The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-01-24

A bill reported by the judiciary com
mittee, providing for the attendance or
witnesses pertaining to the court Of
claims was passed.
Mr. Frye OF Maine presented the
credentials of Hon. Eugene n. Hale, re-
elected Senator from Maine for the term
beginning March 4, 1899. They were filed.
A special urgency deficiency bill carry
ing $50, 900 WAS passed. Mr. White of
California then addressed the Senate on
the anti ex pansion resolution offered by
Mr. Vest of Missouri. In view of the
proposition of the California Legislature
to Instruct MIR. White and his col
league, MIR. Perkins, how TO vote on the
policy Of expansion and upon the pending
peace treaty, the remarks of MIR. White
were regarded with much interest.
Mr.. White spoke not only of the Vest
resolution but also to that offered by Mr..
Bacon of Georgia declaring the inhabi-
tants of the Philippines entitled to liberty
and Independence.
Mr.. White tuck as texts for his remarks,
certain paragraphs from the supreme
court decisions, "a sentence from President
McKinley's Atlanta speech and u pan "a
graph from the report Of Admiral Dewey
To the navy department., saying that the
Filipinos we're as well qualified for self
government Ms the Cubans He said he
had no intention of discussing the ques-
ton nom a legal standpoint rs such IA
discussion would serve no useful purpose.
F" he views of Senators Of eminent abili-
ty.'" said he. demonstrated the futility
Of endeavoring to secure accord upon that
point"
..sHe denied the doctrine that seeks To
give this country jur isdiction in some
cases and denied 1t Others While IL might
be admitted that We had the power to ae-
cuire foreign territory, whether we should
DO so depends upon the circumstances.
He maintained that the question pre-.
scented was one purely of politics. should
1--we take this Philippines ne asked. should
we take in seeds that would prove to he
seeds of dissolution of our body politicS
He thought not, and said he would en-
deavor TO show why we should not. for
| he believed II our duty to see TO IL that
our sy stem WAS kept free firm ali such
contamination.
MIR, White declared that no conclusion
was possible except that IL was the inten-
| tion OF this government ana tho officers
| in power to annex the Philippine islands
MIR. White then referred to the President
statement that the attitude of the United
States toward the Philippines was TO be-
one of benevolent assimilation. MIR.
! Chandler of New Hampshire interrupting
MIR. White said: 1.-The other day when
this benevolent assimilation bagbear was
raised before the Senate | took occa sion
to look I'D the definition given by MIR
Webster Of assimilation. If the Senator
viii permit me. 1T means molance,
a likeness but not necessarily amalgama-
tion or absorption.
After indicating just what the definition
is Mr.. Chandler said at is not fair
argument to say that the words mean
ABSORPTION or to assume the President
used Z in that sense. ''
40 the sens tor speak for the Presi-
lent with autnorisy?" inquired Mr.
White
"Does he know what the President
meant when he spoke?"
Undoubtedly, replied Mir. Chandler,
blandly, "the President thinks as / do if
be is wise man, aid think he is. The
President thinks we ought to bring these
people into reasonable likeness unto u,
but not necessarily to incorporate them,
and / hope the Senator will not lay too
much stress upon the expression 'beneyo-
lent assimilation.