, If eligible, be will
ing to serve on the proposed committee
as he would not want to sit at the table
with a Spaniard who might have stilleto
under his clothes.
SPANISH TREACHERy
The record of the Spanish nation, con-
tinued Mason, who appeared to be laboring
under considerable excitement. is one of
continuous treachery, and we have ex-
perienced that treachery in our own his
tory for the past 100 years. 1t had been
made evident that the Spaniard could not
be trusted in any capacity, and for this
reason we should now have American div
ers investigating the hull of the Maine, and
not be depending upon those of an un-
friendly power.
"Who knows but that some more dyna-
mite will be put in and evidence of the cat
astrophe averted?' He repeated that he
wanted immediate action, but did not want
to be on the committee. He did not want
to be anywhere that a Spaniard could
reach him. There were, however, senators
who would be safe among the Spanish, and
he was willing that they should take the
chances involved in the service of the pro-
posed committee. He closed with an ap-
peal for prompt inquiry. and said that he
thought the senate, which had voted 5000 900
to save the property of the United States,
could and should vote 5000 900 900, If neoes-
sary, to save it's honor and its dignity.
DISPUTATION BEGINS
Senator Wolcott followed He said: THE
senator from Illinois however inoppor-
tune 1t may be at this time, in the opinion
Of nf ne MIC hax
mitted TO pass without comment had 1t
not been for the remarkable utterance
which he has given TO the fact
that the people of these United States have
lost confidence in one of the great de-
partments of the government"
Mason had resumed his standing posi-
lion, and he interrupted to say that the
senator from Colorado was entirely MIS-
taken.
II made no such statement" he said.
Wolcott-I decline to be interrupted.
ask to have the remarks read from the re-
porter's notes.
Mason-I said that some people were los
ing confidence and
WolcHt-I decline to be interrupted.
ask to Aave the reporters notes read.
This was done
Wolcott then continued. The senate
would, he said. bear him out that he did
not misquote the senator from Illinois to
the extent of a single word or a single syl-
able.
Resuming, he said: II desire 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
confidence in every department of this gov
ernment and in the department of the
navy particularly. 1t has been true in
every administration since the time of