Rensselaer Democrat, Volume 1, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 April 1898 — CONGRESS NOW AGREED [ARTICLE]

CONGRESS NOW AGREED

Senale and House Unite on Hostile Resolutions. _ CUBA’S FREEDOM HAS COME. Decreed that the Foreign Yoke on the Island Shall Be Shattered. ACTION THAT MAY MEAN WAR Barbarous Spaniards Mu t Evacuate or Suffer Eviction. House Joins with the Upper Body in Recognizing the Independence of the People, but Not of the Present Government of Cuba Final Vote Shows 310 in Favor of Freedom and O Against It—Result Achieved After All Day and Nearly All Night Sessions of B th Bodies and Conferences Between Committees.

Armed intervention to drive Spain from Cuba, whose people are declared free, was ordered by the people of the United States, through Congress, at an early hour Tuesday morning, after a long discussion in both branches of the national legislature. By a vote of 310 to 0 the House of Representatives Tuesday morning, amid scenes of great excitement, declared for the independence of the iieople bui not of the present republic of Cuba. The Senate an hour earlier took similar action. It was a long and stubbornly fought battle between the upper and lower branches of Congress, but it ended in an agreement, reached in conference, which was ratified by both houses. The Senate was forced to recede. It yielded the recognition of the republic of Cuba, and voted to adopt tbe resolution in the same form as it came from the foreign relations committee, with the exception of the Teller amendment, which disclaims any intention on the part of the United States to exercise sovereignty in Cuba. This was retained. The resolutions as finally adopted recognize the people of Cuba as free aud independent. They demand that Spain immediately withdraw her troops and navy from Cuba and Cuban waters, and direct the President to use the army and navy of the United States and the militia of the several States to carry the decree of Congress into effect. The House made a hard fight to have the words “are and” in the first resolution stricken our. It wanted .the declaration to read, “The people of Cuba of right ought to bo free and independent,” but the- Senate refused to recede. It had granted the first and main request of the House, and would go no farther. This was the situation when the Senate and House convened at 8 o’clock Monday night to hear the report of the first conference committee. At 11 o'clock another conference was decided upon, and the same Senators and Representatives were appointed to serve on the committee. At 1 o’clock Tuesday morning the conferees had agreed. The Senators had remained firm, aud the Representatives had receded. The report of the committee was immediately laid before the Senate and that body without further debate adopted the report by a vote of 42 to 35. The report with the action of the Senate thereon was then sent to the House, where it arrived at 1:38 a. ni. Ou the final vote by which the resolutions were adopted 310 Representatives were recorded in favor of the resolution and six opposed to it. There was a fight to the last minute, however, the advocates of recognition of the independence of the island republic standing their ground until they were fairly knocked down by a vote of 42 to 35. The’ minority vote was east by those who wanted radical action and insisted that the resolution should carry with it recognition of the independence of the Cuban republic. Upon this a split developed which very nearly proved fatal to any action at all. The adoption of the conference report brought to a close one of the most interesting and tumultuous sessions of the Senate held in years. Such scenes of confusion and excitement have rarely been witnessed in the ordinarily staid and dignified body as characterized its proceedings from, noon Monday until nearly 2 o'clock the following morning. A feeling of bitterness grew up between the Senate and the House during the late afternoon and evening that at one time seemed likely to delay action. Cooler counsels prevailed, however, and 'a determination of the momentous question was finally reached. Those who were fighting for recognition of the island republic early decided that the Semite should not take the initiative in requesting a conference between the two houses. TLey further resolved that when the Senate conferees were finally appointed at least two of them should represent the majority sentiment of the body. The radical advocates of independence slowly hut none the less surely lost ground, however, being swept back by the powerful and compact minority opposed to them. They yielded only after one of the bitterest contests in the history of the Senate.'