The San Francisco call., 1899-01-27


day of the debate upon the bill for the
reorganization and Increase OF the reg
ular army passed without notable in
cident. It's feature was an houf
speech by Mr.. Grosvenor of Ohio, whose
utterances, rightly or wrongly, are ire
quently supposed to reflect the views
of the President. Mr. Grosvenor de-
clared most emphatically that the pres
ent situation in the Philippines was due
to the opposition in this country to the
ratification Of the peace treaty. He an
nounced that the future of the islands
was matter for Congress to decide
and that for the President to announce
policy would be for him TO usurp the
authority of Congress. The friends Of
the bill continue, TO express great con-
fidence in the passage of the bill, but
they admit that some important modif1-
cations will be made The advocates
of general staff detailed from the line
may be successful and the size OF the
infantry companies may be reduced.
Dlnsmore CD of Arkansas opposed the
Dill. A standing army might lead to
disaster, he said. In the course of his re-
marks Dinsmore raised a laugh az the
expense of Dolliver (R) of Iowa by re-
calling a statement made by the latter
in speech during the Fifty-first Con-
gress in which he predicted the free coin
age Of silver before the close of Presi-
dent Harrison's administration.
DolliVer called attention to the fact that
the speech was made in opposition to free
coinage
Dinsmore warmly opposed the annexa-
ton of the Philippines
Grosvenor tR.J of Ohio followed Dins-
more, In opposition Grosvenor said he
0laI11t1 fNy hn
measure fraught with such far-reaching
consequences. He should aim simply 10
point out his own position, distinctly dis
claiming that he spoke for any one else
he did not wonder that there was a wide,
distinct, antipodal difference upon the
question said to be involved in the BILL
Those who imagined it threatened an as
sault upon their liberties naturally op-
posed 1t vigorously. Despite this alleged
but twice in the history of the country
had the regular army been used save in
war. He recalled the action of President
Cleveland during the Chicago riots in
sending troops there on the advice of
Secretary Olney, saying that that act
commended itself to him more than any
other of the Cleveland administration.
The idea that the army might be invoked
TO subvert our liberties was a man of
straw which gentlemen set up. It was a
slander upon the American people He
characterized Johnson's speech yesterday
as the tiercest and most vindictive at
tack upon the administration that he had
4lNdIu Oil ltl6 llOOTS Oh the HOUSE. luG
trouble was that the foundation upon
which the whole magnificent superstruc-
ture was built was false. The argument
he had made answered itself as soon as
the intelligent mind recapituIated the
history of the past few months. Gros-
venor contended that the purpose of the
administration had never deviated from
the time the declaration of war was
! adopted with the absurd provision in it
which no one here would support now.
From that day to this, this Government
| under the guiding hand Of fhp a0miniS-
tration had never deviated from its purI
pose, and stood to-day simply executing
the orders and DEGREES of Congress-, civil.
| ization and of Almighty God.
Does the gentleman mean the Teller
provision: as the absurd provision in the
declaration of war?" asked Dinsmore.
II mean the provision that the people of
! Cuba were and of right ought to be free
and independent replied Grosyenor.
! Proceeding, GroSyenor declared that the
| foundation of all our trouble originated
May l, 1898. Incidentally at this point he
mentioned the desultory discussion in the
press of Admiral Dewey as the Demo
cratic candidate for the Presidency in
1900. And yet, he said, it was Dewey who
had got the country into all this trouble.
thought of the Philippines; there was
no one on this floor who knew within.
archipelago. At that time, when we had
no thought of the Philippines, continued
Grosvenor, Dewey was instructed to find
the Spanish fleet and destroy or capture
it. The most brilliant page in our history
was the answer that splendid officer and
his men gave to those instructions. But
when he had executed his orders he
found himself powerless to get out of
Manila Bay. Was there, he asked, any
one one WHO would undo Manila and ana tear
this country?
At this point Grosvenor paid an elo-
quent tribute to our soldiers and sailors,
officers and men, and said that no one
should stain, with his consent, their honor
until proofs were produced, not of mis-
tnty hrY% - of l1r&xr
spoke feelingly of the Presidents difficult
task during the 12o days. of the war. and
defied any one to show that he had failed
charged. He described his sleepless vigil
with. Adjutant General Corbln at his side,
and incidentally paid the latter an ex-
by members on the floor. No man ever
did his duty, he said. better than Henry
Mr. Grosvenor said, the President had
sent to Paris a peace commission which
fully and grandly represented the best
type of American manhood; What. had
that commission done which should not
have been done? The President had been
criticized for not informing Congress re-
garding his ultimate purpose regarding
the Philippines. The President was not a
usurper; he had never sought and never
would seek to uSurp the AUTHORITY of Con-
gress. The, future of the islands was a
matter for Congress to decide. The blood
Of those who might be, sacrificed in the
the heads Of those who opposed the Presi-
dents policy. The President had nobly
discharged his duty, when he found him
self by the. accident of war in possession
Of the PHILIPPINES. F
.If we were in possession of the Philip
pines" asked Terry CD of Arkansas,
why should we pay Spain $2OO0O,OOO for
them?''
"Why. let me ask YOU" responded
Grosvenor, answering the question by
asking another, did we give Mexico SIS
900 900 when she lay crushed under our
power?'
Answer my question:
MY question answers yours.
| Proceeding. Grosvenor charged that the
present strained relations between the
American authorities and the insurgents
in the Philippines was due to the moral
support they were getting in this country.
He described how Aguinaldo had burned
the proclamation of Ei1e President of the
! United States and had shot to death those
who sought to print 1t.
| Aguinaldo was oir ally few months
| ago" interposed johnson (R.) of Indiana.
why did he not remain our ally?" re-
! piled Grosvenor
Benedict Arnold was our ally also, but
| he became a traitor"
| But for the course of events here, be-
| ginning before the conclusion of the last
! campaign, continued Grosvenor, there
would to-day be peace and cooperation
1 l.sl