The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-26
PLAYING INTO THE HANDS OF THE
SPANIARDS.

IN well ordered court OF justice, especial
~ in higher courts, lawyers are not per-
mitted in argument to go outside of the
record. and if they do the court calls them
back. In other words. they are required to
confine themselves to the matter in hand
and the points before the court. It should
be the same in a well ordered legislative
body. The object of parliamentary law, like
that of pleadings in court, is to eliminate
extraneous matter and present distinct
issue to be considered and disposed of be-
fore another is taken up. In the British Par
lament, which is the best ordered and most
business-like legislative body in the world,
all discussion is expected to be directed to
the matter before the house and that alone,
and he is regarded as the most effective
speaker who goes most directly to the heart
of the question to the exclusion of every
thing else
The discussion now going on in the United
States Senate regarding the peace treaty, or
rather disregarding the peace treaty, shows
how far it differs from high court or
well-ordered parliamentary body. The only
question before the Senate is whether it
win ratify the treaty or not. There is no
previous question in that body, but if there
were and if it were ordered the President
of the Senate after stating the fact, would
say, THE Senate will now vote on the main
question, which is, shall the Senate assent
to the treaty?" That has been the main
question and the only question before the
Senate since the treaty taken up, and
all the speeches made on any other phase
of the subject have been out of order. This
is equivalent to saying that the whole dis
cussion has been out of order, for most of
the speeches that have been made have re-
lated to the annexation of the Philippines.
That question is not before the Senate and
cannot come before it until after the treaty
is ratified. The treaty uses the same lam
guage regarding the Philippines that it does
regarding Porto Rico. In one case the treaty
says Spain cedes to the United States the
Island of Porto Rico" and in the other it
says Spain cedes to the United States the
archipelago known as the Philippine islands,
comprehending," etc. In neither case is there
any allusion to annexation or the future
government or disposition of the islands. All
the talk, therefore, on this branch of the
subject has been premature 1t will be time
enough for the United States to decide what
it will do with the Philippines when it has
got them. At present it has no title to them.
Until the treaty is signed it cannot legally
land troops outside of the city, bay and
harbor of Manila, which it holds by virtue
of the protocol signed Aug. u, 1898. Techni-
cally Spain is still in possession of the
Philippines and will be until the treaty is
signed and notifications are exchanged. The
treaty says:
Spain will, upon the exchange of the rati-
fications of the present treaty, proceed TO
eVacuate the Philippines as well as the
Island of Guam terms similar to those
agreed upon by the commissioners appointed
to arrange for the evacuation of Porto Rico
and other islands in the West Indies under
the protocol of Aug. IL, 1898, which is to
continue in force till its provisions are COM
pletely executed The time within which the
evacuation of the Philippine islands and
Guam shall be completed shall be fixed by
the two governments
The dilatory action of the Senate is there
fore prolonging Spanish ownership of the
Philippines and preventing the United States
from taking any steps towards the asser-
llOU VI It's prospective IlSlllS III TIE lSldHuSt
or even the enforcement of order. This de-
lay has given the Spanish priests in the
Philippines and the Spanish government at
Madrid time to start all sorts of plots and
intrigues to embarrass the United States.
1t has emboldened the insurgents. given
them time to rally and arm their forces and
made them much more defiant. 1t has en-
abed Aguinaldo, a bribe-ta1er and adven-
turer of the worst kind, to persist in his
attempt to rule the islands, although he
does not represent one-tenth of the popula-
ton, and to pose as the leader of a people
who are struggling for liberty. when in real
ity all he wants is to be military dictator
and looter-in-chief of the islands. Moreover,
the delay Of the Senate is responsible for IN
creasing sickness and deaths among our SOL
diers in the Philippines General Otis, at
Manila, has informed the government that
disease which cannot be successfully treated
in the cities on the coast would disappear
if hospitals could be established in the
mountains. This cannot be done until the
treaty is ratified, confirming the cession of
the islands and our title. In these and other
ways the delay of the Senate in ratifying
the treaty has worked great harm to ma
tional interests. The Senate is playing into
the hands of the Spaniards.