The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-04-14
DETAILS OF SENATE SESSION.
Delay of Cuban Resolution and Brilliant
 Speech of Lodge.


 DETAILS OF SENATE SESSION. Delay of Cuban Resolution and Brilliant
 Speech of Lodge.
 Washington, April 13.-War between two powerful nations was the sole top ic of discussion in the senate to-day. Such excitement, suppressed though it was; such feeling that the country was on the verge of events that would make history for all time to come; such eloquent and impassioned orato- ry, and such keen and brilliant repar- tee, have not been known in the sen ate since the exciting days when the country was convulsed by the great est war of modern times Notwith- standing the throng in the galleries, the great semi circular chamber was almost as silent as if it were deserted. Conversation was conducted in low whispers, all seeming to feel that events historic and momentous were about to occur.
 A quarter of an hour before the sen- ate was to convene MT. Davis, chair man of the foreign relations commit tee, entered the chamber and quietly went to his seat in the center of the republican side. He placed on his desk a bulky package which all intuitively knew to be the fateful resolution and report from his committee upon which peace or war might hinge. The cham Der filled rapidly and when the vice presidents gavel fell nearly every sen ator was at his desk. Scarcely five minutes had elapsed after the session convened before the vice president rec ognized MT. Davis. An instant hush fell over the chamber. MT. Davis pre- scented to the senate the resolution and report from his committee and request ed that they be read. The report was a terrific arraignment of Spain and her policies, yet so eager were all to hear every word that not the slightest dem- onstration occurred throughout the reading.
 Following the presentation of the re- port, and after MT. Hoar of Massachu- setts, had insisted that consideration of the resolution go over until to-mor- row on point of order, come two of the most remarkable speeches yet de- livered on the Cuban question. MT. Foraker of Ohio and MT. Lodge of Massachusetts, both brilliant and im- passioned orators, presented different phases of the Cuban situation. MT. Foraker advocated the direct recogni- tion of the independence of the Cuban republic and with an eloquence and vehemence seldom heard in the senate, splendidly maintained his position. A sharp colloquy between him and MT. Elkins of West Virginia cause excite ment. MT. Lodge followed with an ap peal for action in preservation of the nations honor and in wiping out the stain of the "atrocious murder in Ha- vana harbor.' His words so reached the heart that the galleries were swept with a tremendous wave of applause. MT. Lindsay of Kentucky concluded the discussion of the day with a powerful speech in which he advocated the rec ognition of the Cubans and a concert of action between the insurgent army and the United States troops in driv- ing the Spanish forces from Cuba.
 Lodges Speech.
 Mir. Lodge said: ''I believe when we are face to face with foreign power that there is one duty that overrides all others higher than politics and higher than everything else, and that is that the congress and the people and the executive of the United States should stand absolutely together And now, MT. President, when the president comes to congress and invokes our aid in a controversy with a foreign coun- try and asks us to give him power to intervene, I desire that that great power of war should be given to him in that way.
 "I am against a declaration of war, but I prefer giving the power to inter- yene. I am against recognizing the government of the insurgent republic because of the president of the United States in his high responsibility has advised congress strongly against it. The president has nothing to do but to ask Mr. Palma to the white house and the Cuban republic stands up erect and recognized. We may safely trust that power to the president. When we authorize the president to intervene and use the army and navy of the United States we create a state of war. Let us not deceive ourselves at this solemn hour. Forms of words are of but little moment in a crisis like this The great central fact concerns the people to-day.
 "The president has asked us to author ize him to set up government there which shall be a stable government and a government capable of observing international obligations
 What kind of government can alone observe international obligations? Only an independent government. If we in- tervene we do not go there to take Gomez by the throat and make him stop fighting. We go there to put Spain out of that island, for in no other way can we create a government capa- ble of observing it's international obli- gations. No one can be more ayerse to