The Mena star., 1899-01-25

ernmenr should Hold Out to the Fill
 pinos Ultimate Independence.
 Washington Jan. 24. When the sen ate convened to-day Mr. Gallinger had resolution passed which he intimated might show q scandal in connection with the management of the Washing ton asylum of this city, the responsible ity for which he frankly placed at the door of congress. It provided for an investigation of the asylum by the committee on District of Columbia.
 Mir. Lodge made a speech in favor of the ratification of the peace treaty. He said in part:
 The great question is whether the treaty with Spain shall be ratified or not The treaty cedes the Philippines to us l. is wisely and sKfilfully drawn It commits us to policy, to no course of action whatever in regard to the Philippines When the treaty is ratified we are free to do with those islands as we please and the opposition to its ratification may be summed up in g single sentence that the American people and the American congress are not to be trusted with that power and with that freedom of action in regard to the inhabit- ants of those distant islands We must either ratify the treaty or reject it Suppose we rati- fy the treaty. The islands pass from the pos session of Spain into our possession without committing us to any policy. I believe we can be trusted as people to deal honestly and justly with the islands and their inhabitants
 Suppose we reject the treaty or strike out the clause relating to the Philippines? That will hand the islands back to Spain, and I can- not conceive that any American should be willing to do that Suppose we reject the treaty, what follows' We continue the state of war, and every sensible man in the country. every business interest, desires tho re-estab- llShmPnt A frna xrpr diate the president and his action before the whole world, and the repudiation of the presi- dent In such matter as this is. to my mind, the humiliation of the United States in the eyes of civilized mankind.
 The president cannot be sent back across the Atlantic in the person of his commissioners hat in hand. to say to Spain with bated breath:
 T am here in obedience to the mandate of a majority of the third of the senate uo teii you that we have been too victorious and thaG you have yielded us too much and that I am very sorry that took the Philippines from you. By rejecting the treaty we renew the war | The treaty commits the disposition of the Philippine islands to congress and to the ways and practices of peace. Its rejection leaves | them in the sole power of the president, sub- | iect to the usages and practices of war alone. want to take those islands from Spain ip the only way in which it can be done by the ratf- cation of the treaty, and leave it the president wise humane, patrlotic-to the American congress and to the American people who have never failed in any great duty or feared to face any great responsibility. to deal with them in that spirit of justice, humanity and liberty which has made us all that we are to-day, or can ever hope to be-
 MT. Clay, of Georgia, then addressed the senate on the expansion question. He argued that nothing should be al- lowed to stand in the way of prompt { Eon but Hn+ t,fr { should hold out to the Filipinos the same promises of ultimate inde- pendence that are held out to the Cubans. He said he thought every evil dence showed that the population of the Philippines would be as unfriend ly toward us, if we attempted to fore a government on them against 1T wish, as they were toward the Span ish government An attempt to fasten on those people a government without plain and anmistalsable assurances of ultimate independence and without maintaining the same close relation ship with the Filipinos that are main tained with the Cubans, must lead to bloody, cruel and expensive war. The war is over and we find these islands on
 
 ity of some equitable, just and right disposi- tion of them The American people would never consent either to giving the islands back to Spain, or selling them to some European government or forcing Q government upon them against their will and without their con- sent The only thing left to do is to aid and direct the people of these islands to form government for themselves.
 The senator thought there should be a declaration of policy now. He con- cluded by calling attention to Gen. Leonard Woods statement before the military committee that it would re- quire 50, 900 soldiers for Cuba and said: A this ratio it would require 10000 soldiers to govern tho Philippines islands as an Ameri- can province In my judgment the acquisition and retention of the Philippine islands means an army of 10000 soldiers It means the an- nual expenses of the army will increase from s20 00o.001 to Ss0l00)000 A large standing army means the pension list will increase from s5. 900 900 to s10 l0000 annually.
 spain to Lessen Her Army ofiicers.
 Madrid, Jan. 24 The ministry of war has decided to abolish the mil t.rv tnareha als to retire, half of the un-