The times., 1898-02-22
TO AWAIT THE VERDICT.
The Senate VIII Not Immediately
Inyestira,e the Maine Disaster


me absence of discussion at the Capt.
toll yesterday of the disaster which befell
the battleship Maine is not to be accepted
as an indication of d loss of interest on
: The part Of The American Congress in tine
horrible catastrophe.
! Public men are simply waiting, and
waiting with some degree of impatience,
the report of the naval court of inquiry.
/ They reason that little further can be done
until the report of that court is made
! public.
The Senate yesterday agreed to the
resolution providing for the investigation
! by its naval committee on the causes
which led TO the destruction of the Maine.
! When Mr.. Allen. the author of the resolu-
| ton, last week offered il. he set forth that
the investigation should be made at once,
and the report submitted to the Senate
! forthwith This would have neccssitated
an immediate investigation and a posi-
! bic conflict between the Congressional
committee, which is possessed of no tech
nical knowledge, and the naval board,
which is supposed to have all the require
ments necessary to adequately determine
/ the causes which led to the accident.
! For this reason the resolution was antag-
onized by Mr.. Hale and other members of
| the committee. Yesterday, however. MIR.
1 Allen reintroduced his resolution with the
omission of the word, forthwith and
there was no opposition TO its adoption,
which was accomplished practically with
out opposition and no debate.
After this had been done, Mr.. Hale,
chairman of the committee. said the
committee would take up the subject and
investigate it at the earliest possible
moment. He admitted, however, that the
only way the committee could investigate
the matter was thraugh the naval board,
which had already begun the work. The
work of that board will be transmitted to
the committee as soon as practicable,
and upon this report the Senate commit
tee will base its conclusion and any state
ment it may see lit TO make to the Senate.
Ii is well known that had not the acci-
dent TO the Maine occurred, the Cuban
situation would have been forced TO the
front and the outbreak would have come
this week. Several well informed Sena-
tors among them some leading Repubh-
cans. who have had access TO the ofhcial
reports now on file in the State Depart
ment, have reached the conclusion that
the scheme of autonomy proposed by
Spain and which ii has sought 10 estab-
lish on the island, is a failure.
Every report from Consul General Lee
received by the department indicates that
this scheme is not practical and cannot
be successfully put into effect on the ISL
and; that the business Of herding inno-
cent non-combatants as reconcentrados
still goes on; that innocent women and
children continue TO be starved and that
men unable To carry arms, and who have
never risen in rebellion against the home
government, are not allowed 10 pursue
the avocations OF peace and earn Il living
for their families.
In word il may he stated that con-
ditions in Cuba have not been changed
since the withdrawal OF Weyler and the
substitution of Blanco. except that out
right murder in and around Havana in
open defiance of civilized law has been
stopped, although the devilish means re-
sorted 10 by the Spaniards and the de-
struction due to the well-known treach-
cry OF that people stiT continue.
With this knowledge before them these
Senator's had reached the conclusion that
it was time for Congress to act, and that
the dilly dallying, shiftless. do-nothing
policy of the Administration ought TO be
rebuked.
Among this number were some OF the
have always been the warm friends OF
the Cubans and the opponents Of the OPP
pressors of human rights and human lib
erty everywhere. In this class may he
named Senator Foraker of Ohio, Senator
Culom Of Illinois. and Senator Lodge Of
Massachusetts. These men and those
who were of the same opinion intended
to have reported a resolution recognizing
the independence Of the Cuban republic
And they would have submitted TO the
Senate speeches thereon that would have
made the country ring. In view OF the
disaster to the Maine they are inclined
to think that it would he unwisc TO agi-
tate the question at the present time, for
they do not want the world to think the
action contemplated by them was based
upon the appalling catastrophe. they
believe, however, that the tine has come
when the President can no longer with
hold the strong arm of the American peo-
pie. and refuse TO the patriots st.uggin"
for liberty the moral support of the Gov
ernment. which has held itself up as a
model for the liberty-loving people of the
world.
1t is, Therefore. with a vast amount of
report of the court of inquiry as To the
character of and the causes which pro-
duced the awful disaster in Havana har-
bor If that report says the accident
was due to internal causes, whatever
they may per- oually think. they will con-
slider it as closed incident, and take up
the Cuban question as if the Maine had
for the recognition of the in
dependence of the republic of Cuba, and
1t is believed that the public sentiment
which has been crystallizing during the
past few weeks will no longer permit the
House Of Representatives TO allow itself |
to be held in check through either the |
power of the Speaker or the President |
causes, il is needless to speculate as to |
what motives may actuate the two |
bodies forming Congress
That action will be decisive and imme- !
diate, and if the suspicious of the great |
mass of the American people are con- |
iirmed as almost every man now helieyac