The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-02-07
SENATE.

another day of expansive oratory in
the senate. In the open session the
speakers were Senators Chiffon, of
Texas, and Wolcott, of Colorado. Sena-
tor Chiffon made a constitutional ar
gument in support Of the Vest resolu-
ton. Senator Wolcott made an elo-
quent-almost impassioned-appeal to
the senate for the ratification of the
peace treaty. At the conclusion of his
brief address he was accorded the COM
pliment of hearty applause.
At the beginning Of the days session
senator Allen, of Nebraska, offered a
resolution to the effect that it is the in
tention and purpose of the senate in
ratifying the treaty of Paris to place
the inhabitants of the Philippine is
lands and Porto Rico in exactly the
same position as respects their relations
to the United States as are the inhabi-
tants of Cuba.
Senator Allen gave notice hat he
would address the senate upon the res
olution on Monday.
Senator Chiffon then addressed the
senate. He asserted that he was not
al anti-annexationist. Within proper
limits he regarded it as the duty of
this country to widen it's bounds. He
thought the acquisition of Porto Rico
Inc the island of Guam as we'll
enough, but in the acquisition of the
Philippines a grave public policy was
involved. He believed such acouisi-
ton involved serious perils and that
dangers to our government and insti-
tutionS would constantly menace us.
He did not regard the of
the PHILIPPINES as at all similar to that
of louisiana, California and other ter
ritory, now a part of the United States.
His belief was that if we took the Phil
ippines and they became a part Of this
country our>people would never cease
to regret it.
senator Chiffon said if our operations
were confined to Porto Rico and Cuba,
we would need no increase in the
standing army, but if the Philippines
We're taken we should require an army
or U O,O0e men to Subjugate the scat
tered and turbulent elements in the is
lands and pensions would be piled on
pensions. He declared his belief that
the supreme court would hold that con-
gress had no power to prevent the
Ph1llppinO from passing from one part
OF the country to another. But even
IL the inhabitants were shut out their
products would not be and cauld not
be.
Senator Foraker, of Ohio, int zrupt-
ing Senator Chiffon, called his atten-
ton to authorities for the statement
that it would be competent for any
state of the union to protect itself in
any way it saw fit, by levying import
duties on importations from the Phil
ippines.
This point was harply controverted
by Senate Chiffon, be declaring it was
certainly not true. He continued that
the laboring people of the country had
caught the alarm and read a letter
which he had received from the ma
tiOnal cigar makarS' nninn nroir0 cor
gress not to annex the Philippines, on
the ground that it would demoralize
the labor market of this country.
Senator Chiffon said he would do with
the Philippines what the United States
had done with the republic of Liberia.
on the coast of Africa. Liberia took it's
Independent position as a sort of off,
shoot from the United States and had
Deen given moral protection by the
United states. With such an
ment no European would
dare to interfere with the independent
government of the Philippines.
In conclusion Senator Chiffon urged
an amendment to the treaty declaring
IN effect that we did not propose to
maintain permanent possession of the
Philippines. That would assuredly sat
isfy the treaty.
AT the conclusion of Senator Chilton's
speech Senator Wolcott was RECOGNIZED.
He urged the ratification of the treaty
. on purely moral and patriotic grounds,
Ii the commissioners appointed by the
president had presented to the senate
a treaty yielding to the Philippines is
lands he would have felt it his duty
10 ratlty their action; if they in the
treaty held only a coaling station he
would nave felt bound to support their
ACTON. In their WISDOM" said he.
they nave brought to US a treaty pro-
V1ding for the taking of the entire Phil
lpplne group, and I see before me my
duty to assist in the ratification of that
action. The commissioners appointed
by the president were men eminent in
character and ability. They have
brought back a treaty with Spain by
which we may deal with the Philip
plnos as congress hereafter may wisely
zeal. Yet we stand here day after day
ans over resolutions of no force
and effect and which serve only to en-
parrass our own people in the Philip
pines and afford comfort to our oppo-
nents on the stands. There is not one
OF these questions raised which may
not properly be dealt with after the
treaty is ratified.
However much we may differ among
ourselves, upon questions of internal
Uonal policy, we ought to stand as one
before a foreign foe. I for one recog-
nlze a great difference between a treaty
estaplishlng commercial relations with
another nation and a treaty bringing to
a conclusion a successful war. IT is
important that we should present an
unbroken front in meeting a question
of this kind. We owe a debt to orr
brethren across the sea. We had their
unqualified moral support n the in
Iiuence of their trained diplomats
the war. Had it not been
Tor england we should not have emery |
eu from the late war with colors fly |
ing SO nigh. Today we have among |
the nations of Europe only one friend |
treat Britain-the other nations |
stand with rapacious hate, hoping that |
we may some repulse."
AdVerting to the attitude of the oppo- |
nents of the treaty in e~ndeavoring to |
inject, as he said, politics into the con- |
slderation of the pending question and |
to force out of it an issue for the next
colt said: VI
But it is d%eplorable that in formu-
lating such an issue and in pursuit of
such a policy these leaders should find