Evening star., 1899-02-02
TELLER AND HOAR OPPOSED.
Arguments in Executive Session
Over the Peace Treaty.

Senators Teller and Hoar were the
speakers in the executive session of the
Senate yesterday. Mr.. Teller made a set
speech in support of the treaty and Mr..
Hoar replied. Both went over much
ground that had been covered before, but
some new points were brought out. Mr..
Teller devoted especial attention to the
capabilities of the Filipinos for self-gov-
ernment. He contended that they had not
yet reached the stage where they could
be considered capable of taking care of
themselves. and he based much of his ar
gument upon the incapacity demonstra ted
by their leader, Aguina!do. He read ex-
tracts from the Philippine leaders procla-
nation, contending that they demonstrated
beyond question that he was ignorant of
the first principles of popular government,
and especially of democratic form of
government. He referred to the fact that
the Filipino leader had in some of his pro-
nunciamentos spoken of himself as a die
tator, which, the Colorado senator said,
did not accord with the professions of
democracy made for him.
Value of Coal.
Mr.. Teller also referred to the general
situation in the orient, enlarging upon the
necessity for the United States to hold the
footing which had been secured through
what might almost be regarded as providen-
tial means He dwelt upon the reports of
vast coal deposits in the Philippines, and said
they were invaluable on this account to any
nation, for in the future the country which
controlled the coal deposits of the world
would dominate the other nations both
from commercial and military point of
view. At present the United States, Great
Britain and Japan control the principal coal
supplies, and he predicted that so long as
they continued to control them and were
friendly with one another they would hold
the retns of power. Other European ma
tons appreciate the Importance of the coal
TarN1N~ nYaI hi. f,s,
accounted for the anxiety of Russia and
Germany to get a foothold in the Philip
pines Russia was, he said, especially
grasping, and it behooved this country to
be on Its guard against the encroachments
of that great power.
In conclusion, Mr. Teller referred to his
antagOnsm to the administration, saying
that he expected to oppose the party in
power IN the next campaign, but strongly
as he felt on the questions which sepa-
rated him from that party, he was never
theiess, willing to sink party questions and
subordinate partisan advantage to what
he believed to be a much broader view-a
patriotic rather than partisan view.
Defense of AguinaldO.
Rising to reply, Mr.. Hoar said there
could be no doubt of Mr.. Teller's attitude
toward the republican party after his anx-
iety to have the treaty ratified had been
made so evident for he could not possibly
do anything that would go farther toward
encompassing the disorganization and de-
feat of the republican party than to make
certain the ratification of the pending
treaty.
Mr.. Hoar devoted the greater part of his
reply to g. defense OF Aguinaldo, whom he
compared to Simon Bolivar the South
American patriot. 1t would be remembered,
he said. that Bolivar also had upon occa-
sion taken upon himself the title of die
tator. and Yet who, on this account, could
accuse the Bolivian Eberator of being false
to his people or to their aspirations for
freedom? Agunaldo had so far shown HIM
self to be a shrewd and able leader and he
had not by any act of his shown himself
to be incapable of the highest degree of
leadership.
During the course of his remarks Senator
Hoar said that the argument had been ad-
vanced that the United States should be
partition of China, and proceeded to say
that this argument indicated a disposition
to grasp even more territory than had vet
been taken. Such a policy he thought
should be nipped in the bud, as he was very
confident that the people of the United
States would not profit by joining the
European powers in their efforts to tistrib-
ute among themselves the possessions of
this ancient empire.
This last remark brought Senator Davis
to his feet. While his name had not been
mentioned. it was evident that Mr.. Hoar
alluded to a remark of the Minnesota sem
ator- The latter said he had not adyo-
Gated any participation by the United
States In the process of dismemberment
but that he had only alluded to its proba-
bility and had said merely that the United
States should be on hand to protect their
own interests.