The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-02-07
By Senator Spooner in Advocacy Of Ratif-
cation Of the Peace Treaty..
EVIL EFFECTS OF ANNEXATION
OF the Philippines 2 s Part of the United States Admitted by Him..He
Advocates the Constitutional Right of Government of the
Islands by Congress a a CoIony-Some Pertinent CUES.
tons Put by Senator Tnlman-His Tilt With the
Wisconsin Senator-Hcuse Passes the River
and Harbor Bill.

Hrmly nXeQ becomes Its sovereignty!
| Senator Spooner: "The Senator
knows I do not mean that and he
knows, too, that that is not true. He
knows, too, that an unsuccessful re-
sistance of tyranny does not displace
the sovereignty Of the controlling pow
er.
Shortly afterward Senator Tillman
again interrupted Senator Spooner
with the statement that if Senator
Spooner had been present at yester-
days session he would not have made
certain statements. He the proceeded
to cite from the reports of the United
States consul at Manila certain facts
concerning the progress of the revo-
luton against Spanish rule in the
islands.
els not the Senator making public.
replied Senator Spooner,. smiling.
some information concerning the ex-
ecutive sessions of the senator"
Eyes, I am" replied Senator Till
man. But the information 1 have"
holding aloft a printed document, lis
Contained in this book which has been
made public and I will, therefore, be
excused from violating faith with my
brethren of the senate"
Senator SpoOner said that no gov
eminent, as had been contended or the
floor Of the senate, had been established
in the Philippine islands. 1t could
not be seriously regarded as a govern
ment and it was nothing more than a
tinhorn affair at best.
Senator Tillman, again interrupting
the Wisconsin senator and again hold
ing alOft the document which he held,
said: UNLESS the senator withdraws
his imputations against the good
faith and honesty of A%guinaldo, 1 will
read what 1 have here"
Senator Spooner' 1 have made no
reference to Aguinaldo.
Your remarks about A~guinaldo,"
retorted Senator Tillman, were made
in a sneering and airy manner, indi-
eating no respect"
Senator Spooner: eff the senator
from Aguinaldo will permit me to
pursue my argument in my W way
1 will be grateful. I have said moth
ing about Aguinaldo and do not care
to have my speech anticipated.
Senator Spooner then explained that
he had not been present yesterday on
! account of illness and was anxious on
account of his physical condition to
complete his argument as soon as pos
sible.
Senator Tillman: In the circum-
, stances l will not again interrupt the
!, senator and will even endure the snee1
about my being a senator from Agui-
naldo."
Senator Spooner promptly withdrew
/ his reference to Senator Tillman and
then proceeded with his discussion Of
2 the so-called Philippine republic. Re-
p ferring to the authority and power Of
, Aguinaldo, he said that what he rep.
: resented nobody knows; whom he rep
t resents nobody knows; and nobody
: could say how far his authority extern
ded. He ridiculed the idea that dis
lance could affect our right to acquire
territory. Why was there no Objec
e ton to the acquisition of Porto Rice
I if there must be so much opposition t.
: taking the Philippines. The consen
: Of the Porto Ricans had not been asked
+ Senator Bacon replied that the cir
cumstances were different because O
t the proximity of Porto Rico, as thu
: presence of Spain in either of tn
4 West Indian islands would be inim'
ical to the United States.
d L thank the senator from Georgis
for the admission" responded Senate.
4 Spooner. THE declaration of indie
6 pendence is to be suspended as to tn
a West Indies because it is in the inter
: ] est of the United States.
n mo not our interests, replied Sen
: ator Bacon. Our public safety, which
: is greater than our interests are effect
ed"
T Our interests are included in GU
e national safety" said Senator Spooner
The senator practically admits tina
e we van Porto Rico because we neeC
it in our business.
t Senator Spooner announced his ap
~prehension of the policy of expansion
Some people waltz up to this propo
sition of Irrational expansion as gaily a!
the troubadour touches his guitar,
said he. He shrank, he said, from tn
7 policy of making a part of our lant
q tropical islands thousands of mile:
from our shores, a land whose people
were alien, not of our blood, who were
! foreign TO our institutions, Of a tropi,
e cal climate in which the white man
q cannot work. He, therefore, consid1
y cred as superficial, sentimental and
y fanastic much of the talk concerning
: the permanent annexation of these
r faraway islands. If the ratification Of
the treaty involved permanent domin.
d ion, he said, he would not vote for it
But he had not been able to find any
t half way resting place between accept.
: ing the accession and the abandoning
t of these islands to their fate INC this
S was not permissible. The president
S kid and generous as he is, would not
r have to make a treaty leaving the
d Philippine archipelago to the lust the
e savagry and the brutality of Spanish
: r :. TO have attempted this course
: would have been to inaugurate a rule
: of anarchy with all it's horrors. and
D while war was cruel and bitter, an
D arch was hell let loose on earth.