Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1899-03-08

months, passed the Dingley tarin law
The extra session also authorized, at the
suggestion of the President, the appoint
ment of monetary commission to CONFER
with European nations as to the possiDii-
ity of establishing bimetallism undef an
international agreement. The extra SEES
sion saw the submission OF treaty an
nexing Hawaii to the United states, az
though the treaty was not acted on OWING
to lack of time for its consideration. ne
work of the extra session was, therefore,
practically confined to the passage OF the
new tariff law and the appointment OF the
monetary commission.
Rapid March of Events.
When the Congress met in regular ses-
sion in December, 1897, the whole world
was on the qui vive over the possibility or
war between the United States and Spain,
The message of the President was diplo-
matically pacific, but Spain was making
promises and not keeping them. After
New Years events moved with startling
rapidity. and Congress, through them all,
held the whip hand. The Spanish minis
ter, Dupuy de LONE, with characteristic
Spanish craft, insulted the President In
a personal letter The battleship Maine
was blown up In Havana harbor. and the
country was ahame. Affairs with Spain
grew worse until the President called for
aid from Congress. The response vas
immediate and thrilling. Congress voted,
almost in silence, to give the President
$50 600, 600 to be expended in his OWL dis
cretion for. the national defense
Having given this expression of patri-
otic confidence, Congress went to work to
clean up the ordinary routine business and
appropriation bills in the expectation OF
war The strain became more tense every
day. The President and his cabinet sought
10 avert war possible. Congress deemed
IA inevitable and threatened to take imme-
date action. The President was forced
to yield to the congressional pressure.
Then the Fifty-ffth Congress passed his
toric resolutions declaring that Cuba was
and of right ought to be free and indie
pendent, and calling on Spain to with
draw from the island. Minister Wood
ford was given no opportunity to present
these resolutions to Spain, but received
his passports. Thereupon, ON April %,
Congress declared war against Spain, dat
ing the act back to the dismissal of Wood
ford on April 81. He left Madrid for
Paris, and Minister Polo Of Spain left
Washington for Montreal.
War had coira The President was au-
| thorized to recruit the regular army up to
| 81, 900 men, and directed to call for vol
unteers. He did both promptly, blockad
| ing Havana. From This time on Congress
was busy supplying men and money to put
the army and navy on war basis. Money
was voted almost without limit. and the
| House was represented In the army by
| fighting Joe Wheeler and other members
| who left their seats to accept commissions.
The Hawaiian annexation treaty could
not be ratified, owing to the sugar trust
| influence in the Senate, but law was
| passed by Congress etfecting the same
thing Hawaii was joined to the United
| States as a war measure, and commits
| sion of members, headed by Senator Cul-
lom of Illinois, was appointed to suggest
plan of government. Their report is
| still to be acted on.
Almost the first work in Congress after
war came was to provide money to meet
| the heavy appropriations. The war reve-
nue. act was passed, which put more taxes
on beer, legacies, sugar and oil corpora
| tions and provided for stamp taxes, all
of which are still ON the statute books.
Congress adjourned with the glory of
Manila Bay still ringing in it's ears, and
with an army of 275,000 men in the field,
and a well-equipped navy. Congress had
scarcely adjourned when the destruction
| of Cervera's fleet in Santiago bay prac-
| tically ended the war. The truce was
signed in August, and when Congress
met in December peace commissioners
were concluding a treaty In Paris. just
before the holidays they agreed on a
| treaty. 1t was ratiiedsby the Senate Feb.
| 6, after sensational debate, and with
| bloody fight with 4 guinaldc actually be-
gun.
| Vast Work Accomplished.
The Fifty fifth Congress did not provide
for the thorough reorganization of the
army, but to suppress Aguinaldo and oc-
cupy Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philip
pines it has provided temporary army of
$1,000 men. Thus in two years the Fifty
| fifth Congress has had three sessions, ag-
gresatipg about fourteen months. In that
brief period it has passed tariff bill, de-
clared war against Spain, ratified the
| treaty of peace, raised the army from
$4,000 to 275, 900, reduced it again to 97,-
| OO0 annexed Hawaii peaceaby, and
Porto Rico and the Philippines forcbly,
| temporarily freed Cuba and left the coun-
try with war taxes and rebellion about
| Manila, where American blooa is being
shed.
General legislation has suffered from
the war The census bill. the naval per-
sonnel bill, bankruptcy measure. code
| of laws for Alaska, several score of new
| public buildings, and other measures have
slipped through, but the Nicaragua canal
has scarcely advanced n step, ,ne annex
| alton of Hawaii is yet incomplete legally,
and several score of other measures re-
main as legacies to the Fifty-sixth Con
| gress. Yet the Fifty-ffth Congress has
| made history, and los of 1t.
| Expenditures Of Fifty fifth Congress.
The best estimates available at the
time this is written would indicate that
| the expenditures of the Fifty-hfth Con-