The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-08
Who Also Read n Letter from Captain
Coghlan, Showing Dewey Never
Recognized Aguinaldo's Cause.
STATEMENT BY MR.. PROCTOR
Personal OBSERVATIONS OF An
OFFICER IN THE PHILIPPINES.
Action on Financial Bill I'm the House
Delayed by the Death of Rep
resentative Harmer.

to-days session of the Senate was a speech
by Mr.. Lodge in defense of the Philippine
policy of the administration.
Soon after the Senate convened Mr.. Sui
alivan offered a resolution that the Philip
pine islands are the rightful property,
honcrably acquired. of the United States
of America, and that while the misguided
Filipinos continue the present war, brought
or by them, against the rightful authority
of the United States, so long as single
gun in their hands is trained upon our flag.
no expression of intention as to the future
course of the United States with respect
to them should be made by the Senate.
Mr.. Sullivan asked that the resolution lie
on the table until he should call it up.
Mr. Mason then gave notice that to-mor-
row after the morning hour he would enter
a motion that the committee on foreign
relations be discharged from further con-
sideration of his resolution expressive Of
the Senates sympathy for the Beers in
their struggle with Great Britain. He had,
he said, introduced the resolution on Dec.
6. and it had been in the hands of the COM
mittee ever since 81 have no intention Of
violating the rules of the Senate" said Mr..
Mason, but ii is clearly the intention of
the committee on foreign relations to take
no action in regard to the resolution, and
I want 1t brought into the Senate and
placed on the calendar. The committee
could give US report If 1t would. If a
majority of the committee is opposed to
the resolution let them report it adversely.
That would be making some progress. I
fad hot of ha "a
of the country are in sympathy with the
Beers in their war with Great Britain. and
l am just as certain that majority of this
body would favor the resolution L intro
dUced. 1t is the merest child's play for us
TO sit her and not be able 10 get vote
upon it,.
In accordance with notice previously
given, Mr.. Lodge then addressed the Sem
ate on the Philippine question. AS chair
man of the committee on the Philippines,
and as a member of the committee on for
eign relations, Mr.. Lodge was expected to
make notable utterance on the question.
He was given. therefore, an attentive hear
ing by both his colleagues on the floor of
the Senate, and by large concourse of
auditors in the galleries.
MR.. LODGES SPEECH.
Mr.. Lodges speech was based on the bill
introduced by Mr.. Spooner, vesting in the
President authority to govern the Philip
pines until Congress should otherwise pro-
vide by legislation. Mr.. Lodge declared it
would be a great mistake at this time to
undertake any far reaching legislation deal
ing with the Philippines. The President,
he said, should be authorized to control
the Philippines, and our position should be
clearly defined. He deprecated making a
party issue of the Philippines He had
been unable to discover what policy his
political opponents proposed. The resou-
tons offered by senator's on the other side
present no policy but invite us to make
promises. Promises are neither action nor
policy, and, In the form of legislation, are
a grave mistake. Those which involve us
in pledges of independence have the addi-
tional disadvantage of being the one sure
means of keeping alive and disorder
I'm the islands. If we must abandon the
Philippines, let us abandon them frankly.
Ii we intend to turn them over to the do
nestle anarchy of foreign control. let us
dc 1t squarely. If we are to retain them,
let us deal manfully with the problems
as they arise.
The policy we offer, on the other hand,
is simple and straightforward We believe
and in dealing with them as they are and
not on a theory of what they might or
ought to be. We accept the fact that the
Philippine islands are ours to-day and that
we are responsible for them before the
world. The next fact is that there is a
war in those islands, which, with its chief
in hiding, and no semblance of a govern
ment. has now degenerated into mere
imemdiate duty. therefore, is to suppress
this disorder, put an end to fighting and
restore peace and order. That is what
we are doing. That is all we are called
upon to do in order to meet the demands
of the living present. Beyond this we
ought not to go by a legislative act, ex-
cept to make such provision that there
may be no delay i'm re-establishing civil
government when the war ends.
COGHLANS LETTER.
Mr.. Lodge quoted official documents and
correspondence in support of his conten.
ton that Dewey entered into no political
entanglements with Aguinaldo. He de-
nounced as absolutely fictitious all state.
ments that Admiral Dewey saluted the
Filipino flag or received Aguinaldo with
military honors, or in any way recognized
the so-called Filipino government Mr.
Lodge presented an extract from a letter
written by Captain Coghlan. then of the
Raleigh. detailing precisely what occurred
at Subig bay. Captain Coghlan said:
81 wish to affirm strongly human
words can do so that Aguinaldos people
did not accompany us, and that they took
no part whatever in that capture. No one
but the admiral. Lieutenant Brumby, Cap
tain Walker and myself even knew where
we were to go. We left at midnight, with
out lights of any kind, not even signaling
as usual, for permission to get under way
and no one knew except the flagship and
vessel or two near us that the vessels
(Raleigh and Concord) had moved from
their berths. 1t was not known until nexi
morning that we had gone out of sight OF
our fleet. At this very time the so-calleC
gunboat of Aguinaldo was anchored al
Cavite and did not learn of our departure
until next day about noon We captured
Grande island about 1920 a m. July z
and no Filipino boat, of any description
ing about O'Clock, when the boat We hat
left at Cavite came In and expressed the
greatest surprise at our capture, tellinf
us they had hoped to take part in the at
| tack"
Senator Lodge upheld the President:
| policy, saying il was 'at once courageous
| wise and patriotic" He asserted that the
Philippines. under American administra
| tion would become self-supporting ant
| drew a picture of the commercial posi-
biIities of the Philippines and of the ad
| vantage they would be TO the United
States, not only on accout of their owr
| fertility and richness of resource, but
| because they are the gateway for those
| countries to the trade of the Orient.
LETTER FROM COL. KENYON.
| Mr.. Proctor. as soon as he could gaii
recognition of the chair at the close o
Mr.. Lodges speech. said that. in connec
| ton with the speech of Mr.. Lodge. he de
| sired to present some letters he had re
| ceiyed from army officers now In the Phil
| ippines. He read letter from Col. L. w
| v. Kennon in command of the Thirty
| fourth Regiment in the Philippines. II
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