The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-02-15
A PLAIN SPEECH
From Senator iillnnan on Fill
pino Question.
THE PRESENT AND FUTURE
We Can Shoot Them TO Death
But Is It Right? How
The World Will Look
At IT,.


Tuesday of last week had the resolution
declaratory of policy Of this govern
ment in the Philippines under discus
sion. but no vote was reached and the
resolution went finally to the calen-
| dar.
In accordance with the notice given
Senator Tillman addressed the senate
upon the resolution making charac
teristic and picturesque argument.
Mr.. Tillman said in opening that he
had listened to the debate upon the
treaty with interest, but without taking
part in It. He had contented himself
with occasional little forays and with
indulging in little guerrilla warfale.
The first thing that strikes me,
said he, in the reading Of this resolu-
ton is its absolute uselessness and its
cold blooded purpose-its simple de.
claratior of purpose to buy and sell
those people of the Philippines for our
interests and steadfastly to ignore their
interests. If mistake not the tlend
of events the ratification Of the treaty
promises disaster to the party response
bic for it.
If it was right, said he, in discuss
ing the changes Of votes on ratification,
to defeat the treaty on Saturday, it
was right to defeat it yesterday" He
said that never in his legislative ex-
perience had be heard so many speeches
against proposition followed by so
many votes in favor Of the proposition.
70 his mind it indicated that certain
senators had yielded to pressure.
Concerning the constitution, he de-
clared that the only sciutilla now left
Of it was that which required that a
treaty could only be ratified by a two
thirds vote Of the senate. The ratihca-
ton of the treaty, ne said, had deter
mined that fact that in law the tlllpl-
nos were rebels against the United
States. Ii they fire on our flag they
would be regarded as rebels. That was
the way the world saw it. However the
trouble in the Philippines might termi-
nate, the Fiiipinos would be regarded
as patriots who were fighting Tor their
liberty Just as much as were the Amer
can revolutionlsts.
If any resolution is passed here We
ought to pass one bringing peace to the
Philippines, not disaster,
The question now IS: Are we to
take the place Of Spain as task masters
AID tyrants?" Turning to Mr. Lodge
who was listening to the speech, Mr..
rillman inquired if the situation III the
Philippines was not unique, was not
unduplicated anywhere in history?
u think, replied Mr. Lodge, that
the situation Is unique in this that the
people to whom we have taken liberty
and freedom have turned upon US.
Mr.. Tillman declared that the sltua-
ton in the Philippines was similar to
that which confronted Great Britain IL
the Transyaal and after reviewing hug-
lands trouble in South Africa, said
chat we wanted nothing in those lslands
except the power to control their for
eign policy.
"Of course" he continued, we can
send tens of thousands Of troops to the
Philippines, and as the senator from
Montana, Garter, said the other day,
we can shoot those people to death; but
ought We to do it? Is it honorable for
US to do it,"
Mr.. Tillman then read some verses
from Killings latest poem, THE White
Mans Burden" which he regarded as
exactly fitted to our case. Every man
in this chamber. bat five. said he.
who has had to deal with the colored
race voted against the treaty. We OF
the South have borne The White Mans
Burden. 1t was handed down to us by
your fatlFer and mine and it cllngs tous
like the shirt Of Nessus.
He maintained that We did not want
to incorporate into our citizenship the
mongrel population Of the Philippines
and inaugurate another !ace struggle IN
the United States. :.
There are two cities in the Pacific,
said Senator Tillman over which our
flag breaks 10 the breeze. Over the one
it is harbingcr Of peace, good will,
prosperity and liberty.
'0verthc other-NIanila-it is cold
blooded and determined-to do what?
To force upon these people a govern,
ment whether it be satisfactory to them
or not
The debate for the day on the Nc
Emery resolution was concluded by Mr..
Lodge in brief speech in the course
Of which he stated some OF the facts
relating to the insurrection in the Phil
ippines against Spain and the part
.Agl;naldo took 10 it.
Further along Nr. Lodg" speaking of
the restraints placed upon the Amerl-
can forces in the Philippines: said
Stringent orders have gone from the
president to Gen. Otis aud Admiral
Dewey to exercise the greatest care in
their treatment Of the Filipinos, and
not bv word or deed to provoke them.
A fortnight ago Gen. Otis, inaccordance
with orders received from the admins
trat;on. officially informed Aguinaldo
that he had no Intention Of making an
attack upon the Filipino troops. Sen
ator Lodge concluded by reiterating his
st$.er.cnt that it was his belief that the
Filiyinos had made a preconcerted and
prearrangcG attack upon our troops at
Manila for the purpose Of influencing
action upon the treaty.
Mr.. Tillmau secured the floor again
to read paragraph from Maj. Bel, re-
port On the condition Of the Filipino
Insurgents, ana concluded wlth'the de-
ciaration that the peace commissioners
had goue to Paris with the purpose OF
buying the Philippines and that it was
now the purpose Of the administration
authorities 70 XIII tic Fi.ipinos like