The Portland daily press., 1900-05-17
Mr.. Bacon Urges II To Be Duty Of
Congress.
honor of the Country is
at Stake.
Wants to Know If U. 8. IRtends
to Leave Island.

washinaton. May l6.-Disoussion Of the
administration OF affairs In Cuba py
agents Of the United 6tates occupied the
attention of the Senate during the greater
part of today's session.
Mr.. Bacon OF Georgia spoke ct length
on his resolution dirscting the COMMITTEES
on relations with Cuba to make an in
vestiaation OF the oonduct Of the financial
affairs Of the Island. He maintained that
it was the duty Of Congress to make the
inyestiaation called for BY the resolution
because 10 was due to the people Of this
country to know Just how affairs In the
island were being conducted and since the
disclosures Of the past few d. had been
made with respect to the alleged mis-np-
propriation Of funds In the postal ssction'
the obiigation upon Congress TO make
an Investigation was doubiy heavy. De
urged that the honor Of the country Us
pended upsn its being able 60 clear away
the fraud and corruption which. IL was
charged. had been discovered. He insisted
that the government of she United States
had no authority In Cuba aud demanded
to know how soon it pr opposed to redeem
its pledge and leave the government OF
the islsnd to Its inhabitants.
When the Senate convened to-day
House bill repeating the provision OF law
allowing usrcbsndise passing through
the United States from any foreign coun-
try to be transported free OF duty 80 far
as the Mexican fr,s zone 10 concerned
was passed.
A resolution offered by Mr.. Lodge CALI
,ne upou the Secretary OF the Treasury
for Information In regard to the innax
Of japanese laborers into the country and
whether there has been any violation OF
the contract labor law was adopted.
| The resolution offered several days age
By MIR. Bacon OF Georgia directing the
committee on relations with Cuba to In
yestisate and report to the Senats re-
a.rdipr the moneys received and expend'
ed In Cuba BY the civil and military au
thorities since pos session was taken OF
the island BY the military authorities oi
the United States was called up, Ii
sreaking of the resolution. Mr.. bacor
submitted the provision that there oouif
ts NO more mandatory duty than ina
VIII ioh rests upon the United States tha
every dollar so collected In Cuba sheuit
be applied 20 the people Of Cuba. Every
dollar so collected, he said. belongs to TN
people Of Cuba and not dollar to the
United Stated or to any official OF the
United States. Ii any thing were neoess n
~ to emphasize and accentuats the forc
Of his proposition 10 Was to bs 10 und in
the fact that the United States was
sslf-constitutsd agent in Cuban affairs.
Il was ho said,a plain duty OF Congpss'
to see to 1t that every dollar collected II
Cuba should be honestly handled an
lrieidly accounted for. He said 1t wn
particularly difficult to obtain . prope
accounting because Of the system OF ab
soihtism In vogue In our administrator
In Cuba. II there were no rumors b.
said, Of NAL on the islan
OF Cuba, the duty to investigate ths ousi
ness and governmental affairs Of Tn
island would be upon us.
But" he declared. "we are not urged
alone by the voice Of duty. Ths fact
urge the Investigation to be made. fhsr
has been In Cuba the most sxorbitan
and extravsgant expenditure OF money.
''If we had before us only the naks'
faot that the receipts on the island dur
ling q singls year were mora than sixteen
million dollars and the expenditures MOI
than fourteen million dollars We would
be- bound to investigate the subject to 90
tnat this vast sum had been properly an
prudsntly handled"
At this point Mr.. Chan iier. ohairma
OF the committee on privileges an
{ elections, called up ths resolution deoiAi
ing that Mr.. Clark OF Montana was nc
entitled to Q seat In the senats and Aske
that 1t be postponed until Saturday ne,
. at one O'Clock. "In ordsr," said Nj
Z Chandler, that the COMMITTEES on priv
, lsgss and elestions may oonsiaer VIVA
action shall be taken."
The request was agreed to.
Continuing, Mr.. Bacon presented
statement showing the receipts and O.
!. penditures OF the various states inciudfr
: G eorgia, Missouri and Massaohuset
They were In every instance iass tha
. those In Cuba.
t "Ihsse expenditures In Cuba" 80
. Mr.. Hacon, "ars 20 much larger In pr
o portion than thoss OF many states ths
Q even II there were NO rnmors Of extra
lagancs and fraud and corruption In 90