The record-union., 1899-01-14
McLdurin Addresses the Senate in
Opposition to Expansion.
Declares This Country Cannot Maintain the
Philippines as a Colony.
The House Enters Upon Consider
alton Of the Naval Personnel
Bill - Indications That the
Measure Will be Passed by a
Large Majority.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13.-In the Sen
ate to-day McLaurin CD Of South
Carolina took strong ground in a care
fully prepared speech against the pol
icy of expansion of this country He
cited as one Of the principal reasons
why the United States should not as
sumo domination of peoples who are
widely dissimilar to the people of this
country the experience of the South
with the negro race. He advocated the
adoption of the Vest resolution, declar-
ing that this country could not main
tain permanently as colonies such terri
tory as the philippines, and held that
it would be in opposition to the spirit
of American institutions to do so.
Sullivan CD Of Mississippi and Pasco
CD Of Florida discussed the pending
Nicaragua Canal bill, the former sup
porting it and the latter opposing it.
The Indian appropriation bill was
taken up, but it's consideration was not
concluded before the hour of adjourn
ment.
The Senate promptly passed resolu-
ton authorizing the admission of Louis
Iglesias, son of President Iglesias of
y
West Point, and a bill authorizing the
Arkansas and Choctaw Railway Com
pany to construct and operate a rail-
road line through the Choctaw and
Chickasaw Nation, in Indian Territory.
Allen of Nebraska introduced the
following resolution:
That a committee of five Senators,
no more than two of whom shall be of
the same political party, shall be APP
pointed to make full inquiry into the
conduct Of the late war between the
United States and Spain. Said COM
mittee shall have plenary authority to
inquire and report on the advisability
Of acceptance Of encampment for troops
by the military authorities of the United
States, the time, character and places
of delivery of commissary, Quartermas-
ters' and medical stores, the quality and
quantity thereof. and the regularity of
their delivery, and into all things in
any manner afecting the care, discip-
line and health of the troops in the
field and in camp, and into all other
matters and things in any manner af-
fecting or bearing on the health, regu-
larity and discipline Of the army, and
" iAN tiiGA lLClC IL just CduSG " COIIlpldlIl
of the places Of encampment, food, med
zeal stores and Quartermasters' supplies
furnished"
Objection was made to immediate
consideration of the resolution, and it
went over
A bill granting to the city of Saginaw,
Mich, the privilege of identifying and
using as public park the part of the
Postoffice property that may be
deemed unnecessary for Postoffice use
was passed.
In accordance with notice previously
given, McLaurin CD of South Carolina
then addressed the Senate in support of
the Vest resolution, declaring the policy
of expansion to be unconstitutional
The manifold and serious questions
growing out of the war with Spain are
now absorbing the attention of the
American people" began McLaurin. Il
am satisfied that our action in the next
month will settle the question of expan-
sion. There are at this time in the
Senate and at large two well-defined
and distinct views-one a policy of ex-
pansion involving a new definition of
our government, and the inauguration of
a colonial system, with all the perplex-
Ing problems incident to it. The other
opposes policy Of Imperialism, and is
based upon the Governmental policy of
the last century, and in my Judgment is
the only position that is in harmony
with the Constitution and the spirit
and genius Of republican institutions.
McLaurin felt that as a Representa-
tive of South Carolina he was pecu-
liarly qualified to speak on the incor-
poration of a mongrel and semi bar
barous population into our body polite.
The experience of the South for the
past thirty years with the negro race .
he said, lis pregnant with lessons of
wisdom for our guidance in the Philip
pines. 1t is passing strange that SEN
ators who favored universal suffrage
should now advocate an imperial pol
icy. There is a glazing inconsistency
in their positions. If they are sincere
i'll their views as to the Philippines,
they should propose an amendment to
the Constitution which will put the
inferior races in this country and the
inhabitants of the Philippines upon an
equality as to their civil and political
rights, and thus forever settle the
vexed race and suffrage questions in
this country as well as in the outlying
territories.
How can they consistently, Justly
ard, might add, constitntionally, ad-
vocate a policy for outlying territories,
embracing races SO nearly akin to the
negro which differ so radically from
the policy adopted as to that race in
the South? There can be but one an
swer to that question, and that is that
they substantially admit, in the light
of a. third of centurys experience,
that universal suffrage is a monu-
mental failure, and that the time has
come for the correction of this stu
pendous governmental error
Universal suffrage in the South long
since degenerated into a race question: =
continued McLaurin, land as such led