170 



CONGRESS. (THE CUBAN AND PHILIPPINE POLICY.) 



respect to Cuba imposed by the treaty of Paris on 

 the United States, now to be assumed and under- 

 taken by the Government of Cuba. 



" IV. That all acts ot the United States in Cuba 

 during its military occupancy thereof are ratified 

 and validated, and all lawful rights acquired there- 

 under shall be maintained and protected. 



" V. That the Government of Cuba will execute, 

 and as far as necessary extend, the plans already 

 devised or other plans to be mutually agreed upon, 

 for the sanitation of the cities of the island, to the 

 end that a recurrence of epidemic and infectious 

 diseases may be prevented, thereby assuring pro- 

 tection to the people and commerce of Cuba, as 

 well as to the commerce of the southern ports of 

 the United States and the people residing therein. 



" VI. That the Isle of Pines shall be omitted 

 from the proposed constitutional boundaries of 

 Cuba, the title thereto being left to future adjust- 

 ment by treaty. 



" V 1 1'. That to enable the United States to main- 

 tain the independence of Cuba, and to protect the 

 people thereof, as well as for its own defense, the 

 Government of Cuba will sell or lease to the United 

 States lands necessary for coaling or naval stations 

 at certain specified points, to be agreed upon with 

 the President of the United States. 



" VIII. That by way of further assurance tjie 

 Government of Cuba will embody the foregoing 

 provisions in a permanent treaty with the United 

 States." 



The design of this amendment was to influence 

 the Cuban Constitutional Convention to make con- 

 cessions virtually acknowledging the suzerainty 

 of the United States; and, while professing to 

 repeat and carry out the self-denying joint resolu- 

 tion of April 20, 1898, it smoothes the way to a 

 new policy, if it seems advisable. Several amend- 

 ments to the amendment were proposed, and de- 

 feated; the declaration, as originally reported, was 

 adopted, Feb. 27, by a vote of 43 yeas to 20 nays; 

 not voting, 25. The discussion was brief, and it 

 brought out nothing of importance. 



Feb. 25, the amendment in regard to the gov- 

 ernment of the Philippines was proposed during 

 the consideration of the army appropriation bill 

 in the Senate. Jt was originally ofTered by Mr. 

 Spooner, of Wisconsin, adopted by the commit- 

 tee in charge of the appropriation, and amended 

 and passed by the Senate Feb. 27, by a vote of 

 45 yeas to 27 nays; not voting, 16. The discus- 

 sion was not prolonged; but various propositions 

 looking to less arbitrary methods were offered and 

 rejected. The amendment as finally passed was 

 as follows: 



" All military, civil, and judicial powers neces- 

 sary to govern the Philippine Islands, acquired 

 from Spain by the treaties concluded at Paris on 

 the 10th day of December, 1898, and at Washing- 

 ton on the 7th day of November, 1900, shall, until 

 otherwise provided by Congress, be vested in such 

 person and persons and shall be exercised in such 

 manner as the President of the United States shall 

 direct, for the establishment of civil government 

 and for maintaining and protecting the inhabit- 

 ants of said islands in the free enjoyment of t.hoir 

 liberty, property, and religion: Provided, That all 

 franchises granted under the authority hereof shall 

 contain a reservation of the right to alter, amend, 

 or repeal the same. 



Until a permanent government shall have been 

 established in said archipelago full reports shall 

 be made to Congress on or before the first day of 

 each regular session of all legislative acts and pro- 

 ceedings of the temporary government instituted 

 under the provisions hereof ; and full reports of the 

 acts and doings of said government, and as to the 



condition of the archipelago and of its people, shall 

 be made to the President, including all informa- 

 tion which may be useful to the Congress in pro- 

 viding for a more permanent government: Pro- 

 vided, That no sale or lease or other disposition of 

 the public lands or the timber thereon or the min- 

 ing rights therein shall be made: And provided 

 further, That no franchise shall be granted which 

 is not approved by the President of the United 

 States, and is not in his judgment clearly neces- 

 sary for the immediate government of the islands 

 and indispensable for the interests of the people 

 thereof, and which can not, without great public 

 mischief, be postponed until the establishment of 

 permanent civil government; and all such fran- 

 chises shall terminate one year after the establish- 

 ment of such permanent civil government/' 



The House of Representatives, on March 1, 

 adopted, with reference to these amendments, the 

 usual expedient for rushing through legislation; 

 and a privileged report was made from the Com- 

 mittee on Rules, to the effect that it be in order 

 to take the army appropriation bill from the table 

 immediately, and move concurrence in the Senate 

 amendments in gross; that the previous question 

 be considered as ordered after two hours' discus- 

 sion ; and that a vote be then taken without delay 

 or intervening motion. On this report the pre- 

 vious question was called, and ordered by a vote 

 of 130 yeas to 120 nays; present 4, and not voting 

 90. Under the rules, fifty minutes were allowed 

 for the discussion of the report, and at the end of 

 that time it was adopted by a vote of 145 yeas to 

 127 nays; present 4, and not voting 77. The two 

 hours' debate on concurring in the Senate amend- 

 ments followed. 



In the nature of the case there, could be little 

 in the discussion beyond a mere expression of 

 opinion. Mr. Gibson, of Tennessee, said: 



" Mr. Speaker, the provisions of this bill in refer- 

 ence to Cuba and the Philippines are wise and 

 salutary both for the people of the United States 

 and for the people of those islands. 



" First, as to Cuba, the Senate amendment is 

 timely and prudent. While we stand pledged to 

 recognize the independence of Cuba, we do not 

 stand pledged to allow it to become again the seat 

 of disorder, the propagator of the plague, the prey 

 of foreign powers, and the base of attack upon our 

 own country; and in giving Cuba her independ- 

 ence we must couple with the gift such condi- 

 tions that, while not harming her, will make us 

 safe. We propose that Cuba's independence shall 

 be a shield to protect her and not a sword to 

 hurt us. 



" Speaking for myself, I feel free to say that 

 when I voted three years ago that the people of 

 Cuba were ' free and independent ' I did not so 

 vote because I. believed it, but because it was em- 

 bedded in a resolution requiring Spain to leave 

 the island and directing the President of the 

 United States to drive her out if she refused to g$ ; 

 and I, along with many other members of this 

 House, swallowed the bitter with the sweet, voting 

 for what we did not believe, to get what we wanted 

 that is, to force Spain to leave Cuba. 



" I do not believe that the Cubans are fit for 

 self-government, and so I do not want us to turn 

 the island completely over to them until they 

 demonstrate their capacity to rule their island 

 wisely and well, so that life, liberty, property, and 

 the pursuit of happiness shall be secured to all 

 under good law r s properly administered. 



" Indeed, if the people of Cuba are wise and 

 prudent, they would be glad to have our Govern- 

 ment exercise a sort of mild guardianship for a 

 short time; and the fact that so many of their 



