The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1901-01-31
TONNES YALEDiCTORY.
minnesota Senator Dissects Phil
ippine Policy From Demo-
cratic Standpoint.

In the senate, Monday, Mr.. Towne,
Of Minnesota, signalized the last day
of his membership with speech
which was to be at once his maiden
effort and his valedictory. He spoke
on his resolution of last Friday for the
immediate cessation of hostlities in
the Philippines. In an address nearly
three hours in length. Senator Towne
discussed the Philippine problem from
the Democratic standpoint.
At the opening of the session, Mr..
Frye. the presiding officer, laid before
the senate cablegram from the direc.
tory of the federal party in the Philip
pines, addressed to the senate and
house, praying authorization for Presi-
dent Mckinley to establish civil gov
ernment in the Philippines whenever
he deems it opportune.
"Accessions to federal party by
thousands in all parts of archipelago"
says the cab!egram, "the attitude OF
hitherto irreconcilable press and the
general public opinion show that la
bors of rarty to bring peace will soon
be crowned with success. Until now
political parties have attempted form
stion on plans more or less question
ing American sovereignty. Our plat
form makes the main plank the SOW
ere;gnty of the United States with lib
erty to each citizen to pursue peace
fully his political ideas. The hour of
peace has sounded. On our platform
are grouped many Filipinos Of hith-
erto irreconcilab!e ideas, but, some
more obstinate decline to join, for
though willing to accept sovereignty
of the United States the prospect OF
the indefinite continuance Of military
government makes them distrust the
purposes Of the United States and de-
lays their submission"
Mr.. Towne then spoke. The charge
that Aguinaldo had sold his country
to Spaniards for a bribe, he declared,
was "gratuitors in its calumny, when
we consider that the official publica-
tions of our own government contra
dict and destroy it. The senator
declared:
'sWe were in alliance with the Fill
piDos, an alliance sought by ourselves,
availed of by US for our own advantage
aud finally, to cur everlasting shame,
repudiated by US when We found it no
longer necessary ald when the lust OF
empire had so blunted our moral SEN
sibilities that we could mount from
an act of perfdy to the grand larceny
of nation"
''It is not easy to fix, with accuracy,
the time when the design was formed
to take forcible possession of the Phil
ippine islands," said Mr.. Towne.
"Upon the arrival of General Merritt,
at Manila, a distinct change of tone
was observable between the United
States officials and the Filipinos, the
altered attitude being so marked as to
force the conclusion that part of Gen.
eral Merritt's prearranged task was to
maneuver out of an awkward friend.
illness with Aguinaldo, and thus to
reach footing for the convenient de-
velopment of some secret policy with
which he had come fresh-frelghted
from Washington"
Any doubt OF the prearrangement OF
the plan was banished. in Mr.. Towne's
opinion, by the president himself.
'.Either the third article Of the pro.
tocol with Spain does not mean what
it says, or the president of tie United
States in causing the issuance, on
December 21, 1898, of his famous
benevolent assimilation proclamation,
broke the plighted faith of this govern
ment.
eff we are bent on slaughter" he
said, "let it be in open guise. If we
lust for the peoples land, let US not
glaze our enterprise with false and
sinister pretense. Rather We must
boldly raise the somber flag of inter-
national piracy, whistle down the
wind aud then close in upon our fee-
Bile victim to the cry of loot and glo-
ry.'"