The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-03
TILT WITH SENATOR TILLMAn
AguinaIdo's Qualifications For
Citizenship 0iSSeCted.
E
THE sT iILIPPINE PROPOSITION
DefS q to Be One of Bitter Fruits
- of War.
$
ADMISSION OF ARCHIPELAGO
AS a Sovereign State of the Great
American Union Should Not
Be Thought of Said
MIR. Spooner

Washington, February "A notable
speech was made in the senate today by
Mr. Spooner, of Wisconsin. He took as
his text the anti-expansion resolution Of
fered by Mr. Vest, but did not contine him
self closely to that proposed declaration Of
policy
He discussed the question of expansion
in all its phases and urged the ratification
of the peace treaty as the best means of
bringing the burning question home to the
people themselves who, he said, could well
be trusted on their sober second thought to
do that which would be fair just and gem
erous towards the inhabitants of the Phil
ippine archipelago. Mr.. Spooner spoke for
three hours and throughout his brilliant
Grafton held the careful attention of an
unusually large number of senators and a
large audience in the galleries.
At the conclusion of his speech he re-
ceved the warm congratulations of many
of his colleagues, notable among whom
was Mr.. Tilman, of South Carolina, with
whom he had sharp personal tilt in the
course of his argument.
Mr.. Platt, of New York, laid before the
senate the resolutions adopted by the leg
isature of New York. urging the immed-
late ratification of the peace treaty. In
this connection Mr.. Chandler. of New
Hampshire, called the attention of senators
to similar resolutions adopted by the legis-
lature of New Hampshire.
Conference Committee
Messrs. Hale, Perkins and Faulkner were
named as the committee of conference for
the senate on the consular and diplomatic
appropriation bill.
Mr. Aldrich. of Rhode Island presented
a number of memorials from business
mems associations of Boston, New York
and Chicago urging that the territory ex-
cept Cuba, acquired by the United States
during the late war, be retained until
such time as congress may determine its
final disposition"
Mr.. Tillman, of South Carolina. offered
the following resolution, which was
adopted:
"That the president be requested II not
Incompatible with the public interest, to
inform the senate whether any franchises
or concessions of any character are ha1efg
or have been granted by any municipality
in Cuba and Porto Rico since the military
occupation thereof by the United States; IL
so, what are they, for what length of time
and the authority by which they have been
granted"
MIR. Spooner's Speech
AT the conclusion of the morning busl-
ness. Mr. Spooner of Wisconsin. addressed
the senate upon the Vest anti-expanson
resolution. In beginning, after a brief
statement of his reasons for speaking at all,
he said:
81 find no objections, constitutional in ma
ture, to the ratification of the pending
treaty. The senators from Connecticut
PlatD. Colorado Creller). Ohio (Foraker),
Minnesota (Nelson), have fully presented
the views on that point which I entertain
''lf held the view that the United States
could not within its constitutional limita-
tions acquire territory which was not to
be erected into states I could not give my
consent to the acquisition of the Philip.
pine islands. This Philippine proposition
is one of the fruits of the war--to me ono
of the bitter fruits. I can conceive of no
circumstances under which 1 could give my
consent to the admission of that archipela-
go as a state or as more than one state OF
the American union.'
Mr.. Tillman, interrupting Mr.. Spooner,
inquired: IF we accept the Philippines
would the inhabitants of that territory hayJ
the right to come without hindrance to
this country?'
Mr.. Spooner: YES; for the purposes of
my argument, I am disposed to admit It,"
Mr.. Platt. of Connecticut: "rhey have
that right now"
MIR. Tillman inquired whether the inhab-
itants of a territory could be prevented
from entering the states.
Mr.. Spooner said the senator from Con-
necticut was inclined to believe they could
be, but he himself doubted It,
Mr.. Tillman further along pressed his
question as to the right of the Filipinos to
come here, and declared that by admitting
the islands by treaty 100000 people of that
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