The Portland daily press., 1899-01-19
Senate Nearly Passed Nicaragua
Canal Bill,
AMENDMENT AFTER AMENDMENT
WAS VOTED DOWN.
Finally One by Mr.. Allison Caused
ACCOMMODATIONS Bacon of
Georgia Addressed the senate on the
Philippine Question.

| Philippine Question.
Washington. January ls.-At tho open
ing of today's session of the Senate the
chaplain. in his invocation referred feel
ingly to the death OF John Russell Young.
librarian OF Congress
MIR. Davis, chairman of the committee
on foreign relations, withdrew his notice
given yesterday of an executive session
today, on account OF the announced
speech Of Mr.. Macon of Georgia but gave
notice that tomorrow at the conclusion of
the speech Of MIR. Turner of Washington
he would ask the Senate to go into exe
eoutive session.
The Vice President announced his
appointment Of Senator Platt Of Con.
necticut to I'll the vacancy on the board
of regents of the Smithsonian institution,
made hy the death OF Senator Morrill, OF
Vermont.
| Mr.. Perkins Of California Of the naval
affairs committee called up the resolu-
tons providing for the admission 70 the
naval academy as students Ricardo
Yglesias OF Costa RIGA and Alberto Vene.
| zeluea Montoyoh OF CoIomo iA
MIR, Gear of Indians moved to amend
the resolution with reference to young
| Yglesias by adding the name of Oscar
| Dpignan OF Iowa, one of the Merrimao
heroes, but later at the request Of several
| Senators withdrew the amendment Both
resolutions wera adopted
A bill defining jurisdiction Of the cir
cult district courts of the United states
! in certain cases was passed.
| nf than
his anti-expansion resolutions. be said
in part Or all the great powers OF the
earth the government of the United States
| Ia the only one that contends for the right
la all people of self government When
they abandon in practice this principle,
when they impose their dominions on
that unwilling people in the majestic
march of free institutions the hand upon
| the great dial of the clock of the world
will have been set back a hundred years
| 1t Is not believed that the government
of the United States will with full appre-
citation Of the nature and cons squences OF
the act thus violate the principle OF the
| right of self government. There Is not IA
public man In the country who Will al
| nit that he fayors the enslavement OF a
people There is not Senator who would
not repel The charge II maze against him.
And yet there are many who are advocat-
ing course the inevitable consequences
of which, If successfully pursued Is to &C
| complish the epslavement of the people NJ
the Philippine islands.
| He quoted from the speech of Senator
| Foraker the statement that 1t WAS not the
purpose to hold the Philippine perma-
nently and said l am especially glad to
| have the assurance of the distinguished
| Senator that OF his own knowledge the
position thus stated by him Is the position
of the President of the United states. II
that position can be assured as the one
which this government Will take ana I'D
here TO, there will be little difference or
contention between us. These resolutions
which hnve introduced and the adoption
of which i am now advocating agree SUD
stantially with the position announced by
the Senator from Ohio. What desire,
however, is that there shall be an avowal
! of this position by tire law making power
of this government in joint resolution
Of Congress approved by the President.
! If IL is not our purpose to subject the
Philippine islands to our dominion; II,
on the contrary 1t is our purpose At the
proper time to recognize an independent
government in these islands. and to leave
them to the control of their own people,
so soon as proper settlement can bs had
and proper guarantees for the future be
assured, then such purpose ought to he
avowed at once in the most solemn and
conlusive manner.
Now what wish 10 accomplish by
shall In this hour of victory, OF undis-
puted physical power, make substantially
! the same declaration relative TO the
| Philippine islands that they have made
relative TO Cuba.
Mr.. Bacon declared there was no differ
ence in the rights OF the Cuban and
Filipin os, and they should all be con
sidered equal under the resolution adopted
| by Congress- although the Philippines
were in mind at the time of the declara-
ton of war do said our obligations to
the Philippines rested upon the alliance
IF the Americans with the Filipinos
during the war, and added: But that
| alliance aud CO operation did put us
under "A strong moral obligation not to
make peace with Spain which did not
| include In Its terms the sundering OF the
bonds which bound to her the Philippine
| islands
That obligation did not grow out of the
fact alone that the Philippines were in
rebellion to Spain, because we did not de-
clare war to correct all the wrongs In
| flicted by Spain on her colonies.
! We declared war only on account of
! Cuba, and our obligation TO the Philip
pines grew solely out OF the accident OF
war which threw us into cooperation and
alliance with these insurgents against the
| dominion of Spain.
! Again, we hear frequent anu earnest as
sertions that IL is our duty to see to 1t
| that European nations do not appropriate
the Philippine islands. Well, sir, l do
not wish 10 see these islands become the
property of land grabbing nations of
| Europe. wish and hope to see the in
habtants of the Philippines free and
independent nation.
They have the loyalty and pop uiation
sufficient Tor nationality and they have
shown their readiness to fight for their
freedom. | hope that by negotiations or
otherwise, it may be arranged and agreed
among the leading nations that they may
remain a free nation. am willing that
the United States shall through peaceful
measures endeavor TO accomplish this re-
suit, but | am not willing that the
i United states shall go 10 war to protect
the Philippine islam is from being de-
spoiled and appropriated by one or more
| European nations.
/ am most deeply impressed with the
| Importance of the prompt announcement
by this government of the declaration
contained in these resolutions that the
| United States do not intend TO establish
| its dominion over the Philippine islands.