The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-28
SENATOR FRYE.
He Explains Proceedings of Commission
at Paris.

Washington, Jan. 27.-The Senate
continued the consideration of the
peace treaty in executive session to-
day, the doors being closed for almost
three hours
Senator Frye, member of the Paris
peace commission, and naturally a
strong friend Of the treaty, held the
attention of the Senate during the
greater part Of this time Constructive
~, ne occupied the floor during the en-
tire session, but he was frequently in
terrupted by other senators.
Most of those Interruptions came in
the way OF questions, but some of them
took the form OF speeches,
rms was notably the case with Sem
ator Berry's Interruptions. He spoke
for some time, and in doing so de-
nounced the treaty in severe terms.
senator Frye devoted himself large
~ to an explanation OF proceedings Of
the commission, reading literally from
the record as already printed, but
stopping as he proceeded to explain the
quotations which he made. He had not
proceeded a great way in his EXPOSE
ton of the subject when he was asked
II the president had not originally in
structed the commission to only insist
upon securing a coaling station In the
Philippine group. To this Mr.. Frye
replied that he did not feel at liberty
TO give his interpretations of the pres
ldents instructions, but Ii was not me-
cessaiy that he should do as the pres
ident had, he said, determined to COM
ply partially, at least, with the SEN
ate's request for the documents on file
bearing upon the negotiation of the
treaty, and Mr.. Frye said he felt justi-
fled in f1a no 10 =
pers would be received not later than
Monday.
Mr.. Frye devoted the principal por-
ton of his speech outside Of reading Of
the report To an explanation Of why
the Philippine archipelago was includ-
ed in the cession to the United States.
He was asked why those islands were
not placed in the same class as Cuba,
the soyereignty over this
uished, while in the case of the
Philippines it had been made over to
the United States, and replied that the
difference was made because in case of
Cuba the commission was acting under
instructions from congress.
He was reminded that the Filipinos
protested to be fighting for freedom
just as the Cubans Were and that they
were still contending for their own in
dependence. one senator reminded
him of representations of Aguinaldo's
American agent, Agoncillo, and asked
If he meant to force The Filipino peo-
pie to actual hostilities, to which Mr.
Frye retorted that 1t was the opposi-
ton which was forcing a continuance
of the state of war and which would
be responsible for hostilities il they
should occur.
AS for himself, however, he did not
know the Filipinos in the transaction.
The treaty he said, should have been
ratified 10 days ago, and IL it had been,
danger Of war with the people of the
Philippine islands would have been
averted.
Senator Mason asked whether the
commissioners did not know when they
made the treaty and whether he did
not know now that the natives of those
Islands were then, as now, demanding
their independence. In response, Mr..
Frye repeated that the commission had
dealt with Spain regarding the Flip
mos as subjects OF that country Sena-
tor Berry, In his speech, declared that
the acquisition OF the islands was
werely a speculative scheme containing
more of the element Of land grabbing
than of patriotism and philanthropy.