Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1900-01-18
SENATOR PETTIGREW SAYS HE'S
RESPONSIBLE FOR WAR
WOLCOTT REPLIES SHARPLY
Latter Says Aguinaldo Would Not lie
SO Unpatriotic Were He in the
South Dakota Senator's Seat
Urgent Deficiency Bill introduced
in the House.

bate ON the Philippine question occu'
pied the attention OF the senate nearly
three hours Monday. Senator Berry
(dem., Ark) first spoke in support oi
the resolutions recently introduced by
! Senator Bacon (dem,, Ga,) regarding
| the disposition of the Philippines. lie
was followed by Senator Pettigrew
! tsil rep, S. D. in support OF his reso-
! tuition of inquiry. Mr. Pettigrew grew
very bitter in his attacks upon the adj
ministration Senator WolcOtt (rep.,
| ColD replied to Mr.. Pettigrew, scata-
lngly arraigning the South Dakota sem
ator for the attitude he had assumed
! on the Philippine question. lie de-
| clared his belief that if Aguinaldo him
/ self occupied the seat in the senate oc-
| cupied by Mr.. Pettigrew. representing
/ the people of South Dakota who had
| sent sons as soldiers to the Philippines
/ he would be too patriotic, too devoted
/ to the interests of the country, to as
sumo the attitude taken by the present
| South Dakota senator. Senator Raw
/ lin dem, Utan) made an elaborate
argument in opposition TO the proposed
! financial legislation. Senator Mason
! (rep., I'D introduced bill to prevent
| adulteration Of foods and drugs. 1t
! creates a bureau of chemistry in the
agricultural department and provides
/ for food inspection by that depaI tment
Senator Pettigrew resumed his
speech upon the general Philippine
question, the text being his resolutions
| of inquiry. Those who deny freedom
! to others, he said, cannot long retain it
| for themselves. Such policy would be
! destruction to the republic. He entered
upon sharp attack on the treaty made
! by Americans with the sultan of Sulu,
charging that polygamy and slavery
! had not only been endorsed but main
! tanned by the United States through
the treaty with the sultan. He declared
the republican party was going out Of
power as the champion of slavery and
repudiator of the declaration of indie
pendence Turning to the commercial
side of the question he asked how we
were to get rich supporting big
standing army in the Philippines in
! order that people who earn cents a
day might trade with us? In China
he had seen $500 Cinnamon working in
a cotton mill for wages that averaged
$3.50 per month in silver, boarding
themselves. Yet our workingmen We're
to be asked to compete with 100000
such workers in the Philippines and to
pay taxes to support an army Of occu-
patton to subsidize ships 10 carry
trade, in order that the trusts of this
country might exploit labor in the PHI
lippines Mr., Pettigrew said if his
program could be carried out it would
be first TO withdraw the troops; second,
to allow the tilipinos to set up an in
dependent government; third, to say,
hands of this neutral territory"
When Mr. Pettgrew concluded there
was a general stir in the senate as Mr..
Wolcott Crep, COLI arose TO discuss
the resolution. Any general discus
sion of our policy toward the Philip
pines seemed to him out Of place at
this time our first duty, he said, was
to quell the instruction He would
not have replied at all but for the re-
markable Incorporate utteranc5s OF
the senator from South Dakota Scat
tered through every community there
were disconnected, unhappy people who
viewed with suspicion and hatred all
those whose lives had been crowned
with success, who behind every good
action looked for a lurking, sinister
purpose. 1t was fitting such people
| should be represented here And /
know of no man so fitted TO speak for
them as the senator from South Da-
kota, said Wolcott During all the
years | have known him, l never knew
him to say a kind or friendly word
about a single person or a single
cause. Mr.. Wolcott said he did not
share the fears that the utteranCes had
upon the insurgents. If Aguinaldo
know how utterly trihing Is the cap
tious cayilling that went on here.
There was not a honest democrat who
did not admit If his party were In pow
er the first thing done would
be to crush the instruction.
We had taken the Philippines. he
said, not as a conquest, but as one of
the highest duties we owed the human
race. We had taken them because to
have allowed them to drift helplessiy
into the power Of another would have
raised international complications.
Mr. WolcotJ said we might be COM
Il PEELED to keep the islands indefinitely
There was a disposition. he continued
70 treat the questions involved with a
sentimentality somewhat maudlin.
Il ~ l1ssible we were the chosen
people as Senator Beyeridge said
whom God Almighty had made the
trustee for the civilization Of the
world, But II so we would need to
treble our feet OF war vessels, would
aaye to join England and Germany In
sPe partition Of China; We must needs
seize Madagascar and Port Arthur
Ny own idea 81 the mission Of Amer
lea said Senator Wolcott is that
our broad large and fertile area will