The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-01-19
SENATE.

handsomely bound and signed by 1920
colored persons asking for such legis-
lation as will protect colored men of
this country from the "~barbarous prac-
tice Of lynching and burning colored
men"
Senator Hoar, chairman of the Judi
ciary committee. said he believed every
senatOr would be glad to have such
measures adopted as would suppress
this wrong doing and enable the Off
Gals to enforce the laws. No senator
he though. would disagree to that. He
directed attention to the fact that the
state laws take c~ognizance of the
crimes referred to in the petition. By
what constitutional method the United
States could take action in this ques-
ton was a difficult inquiry.
Senator Chandler, chairman of the
committee on privileges and elections,
said there was no federal law under
which the yiolatOr of even the suffrage
laws could be punished.
Senator SpOoner, of Wisconsin:
There is such federal legislation"
Senator Chandler: There is not now
such legislation. Congress has no con-
stitutional power to punish such
crimes"
Senator CullOm though that mas
much as ii involved new legislation the
petition should go to the committee on
the judiciary. This subject" Senator
Cullom said, seems to call for inves-
tigation, These people realize they are
being badly treated. Such treatment
is without authority of law and it
ought TO be stopped if possible"
Senator Tillman, of South Carolina:
What is the immediate cause of this
petition. Does it come from Chicago?"
Senator CuIlom replied that the pc
tition came from Chicago, but that it
was signed by people of many states.
Senator SpOOner called attention to
sections IF the revised statutes which
provided penalties for violations OF
federal election laws.
. Senator Chandler said he stood cor
rected.
The petition was referred to the COM
mittee on the judiciary.
senator Wellington, of Maryland, in
PRODUCED a joint resolution declaring
the purpose Of the United States to-
ward the Philippine islands and gave
notice that he wOuld address the sem
ate on the resolution nex Thursday.
Senator Pettigrew offered a resolU-
ton calling upon the secretary of war
for an iyemizeJ statement of the ex-
penses OF our occupation of Cuba,
since the close of the war, the salaries
OF all officials. the amount of customs
dues received and all other matters
pertaining to the expenditure of money
by the United States on Inc island He
asked for its immediate consideration.
but Senator Chandler. of New Hamp-
shire. objected and the resolution went
Yer until tomorrow.
The Pettigrew resolution as to the
~cOnduCt Of The Filipino war was laid
80
owed THAI the resolution and the one
which he had offered as a substitute
for il be laid on the table in order that
? the one offered by his colleague, Sena-
tor HOar. might be adopted. The mo-
ton was agreed to.
THE PHILIPPINE QUESTION.
The HOar resolution, with an amend
ment offered by Senator Lodge, to
which Senator Hoar had agreed, was
submitted. 1t was about to be passed
Nhen Senator Pettigrew offered an
amendment calling for information as
TO all the Instructions which the presi-
dent had given the commissioners who
had negotiated h treaty of Paris. to-
gether with the correspondence that
had passed between the president and
the commissioners.
Senator Davis, chairman of the for
eign relations committee and one of the
commissioners, made the point of or
der against the amendment hat it was
executive business.
President Pro. Tenn. Frye, who was
himself one of the commissioners,
OverruIed the point because he said
1t was within discretion of the presi-
dent whether he should send the infor-
nation to the senate or not.
Senator Davis protested against pub
lie discussion of this amendment. but
explained that nothing passed bet--een
90
TO which publication is Objectionable
TO him, but ought not to be made pub
lie ait this time.
The senate then went into executive
session, and, ten minutes later, in open
session a motion lac by Senator Da-
Wis to table the Pettigrew amendment,
was carried
Senator Hale. of Maine, followed with
a brief statement in which ne said:
THE result of the negotiations of the
Paris treaty was to my mind calami-
tOuS.'
\ NOTABLE SPEECH BY SENATOR
VEST.
The debat on the resolution was
concluded by an earnest. but brief
speech by Senator Vest. democrat. OF
Missouri. He regarded il as very un-
fortunate that nothing could be said
by the of the administra-
kLOAL - PO-AO IA III A1AAENhAAACS II
calling forth an impUtatiOn of i'm
proper motives
The friends of the president" said
Senator Vest-"and 7 am not his en-
emy-assume that any remarks made
about the Paris treaty or its negotia-
ton, is an attack upon the dministra-
tiOn. This is an unwarranted as
sumption. 1t seems to have been for
gotten that the leading administration
Journals of the country stated when the
treaty was under consideration that
the commissioners had been instructed
to take the island of LuZon.
1T seems to me that there should be
no objection to the laying of the whole
matter before h people, If, as the
senator from Minnesota Senator Da-
vis) says, he has no objection to such
a course.
ON his western our, the president
said the whole archipelago had faller
like a ripe apple into our lap and we
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