The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-16
ION |NFANYS BRINK
Inside History of the Fight for
Cuban Recognition.
CONGRESS WAS FLOODED
With Worthless Cuban Bonds
--HoW the Game Was Beaten

Chicago, May 15-The paper said to be
closer to Mckinley than any other in the
United States. the Times Herald has the
following sensational editorial: Thomas
Estrada Palma, for many years the del
egate plenipotentiary and general agent
abroad" of the so-called Republic of Cuba,
has been making some confessions to the
New York Evening Post which shed a
hindlight on the gravest peril and black
est scandal which the United States es-
capped in its relations and war with Spain.
Mr.. Palma, about whose position there
has never been any doubt, now says there
was no junta or body Of men representing
the Cuban republic in the United States.
He personally was the sole representa-
tive Of the revolutionists." Benjamin j.
Guerro, a tobacco merchant of New York,
was his treasurer, and Senior Gonzalo de
Quesada was the charge d'a1faires OF the
same mythical republic at Washington
Having disposed of the Cuban junta thus
summary, and no doubt tTuthfully, Mr.
Palma proceeds to efface all records OF its
notorious bond joobing operations in the
name of Cuban liberty, which came with
in a breath of committing the United
States to a recognition of the elusive
Republic Of Cuba. Mr.. Palma says there
was less than 100000 collected by him
and expended for the Cuban fund, but he
says nothing of those other paper millions
in bonds which Tomas Estrada Palma
had paper authority to issue in the name
Of the Republic of Cuba.
1t was the latter fund, distributed with
lavish responsibility among newspapers,
politicians. senator's and representatives,
that on Sunday, April II, 1885, brought the
United States to the verge Of recognizing
the mythical Republic of Cuba, wsose
bonds were being hawked about Washing
ton in return for votes for the Turpie res
olutions. The inner history of those fate
full days, April 16, II and u.s. 1898, has
never been written, and II can never be
told in all its secret plottings and rami-
fications without blasting the names Of
some men who stand high in public life
But it was onlyathe exposure of the trap
that the Cuban junta had baited with
millions of bonds of a paper republic that
saved the American congress from
catastrophe TO which the blowing up Of
the Maine would have seemed a national
bensfaction.
Let US briefly recall the situation. April
IS the house of representatives by vote
of 800 to 147, refused to recognize the Gu
ban republic and passed joint resolu-
ton directing the president to intervene
and stop the war in Cuba with the pur-
pose Of securing peace and establishing
stable and independent government of
Cuba by Cubans-
The resolution went to the senate,
where it was actually torn to shreds dur
ing the three days Of debate and passion
and scandal that ensued. The trail of
Cuban bonds ran backward and forward
between the senate and the house. John
J. McCook was ubiquitous as the repre-
sentative Of the men who were distrib-
uting bonds to be redeemed at 40 cents
on the dollar If the Cuban republic was
recognized. The waves of that Shiny sea
Of speculation and corruption washed up
to the very steps of the White House,
which, to the honor of President Mckinley
and the glory of the republic, they were
not permitted to pollute.
On April 16 the senate, by vote Of 81
to q, passed the famous recognition reso-
buttons. After reciting the abhorrent
conditions in Cuba that had shocked the
world, the destruction Of the Maine and
the futile efforts made by the president to
secure peace. these resolutions declared
THAT the people of the island of Cuba
are and of right ought to be free and in
dependent, and that the government Of
the United States hereby recognizes the
Republic Of Cuba as the true and lawful
government of that island"
All this resolution then needed was the
acceptance Of the house and the approval
Of the president to saddle more than
$lo0.oo0.o00 of bonds-some issued at one
cent on the dollar, but the greater part
as premiums on corruption-upon the peo-
PIE Of Cuba. It would have been fruitful
Of complications between the United
/ States and the Cuban insurgents. 1t
/ would have placed our armies in Cuba
under the command of Cuban generals
/ Is auxiliaries. And it would have placed
! Us at the mercy Of any negotiations for
/ peace which the so-caHed Republic of
! Cuba might have entered into with
Spain.
All day Sunday. April Il. there was con-
! sternation throughout every responsible
/ branch OF the government in Washington.
/ Honest c,ear-visioned men saw the rock
/ of shame and disaster on which Cuban
/ bonds were rushing congress. The same
I influences that had stamped the senate
! had undermined the good sense and prob
ity Of some Republican Representatives.
! It was known that 80 Of the Republican
/ majority had been iroculated with the
/ recognition fever. II they went over in
a body 10 the Democratic minority Of
~ ic meant a majority Of L for the calam-
! ity Of Cuban recognition.
| President Mckinley and Speaker Reed
| worked together TO save their country and
! their party from the gulf Of shame into
| which the Democrats and a BODY n Re
| puoicans. called IT the tine "rec0ncen-