Evening star., 1900-05-25
FUTURE OF PHlLIPPlNEs1
SENATOR sPOONER sAfyTHAT The
FLAG WILL BE MAINTAINED.
Natives to BE Given Civil Government
as Fast as They Show Their Capa-
biIity to Govern Themselves.

| The Senate was in session until o'clock
| last evening Senator Spooner continued
his speech on the Philippines after The
| Stars report was closed.
! Mr.. Chandler. chairman of the committee
| on privileges and elections moved that the
resolution as to the Montana senatorial case
| be postponed until Wednesday. the 30th in
| slant. and the motion was agred TO.
AT the instance of Mr. Platt Comm the
| resolution of Mr.. Bacon was referred TO the
| committee on contingent expenses.
| Mr.. Spooner then resumed his speech on
| the Philippine question. He maintained
| that the facts proved the attack upon the
| United States troops was not only made by
Aguinaldo. but had long been premctlit ated.
| Without limit, he declared evidence could
be accumulated to establish the fact IF
| Aguinaldo's treachery. BY Filipino docu-
| rients. which had fallen into the hands of
the Americans, he showed that the Fill
plnoS under the leadership of AguinaldO
| were preparing for an attack upon our
| troops and that it had been fixed for Feb
| ruary ). 1892 one day before the outbreak
occurred
Mr. Spooner reviewed at length the events
which led up to the hoStilities on February
| a. and declared that nobody but an anti
| fE.perialist,' who. by his words and actions,
desired the dishonor of his country and the
making of campaign material in presiden-
| t1al year could have so little of good faith
as to make the brutal charge against the
President of the United States that he had
been responsible for the precipitation Of
hcstilities.
In discussing further along the RESPONSE
bil1ty for the continuation of hostiiities, Mr..
Spooner quoted dispatch from Gen. Otis
giving an account of an interview he had
| had with Judge Torres. one of the Filipino
commissioners. who suggested that a neu-
tlal zone be established between the hostile
armies. Gen. Otis Informed him that the
| suggestion of the establishment of a neutral
zone or an armistice would, in the circum-
stances, have to come from Aguinaldo. An
officer was sent to Aguinaldo by Judge
| Torres with request that an armistice be
| arranged and for reply Aguinaldo sent to
| Gen. Otis copy of his declaration of war
| Il received in the noon mail today" con-
t1nued Mr. SpOoner, IAN insulting letter
from the chief of the so-called anti-imper-
ialists of Boston, in which he denounced
Gen Otis as liar"
Otis Charged With misrepresentation.
At this point Mr. Allen interrupted to say
\ that an army officer-a friend of his-had
| informed him that that statement of the
i interview with Judge Torres was not true;
/ that General Otis had misrepresented it.
AN officer who charges falsehood against
| his commanding officer" retorted Mr..
| Spooner, "ought to make it in the open."
He could not do it, said Mr.. Allen.
"Then he ought to shut up" declared Mr..
| Spooner.
IF he should make the charge in the
open said Mr.. Allen. "his position would
| be imperiled.''
Well replied Mr. spooner. 'if he told
the truth a court-martial would take care
OF his case, and of that of the commanding
general. too. He would not imperil his Of
nee in the army of any decent government
| in the world"
THE way the army is run today"
serted Mr.. Allen, "it is certain that no
officer would thus imperil his position
There never was time in all the il
hiSfn of Ii.aj Mr.
SpoOner warmly, when it better
braver or more honorable than it is to-
day. The senator's officer friend would
ceive full protection. General Otis signs
his statements. l have not much respect
| for man who goes behind the back of his
| commanding general to malign him
Mr.. Allen-"The statement made by Cen
eral Otis is not the truth
I'VE have had here said Mr.. Spooner,
| "a statement that the President of the
United States is a liar; that Admiral Dewey
| is a liar; and now we are told that General
| Otis is a prevaricator.'
"Fl say simply that General Otis is mis-
| taken" said Mr.. Allen.
| Mr.. Spooner expressed the belief that the
people would believe General Otis against
| the word of any unnamed and unknown
| person.
| A fews moments later Mr.. Speoner said
| that the last words of the chivarous Law
ton We're that men over here-the
| called anti-imperialists-were prolonging
| and melting the Philippine rebellion. Wish
to God said Gen. LawtOn, the whole truth
of this Filipino situation could be known as
| | konw it. If am shot by a Filipino bullet.
| it might as well be by one Of my own
| men,
Mr.. Pettigrew Is. ID interrupted to de-
| clare that there was no foundation for that
| statement: that it had been denied.
| This is an extract from a letter written
| by Lawton to John Barrett said Mr..
| SpOoner. 1T is authentic. / have not the
| original, but 1 can and will produce it,
| Mr. Allen replying said he had seen the
| authenticity of the letter questioned, and
| when asked by Mr.. Spooner who had ques-
l toned it, said: 'Oh, several persons. re-
porters and other people who ought to
| know" uaughter)
Making an Issue of imperialism.
| Continuing his argument, Mr. Spooner
| said there had been an attempt to make an
| issue of imperialism where none actually
existed 1t done merely for political
effect and to obscure the political issues
The issue had been employed by Mr.. Bryan
and was being exploited by every branch of
| the opposition to the republican party
| Mr.. Teller (Col) interpOsed to say that
/ the issue had not been raised by Mr. Bryan
| but by in the Senate chamber, who
opposed the ratification of the treaty of
peace. 1t was unfair. he thought, for any
men to take the position that Mr. Bryan
was the author of the doctrine of anti-im-
perialism.
| Mr. Bryan is one of the principals in the
employment of the anti-imperialistic doc
| trine," declared Mr.. Spooner. 'And since
| the ratification Of the treaty of peace he has
| not omitted it from single speech. 1 say
there is issue between Imperialism
| and anti-imperialsm except as it has been
| made for political effect. The Philippines
| are territory Of the United States. Who
| can dispose of it? The President? No 1t
is for Congress to say whether we shall