Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-09
GALLERIES WERE CROWDED EARLY
Mr.. Peppers Letters to The Star
Highly Praised.
ALDRICH-PLOWMAN CONTEST

Senate convened at II o'clock and the re-
served galleries filled rapidly soon after
noon.
Inc interest was quite evidently not con-
nned to the people in the galleries. When
the Vice Presidents gavel fell opening the
session noticeably larger number of sem
ators was present than is usual so early
In the day. The notice given yesterday by
both Senator Cannon Utah) and Senator
Mason ull.) that they would address the
senate upon resolutions they had intro
duced served as the magnet to draw sena-
tors from their committee rooms early in
the days session.
Rev. Dr. F. B. Meyer of London England
oHered the invocation at the opening of the
session.
Mr.. Butler IN. c. presented an amend
ment to the Constitution enabling Con-
gress to lay and collect an income tax.
Mr.. Allen presented and secured the
adoption of a resolution directing the COM
mittee on judiciary to investigate and re-
port to the Senate whether the order plac-
ing the employees of the government print
ing office in the classified service is proper
Mr.. Morrill, (Vt) called UP his joint reso-
luton authorizing the gliding of the statue
OF Liberty on the dome of the Capitol.
Mr.. Stewart (Nev.) said that in ordinary
circumstances he would not object, but he
maintained that we are informed by history
that the ancients worshipped gods of gold
and 1t seemed appropriate at this time that
the Goddess Of Liberty should be covered
with gold, as gold now seemed to be the
god that was most generally worshipped
Mr.. Chandler On. HI facetiously suggest
ed tnat the Goddess of Liberty statue
ought to be striped with silver Although
he would vote for the resolution to gild the
statue, he very much preferred a bimetal-
lie Goddess of Liberty. The resolution an
propriates 5000 for the proposed work and
on its passage Mr.. Hawley demanded the
nlrtfin
ed, 3O-22
MIR. Cannon on Cuba.
The resolution offered by Mr.. Cannon
(Utah) yesterday, urging the President to
notify Spain that If it fail to recognize the
independence Of Cuba before March T.
next this government would then recognize
the belligerent rights of the Cubans, and
ninety days thereafter assert the inde-
pendence of the Cuban republic, was then
laid before the Senate, and Mr.. Cannon
was recognized to speak upon the resolu-
ton.
MIR. Cannon in opening his speech read
from New York newspaper statement
in effect that the speeches to be delivered
today would amount to mere talk and
that nothing more harmless than talk
would result from the present agitation OF
the cuban question in the Senate. MIR.
Cannon said that it was not his purpose
rot the purpose of those who believed with
welfare Of the people of the United States.
He did not, he said, desire to reflect un-
necessarily upon the policy of the Presi-
cent, but there was phase of the ques-
ton, in the opinion of Mr.. Cannon, raised
by the newspaper article to which he had
referred, which ought to be considered.
BY what authority, he asked, did any pub
lie journal assert that nothing more sub
stantial ana effective than talk would re-
suit from the discussion of the Cuban ques-
tlcn in Congress?
Has some concerted plan been ar
ranged he asked, by the carrying into
effect of which the VIII of the people OF
this country is to be undone?"
Il want to say" said Mr.. Cannon, that
something more harmful than talk Will re-
suit from the discussion of the Cuban
question by Congress.
Those results will strike men in Con-
gress and men in high places in the admin
iStration. We have been told that policy
in the treatment of this Cuban question
was to be inaugurated that would startle
the country, but that policy has not yet
been developed"
War" continued Mr.. Cannon. ''is ended
in Cuba. The war that there existed has
developed into Il brutal contest of hunger"
Spain, he thought, had not the courage
to pursue it's operations against the patri-
OTIS in the field. The government of Madrid
vas bankrupt, her greatest statesmen had
passed away, and in the conduct of the
Cuban war she had adopted a policy to
ton.
Should the efforts of Spain succeed, the
result would be to saddle upon the people
of Cuba the enormo is debt of $IOO, 900 go
debt that has to a great extent been in
CURED in the vain effort to subdue the
spirit of liberty manifested by the Cuban
pa triotS.
Administration AssaiIed.
After some discussion of the general fea-
lures of the Cuban question, Mr.. Cannon
said: Il charge now that the purpose of
the administration Is in consonance with
the wishes of the Spanish bondhoiders, and
before peace is secured in Cuba security
for the payment of that tremendous debt
must be given by the blood stained island.
That, say, appears to be the wish of the
administration, and may say of SPAIN"
referring to the situation as it was pre-
sented when Mr.. Mckinley assumed the
presidency, Mr.. Cannon said 1t was almost
an earthly omnipotence which the Prasi-
dent possessed and possesses now. The
recognition Of the belligerent rights of the
insurgents would have been Of immense
advantage at any time during the present
Mal, put now such recognition would alb
solutely terminate the terrible struggle
Mr.. Cannon thought it peculiarly significant
that every Spaniard and every Spanish
sympath1zer was opposed to the recogni-
tion OF the belligerency of the Cuban pat
riots. while every Cuban had maintained
from the first that such recognition would
be Of such advantage as to enable them
to wrest victory from what otherwise
might possibly be defeat.
If the chief executive of this country
had dreamed when he entered upon his du-
ties of the power that was to be conferred
by his cath upon him, 1t would scarcely
have been possible for him to conceive Of
a greater opportunity to set people free
than was then presented to him. His sig
nature to q document would now set that
people free. What is 1t that stays the hand
Of Mckinley. We have waited long, but
our waiting has been in vain, and our cup
Of waiting is now FULL
Mr.. Cannon maintained that 1t was no
answer satisfactory to the Cuban patriots
or to the sympathizers with them that the
battle ship Maine should be sent to Cuban
waters. Above all 1t was no satisfaction to
see the stars and stripes dipped to the
Spanish ensign tits no answer to those in
waiting for something effective and fraught
with results. that the administration should
have under consideration at this time a
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