The Oskaloosa herald., 1906-09-20
CUBAN CONGRESS
STANDS BY PALMA
GRANTS FULL POWER TO CARRY
ON THE WAR.
ADDS TO FIGHTING FORCE
Triples Number of Rural Guards and
Doubles the Artillery After Brief
Message From Executive
l IS Is Read.


Havana, Sept. 15.-The extra ses-
sion of congress called by President
Palma completed at one sitting Fri
day afternoon the business for which
it was summoned. namely, the grant
ing to President Palma of the fullest
power not already constitutionally
possessed by the executive for carry
ing on the war, including the right to
appropriate any public funds for war
purposes; revoking appropriations
voted at the preceding session of con.
gress in order to permit the diversion
of the moneys involved to prosecu.
ton of the war, and authorizing in.
creases of the rural guards to 10000
and the artillery to 1000 men. This
triples the former force of rural guards
and doubles the artillery. These
measures, which were combined in
one blanket bill, were passed by party
vote, the liberals and independents
refraining from voting and the liberal
nationalist voting with the moderates.
Palma's Message.
President Palma submitted brief
message, principally devoted to de-
ploring the conduct of the opposition,
whom he charged with the RESPONSE
bility of causing the rebellion. The
message contained no recommends
tons beyond suggestions that congress
approve all recent executive DEGREES
and take such steps as may be deemed
advisable for ending the war The
president regretted that the first extra
session of congress should have been
lie order, and said nobody would have
expected that four years after the in
auguration of the republic it would
have been in the midst of rebellion
threatening the stability of the gov.
eminent, causing the sincerity of
Cuban professions to be distrusted by
the world and endangering the indie
pendence and sovereignty which had
been purchased so dearly with the
blood of thousands of Cubans after
long years of cruel sacrifices. Who"
asked the president, would have sup.
posed that with the prosperity of the
country and the well being of the peo
pie so advancing, with millions in the
treasury after paying $19,000,000 to
the army of liberation and investing
81 100000 in public Improvement and
with such splendid credit abroad,
there would be Cubans who would
conspire to change the constitutional
order by placing armed force, violence
and anarchy before law, order and
peace, to the country's shame and
sorrow?"
Charges Plot to Opponents.
President Palma charged his politi.
cal opponents with having ever since
the opening of the last election cam.
paign plotted to use violence, and in
support of this he instanced the open.
ing of the last election campaign plot
ted to use violence, and in support of
this he instanced the attack on the
rural guards in the Guanabacoa bar
racks last FEBRUARY. He said the op.
position had seemed to devote them.
selves to such efforts rather than to
organize effectively for the contest for
votes at the next election, as was done
among peoples who were accustomed
to the exercise of the boons of lib.
erty. He added that those who at the
last election used violent methods to
attain power at all costs are the same
who, without mercy to their country,
organized dark and INSCRIPTIONS con-
spiracies, using assassination and
seeking to seduce the army of the re-
public from its loyalty as means Of
reaching their despicable ambitions. =
The executive, said President Pal.
ma, had had knowledge of these con.
spiracies and could have adopted pre-
tentative measures; Blu q wished to
proceed only in accordal with dem
ocratic principles in a fctly fair,
lawful and clearly. justifiat manner,
never imagining, in view o. Ae pros
porous and progressive conmion OF
the country, that any excepting ad.
venturers would have done such
things.
Rebels Offer to Surrender.
Havana, Sept. 15.-The emissaries
sent into Havana Friday by Alfredo
Zayas, the liberal leader, announced
that Zayas has telegraphed to the in.
surgent commander of every province
to cease fighting because negotiations
were pending for surrender to the
American naval commander.
The extraordinary persistence of
Senior Zayas and Gen. Del Castillo in
their desire to surrender to the
american naval commander was
shown again when an automobile con-
tanning Felipe Romero, a prominent and
wealthy resident of Havana, and
Cuban companion, invaded the scene
of hustle incident to the reembarka-
ton Of the blue jackets from the
Denver. Senior Romero came off,
cially to present the compliments OF
the insurgent commanders outside of
Havana and to announce that they
were ready to march in and surren-
der on board the Denver to the COM
mander Of the cruiser on conditions
named, namely, that the United States
guarantee them fair judicial trials.
Commander Colwell replied that he
was entirely precluded from informed
\