Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-05-25
It WAXED WARM
PHILIPPINES AGAIN THE SUB
JECT OF DEBATE.
ALMOST PERSONAL AT TIMES
Cuba to Undergo a Searching Investi-
gation-Spooner Concludes
His Speech.

Washington, May 24.-The duty of the
United States towards it's island possess
sions was the subject of a heated discus
sion in the senate again today. Soon
after the senate convened Mr.. Bacon of
Georgia began an extended reply to the
speech of Mr.. PIatt delivered yesterday.
His speech was largely supplemental to
that which he delivered several days ago
demanding an investigation of Cuban
financial affairs. His resolution, TO
which there is little or no opposition, un-
der the rules went to the committee on
contingent expenses.
The remainder of the afternoon was
occupied by Mr.. Spooner in concluding
his speech on the Philippine question.
The debate which he aroused took a turn
decidedly political. He charged the So
Jailed anti-imperialists with creating an
issue which was not legitimate. Many
of his statements were c~ontroVerteu py
Mr.. Allen of Nebraska and Mr.. PettlgreW
of South Dakota. and the controversy at
times became almost personal.
Mr.. Bacon in the senate today called
up his resolution directing the committee
on relations with Cuba to lnvestlgate tns
receipts and expenditures OF money III
Cuba and addressed the senate in renly
to a speech delivered yesterday by Mr..
Platt of Connecticut. He maintained it
was a duty congress owed to the country
n to the Cubans to make the inVestlga-
ton. There had been, he said, such a
l]ooseness in the conduct of Cuban affairs
that it called for a most rigid and search
ing investigation. He said the great pur-
pose of the Investigation when ne pro-
posed was not so much to entrap the
man of men who might have stolen hun-
dreds of thousands OF dollars, as an eA-
pert accountant might do, but to ascer-
tain whether by fraudulent contracts or
other devices of corruption the millions
handled 10y the officials in Cuba mad heen
disposed of dishonesty. His purpose
was to ascertain whether those millions
had been expended honestly, economl-
cally and properly. even though the
books might balance n might sho" no
discrepancies.
He called attention to the large ex-
penditure made by officials in Cuba tor
per diem,' 'm~isceiianeous.' salaries,
carriages and equipment, II declared
these subjects never had been lnvestl-
gated. although the postottice depart
ment's attention had been directed TO
them.
He declared. in discussing the various
departments of the Cuban governments
were shown that anybody ever saw.
The civil salary list alone for 1899 was
over So, OOO. 900. which he thought was un-
paralleled. MI. Bacon declared that lhe
American people, regardless OF party,
we're determined thai the Cuban scandal
sho,11d he sifted to the bottom, and ne
said that the investigation would not pe
limited to the extent suggested oy MI
Platt in his speech yesterday.
Advarting to the construction or the
military railroad along the Havana mar
hnr Mr.. Bacon said he had learned tnat
the railroad cost $342, GIL. This, he pe-
lie,-ed. was an exorbitant sum. demand
ing rigid Investigation. He sharply CRY
icised, too, the payment OF itooelt !,
Porter, as a tariff expert, OF Sooo d llontn
for FIVE months, besides Sa,loo as eApense
money. He desired also to direct atteh-
ian to the reported fact that the van
Horn syndicate had been organized Win
a caDital Of IS. 900, 600, and that MI ~
fer had gone to Europe in the lhtefes. nl ~
this syndicate. lnasmuch as lhe AN
on machinery ana equl%iiieAt pl -ad,cad
had been recommended TO pc Ituuesa
fr,no 40 to 10 per cent. by Mr.. ioft3l' le
ha,ieyed that the matter required Keen
and Jealous scrutiny. T.,
IT would Ike before auloutanieh'' ~
see action taken that Will allow lie na-
ton to redeem it's plede ana 10 leave VIC
island of Cuba in the presence vi d hiee
and independent government
Tl,e resolution as to the Montana
senatorial case was postponed Until
Wednesday, the Goth instant.
At the instance of Mr.. Platt OF Con-
necticut the resolution OF Mr.. Bacon was
referred to the committee on contingent
expenses.
Mr. Spooner Their resumed his speech
on the Philippine question. He main
tanned that the facts proved that the at
tack upon the United States troops was
not only made by Aguinaldo, but had
long been premeditated. MI. Spooner
declared that nobody blu an 'ant1-lmpe-
rialist,' who by his words and actions de-
cirol fIa IiShpnn1 nf his pnlntrV and the
making of campaign material in a presi-
Dental wear, could nave SO little faith
as to make the brutal charge against
the president of the United States that
he had been responsible for the repeti-
ton of hostilities. In discussing further
along. the responsibility for the c%ontinu-
alton of hostilities, Mr.. Spooner quoted
a dispatch from General Otis, giving an
account of an interview he had had with
Judge Torres, one of the Filipino COM
missioners, who suggested that a neutral
zone be established between the hostile
armies. General Otis informed him that
the suggestion of the establishment of
a neutral zone or an armistice under the
circumstances would have to come from
Aguinaldo. An officer was sent to
Aguinaldo by Judge Torres with a re-
quest that an armistice be arranged, and
for reply A~guinaldo sent to General Otis
a copy of his declaration of war.
received IN the noon mail today
continued Mr.. Spooner, IAN insulting
letter from the chief of the so-called
anti-imperialists of Boston, in which he
General Otis as a liar"
AT this point Mr.. Allen interrupted to
say thai an army otfcer-a friend of his
Informed him that the statement of the
interview with Judge Torres was not
true; that Genera Otis misrepresented
it.
A army officer who charges false
hood against his commanding officer
fetorted Mr.. Spooner, fought to make
1t in the open"
IF he should make the charges in the
OPEN said Mr.. Allen, his position
would be imperiled."