The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-02-01
Characteristic Utterances by Petit
grew and Teller on Features of
the Philippine Situation.
POLITICAL SPEECH IN HOUSE
DEMOCRATS URGED BY MIR. LANHAM
TO BURY THE HATCHET.
Fortihcations Appropriation Bill
Passed and Consideration of the
Postomce Bill Begun.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 31-After an event
full legislative experience, beginning with
the present session of Congress and cover
ing about two months, the bill for the re-
organization of the United States army
to-day passed it's last stage in Congress
and now goes to the President for his sig
nature. The final step was taken in the
Senate when. by a vote of SO to Is, the con-
ference report on the bill was agreed to-.
The House of Representatives already had
agreed to the report. The conference re-
port was kept before the Senate constantly
to-day, even the shipping bill giving way.
Opposition to the bill continued to be Wig
orously expressed. Mr.. Teller making an
extended speech in criticism of the War
Department and of the measure in general.
An opposition developed on the Republican
side to the report. based on the alleged
freedom which the conferees had taken
in introducing new provisions. On the final
vote several Republican senators voted
with the Democrats against the report.
The shipping bill was discussed during
the latter part of the day, and some prog
ress was made on amendments. A speech
by Mr.. Rawlins. of Utah, against the bill
was in progress at the close of the day.
Mr.. Chandler announced that night ses-
sion would be moved tomorrow to advance
the bill to its final stages.
While the army bill was under consid-
Grafton Mr. Pettigrew made one of his
characteristic speeches. He took special ex-
ception to the provision in the bill author
izing the enlistment of Fflipinos. Mr.. Pet
tisrew introduced and had read long let
ter from Tomas Mascardo, military Gov
ernor OF one of the Philippine provinces,
in which it was charged that severer tor
ments upon the Filipinos by the American
troops had been inflicted than the Span
isrds had ever been guilty of. Robbery.
said. "are the first proofs of protection we
receive when the American soldiers enter a
Filipino community" The letter writer
characterized General Otis as the blind
instrument of the ambitious Mckinley"
Mr.. Pettigrew said he would not cite this
letter If the charges made in it were not
confirmed by letters from American sol
diers themselves. He believed these bar
barities were practiced by the Macabebes,
of whom it was now intended to enlist ten
thousand.
Mr.. Teller rose to state that two United
States officers were being disciplined for
practicing the water cure on natives
The senator also had received a call re-
Gently from man who came upon party
just after they had inflicted this deplorable
torture. and who saw the victim covered
with blood and mangled about the mouth
After describing the horrors of the water
cure torture Mr.. Teller said the American
A.
required such methods to uphold our au-
thority. The senator condemned a state
ment attributed to General Macarthur. In
which he is said to have told a returning
regiment that one of its chief services was
In engcndering a warlike spirit, without
which no nation could endure.
Senator Hale said that he felt a sense of
surprise and outrage that the commander
of the main portion of the United States
army, while engaged in war, should be so
possessed with the Old World spirit of mill
tary conquest and military ambition as to
use the language attributed to him. And
If it proved true that this language had
been used, Mr.. Hale said he feared there
would be terrible reaction from such
sentiments.
MT. 1eHeT later Oh characterized the
Philippine friars as the vilest of the vile,
whose conduct could not with propriety
be referred to openly in the Senate CHAM
ber. And yet the Philippine Commission
had put this obnoxious class in charge of
ali the schools of the island. The senator
commented on General MacArthur's ex-
treme course in deporting a newspaper edi-
tor from Manila, and Mr.. Hoar interjected
the remark that one of the charges of
American colonists against George III was
the deporting of men beyond seas. In clos
ing Mr., Teller referred to the sad spectacle
of this great nation seeking glory out os
dominating the brown men of the Pacific
islands.
After further debate the conference re-
port was agreed to-33 to 25-as follows:
Yeas-Aldrich, Allison. Bard, Clapp. Cul-
lom. Deboe, Depew, Dillingham;, Dolliver,
Elkins. Fairbanks, Foraker, Foster Frye,
Hanna, Hawley, Kean, Kyle. Lindsay.
Lodge, McEnery, Morgan, Nelson, Perkins,
Sewell. Shoup. Simon, Stewart, Thurston,
Wetmore-33.
Nays-Allen, Bacon. Bate, Berry, Butler,
Chandler. Chiffon. Clay, Cockrell. Culbes-
son. Gallinger. Hale, Hoar, Jones of Ar
kansas. Kenney, Mccomas, McCumber.
Mallory, Martin, Penrose Pettigrew, Pet
tus. Rawlins, Teller. yest-25
WORK OF THE HOUSE.
Fortificafions Bill Passed-Sueecb nm