The herald., 1898-02-03
= THE FUSION SCHEME
TO FORCE A VOTE ON FOREIGN
QUESTIONS
Hawaiian Annexation and Belliger-
ency Are to Be Tackled to an
Appropriation Bill

CHICAGO, Feb. "A special to the
Tribune from Washington says:
| Quiet negotiations have been going on
in the Senate for several days. looking
| to a sensational combination of the
| friends both of Hawaii and Cuba with
the object in view Of precipitating Il
crisis on both questions without waiting
| either for the annexation treaty in the
Pacific or the slow movements of auto
| nomy in the Atlantic.
! When the Diplomatic and Consular
Appropriation bill was before the House
the Democrats made several efforts to
tack on an amendment for recognition
either for the belligerency or the inde-
pendence of the Cuban insurgents. The
House has very strict rules against the
insertion of actual new legislation on
appropriation bills. Similar rules exist
in the Senate. but they are seldom or
never applied and the upper house of
Congress is always relied upon to fill
the appropriation bills with purely legis-
lative enactments, which then become
part of a conference report, and are
not specifically the subjects of points Of
order in the House.
Taking advantage of this situation.
three or four prominent Republican
Senators, among whom is at least one
member of the Foreign Affairs Commit
tee, have devised scheme for securing
immediate action on these two trouble
some foreign questions. The scheme in
wolves a union of forces between the
friends of Hawaii and Cuba.
Although the annexation treaty Is said
to command two-thirds of the whole
Senate, it has in it's favor an undoubted
majority, representing all parties, and
the same is said to be true in regard to
Cuba. 1t is proposed. therefore, to draft
an amendment to the Diplomatic and
Consular Appropriation bill containing
first, the entire wording of the Hawaii
an annexation treaty and secondly a
positive declaration that a state of war
exists in the island of Cuba. A mere
majority vote would be sufficient to
pass this amendment. AS it would be
part OF a general appropriation there
would be no rule OF the House which
could prevent it's consideration and IL
passed by that body it would go to the
President who would be put in the posi-
tion of having to approve or veto both
propositions at the same time.
1t was learned on the authority of one
of the Senators concerned in the scheme
that such an amendment as had been
described has actually been drawn up.
1t was further stated that Senator Hale
Of Maine, who has been a vigorous op-
ponent of any interference in Cuba and
who is in charge of the diplomatic bill,
was holding it up because he feared just
such action and wished to postpone con-
sideration of the amendment as long as
possible. 1t so happens that several of
the opponents of Hawaiian annexation
are also opposed to any action in regard
to Cuba.
The friends of these unfortunate is
lands have, therefore, come to the con-
clusion that they could make good COM
bination by punching the opposition An
appropriation, when once reported, is
privileged business, not subject to the
delays of executive sessions, and the pro-
posed amendment could, therefore, be
brought up in such way as to provoke
public debate and speedy action on these
two great questions.