The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-28
speech i'm Reply TO the Eccentric
RichmOndite's Recent ExcOriatiOn
of President Mckinley.
CAUSE OF JOHNS0N'S ABUSE
INTTMATION THAT HE DID NOT GET
ALI THE "PIE" HE WANTED.
His Speech Dissccted and Shown to Be
UnVvarranted, and His Examined
and shown to he FauIty.
speelal % the IndIanapolis journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27.-Representative
Faris this afternoon made a dignihed and
effective argumentative reply to Repre-
sentative Johnson's vicious attack on Pres
ident Mckinley and his administration 1t
was a scathlng rebuke to the eccentric Mr..
Johnson. who was an attentive listener to
the remarks of his colleague. After a brief
preface Mr.. Faris said ::
II would not add one feather to the UNI
pleasant weight which 1 believe will bear
upon him sooner or later because of his un-
justihable and wanton abuse of our great
President. whose election was promoted by
the good men Of Indiana who have highly
honored both him and me. He having in
dulged in such abuse, he inevitable invites
such response as may fall within the limits
of proper debate, and my purpose is to utter
nothing not fairly evoked from the remark
able statement of my colleague.
''Sir, it should have been left to the Demo-
cratic side Of this chamber to muddy the
waters about the Philippine problem now in
our politics. 1t should have been theirs ex-
c~lusively to declare a want of confidence In
the present executive, as has been in this
debate, and extract some issue, if they
could, to bolster and restore to respectable
aNd AAAQ ~ NNA0 49,
tunes Of a once cohesive party.
DUE TO LACK OF pie"
my honorable colleague has attempted TO
Justify the vituperation against the Presi-
dent by claiming to occupy an elevated
political plane on which he can support or
condemn his party according to his agree
ment or disagreement with it's policies. But
his party has in no authoritative manner
declared a policy as to the Philippines. Then
why this contribution to Democratic COM
fort by assailing the chief executive as a
falsiher and a criminal? I have noticed that
when a man in public life becomes so enam-
ored Of his own conceptions and views and
exalts himself so immeasurably above his
party he usually retires shorn of the re-
spect of his former political associates and
laden with the contempt of his political OPP
ponents. and such high plane, though will
not charge in this case, above party is
usually mounted from the lower plane of dis
appointed hopes at an administration pie
counter"
This drive at Mr.. Johnson was intensely
relished, for among those who know him
best his inordinate greed for patronage is
recognized as ruling passion. Mr.. Faris
continued:
The Presidents address, to quote my coll
league, was nothing more or less than a
carefully devised and studious misstate-
ment Of the issue Lend mo your ears,
my countrymen. for here is the milk in the
c%ocoanut. l repeat 'misstatement of the
issue between the chief executive and those
OF his own party who are opposed to his
wretched policy in the Philippines and that
he does not announce a policy in relation
to those islands. but will await action by
Congress. The burden of my colleagues
contention is couched herein by his assault
upon the President about an Issue between
the latter and certain dissenting Republic
ans. In the same breath the President is
nilloried about 81 'Wretched policy and an
ISSUE and in the next he is damned for
not announcing q policy. You pay your
money and take your choice. Now you see
It and now you don't see it.
1T may be unfortunate tina the Presi-
dent has not taken some of Aguinaldo's
congressional supporters into his confidence.
To hear them talk one might think their
wisdom could settle this whole business be-
fore breakfast. There was work in the war
with Spain that could thus be done. Dew
ey's gunneIs could destroy a Spanish squad
ron before breakfast, be it recorded to the
praise OF our navy, but the evolution of a
people and q government takes time.
WHO MADE AN ISSUE?"
who made an issue between the Presi-
dent and his assailants? The creation of is
sues presupposes two parties at least treat
ing together. The trouble with my col
leagues utterances and which makes them
clash with every cool and conservative
speech, is that he in the beginning started
on the utterly false idea thai this govern
ment had entered upon a campaign of sub
jugatlon and forcible annexation of the
Philippine archipelago to the United States.
No such idea has ever been authorized by
the facts. Such a proposition was the cree
alton Of the extremist, the chaser OF phan-
toms, the mind hat ~speculates IN Ideals
and loses the practical and real. The high
duty OF the President is to execute the laws
Of the land. This he is now doing through
q military occupation Of the philippines, as
commandments Of the army and navy,
under the Constitution OF the United States.
He could not do any less and maintain the
honor and dignity OF the Nation. lie awaits
action by Congress and In due time it will
be taken. But it will not be taken until
Congress possesses information for wise and
intelligent legislation that will comport with
the greatness of our beloved country.
1T is charged that the Presidents first
impression was to hold only a coadhg sta
ton in the Philippines, which would have
been proper and legitimate, but that he
committed a fatal error in listening to the
opinion of Admiral Dewey, the peace COM
missioners, the people who greeted him on
his Western trip last autumn and that he
actually changed his mind mir able dlctu('
and the treaty with Spain secured the Phil
ippines to US on payment of $A,OO0,OO0."
DIFFERENT ONLY IN DEGREE.
cit seems to me that if holding the Phil
I ~ippines as a result of the war with Spain
is wrong, the holding of a coaling station
by the same means would have been equally
wrong. The only difference would be in the
degree of the wrong. Be this as it may, the
President changed his mind and this was
grievous. My colleague would have him say
to Dewey, you struck a pretty hard blow
at Manila and contributed much to reduc-
ing the enemy, but you have no sense in
determining the results OF the way my
mind is fixed on them
HE would have had him say to the dis
tinguished gentlemen who went to Paris as
our peace commissioners 1t Is true that
YOU were chosen 10 this duty by reason Of
great learning and experience In public af-
fairs. and We're charged with conserving the
best interest of the United States in max
ing the treaty, and that you have devoted
weeks of labor that you might execute your
trust intelligently, yet my MIND was MADE
up about this treaty from the beginning,
and it cannot be changed.
My colleague would have had the Presi-
dent say to the waiting thousands VINO hung
upon his words IN the trip through the
great West. I see your devotion TO the
flag that enriches the breeze at every nome:
/ see in your faces that you are proud OF
the result Of the war; / hear from your lips
that the full measure of our victory snail
be registered IN the treaty, Dut l nave come
out from Washington TO tell you that neither
the Judgment Of Admiral Dewey. the ADVICE
of the peace commissioners, nor the Opinions
and sentiments Of the throngs OF my teloW-
citizens who greet me can have any await.
A coaIing station in the Philippines We viii
have. no more, my mind cannot change.
Our forces entered these Islands Just as