The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-29
PLEA FOR THE FlLIPINOS
Mr.. Towne Denounces the Policy
of the Republican Party.
The Minnesotuu Addresses the SEN
ate on His Resolution DEMANDING {.
ippines and the Independence of
Natives Greeted With Applause.

candidate for Vice President by the PSo'
PIES Party last fall, and who was appoint
ed to fiji the vacancy caused By the dea
OF Cushman X. Davis, yesterday deliver
ed his first and maybe his last speech in
the Senate. At the close OF his remarks,
while scores Of Senators pressed around
him with congratulations, his successor,
Mr.. Clapp. was sworn in, and Mr. Towne
left the Senate chamber. His speech was
one Of the most powerful ever given ut
terance by an anti-imperialist.
His theme was independence for the
Filipinos and denunciation of the imper-
ialistic attitude of the Administra ion.
So powerful was the effort that DESPITE
the repeated warnings OF the President
pro tempore the members and spectators
again and again broke into storms of ap-
plause.
He received an ovation, the galleries
being packed to the doors, while the fl or
of the Chamber was crowded by members
of the House who remained throughout
the speech Every Senator remained in
his seat and listened with the deepest
attention.
,
to the bet advantage and attracted atten-
tion from even the Republican side. He
presented a forcible and logical array of
facts and scored the party in power for
its greed and policy OF loot and glory"
He spoke for more than two hours.
At the close of morning business, Mr..
ToWne asked that his resolution, offered
on Friday. be called up and read
The resolution was read and declares
that Justice. the public welfare, and The
national honor demand that hostilities in
the Philippines cease ana that the United
States guarantee the natives freedom and
independence"
MIR. Towne began by referring to the pc
tition from large number of Filipinos,
which had been received by Mr. Teller,
asking for an opportunity TO state their
case. He said that the prayer of this
people should be granted, and that. even
though it were not, it would remain in
the archives of the Senate for coming
generations to wonder at.
Whatever the future has in store" said
Mr.. Towne, that document will become
historic
MIR. Toyne brought forth many official
records TO prove that there was an Ameri-
can alliance with the Fiipiros sought by
ourselves, awaited Of by US for our own
advantage, and finally 10 our everlasting
shame in the estimation OF honorable men,
repudiated by US when We found it no
longer necessary, ard when lust of en-
pire had SO blunted our moral sensibili-
ties that We could mount from an act of
perfdy 10 the grand larceny OF a nation"
THE Filipinos held all of Luzon except
Manila and Cavite. Yet the President in
his proclamation of December q, 1898,
declared that the conquest of the Philip
pine Islands had been effected; that the
military government of the United States
is TO be extended with all possible de-
spatch TO the whole OF the ceded territory
and that all persons refusing to submit to
this assumption Of power are to be
brought beneath IT with frmness If need
be-
Had he not in effect declared war
against the supporters Of the Filipino Re-
public? Nor can 1t be claimed that he
was suppressing the insurrection. There
hal been no act of Instruction nor could
there be rebellion by those that owed
us no allegiance.
They owed US no allegiance when the
war began. They have never assumed
any since. To call them traitors because
OF transaction in which they had no part
and which took effect Icing after they lad
begun to shed their blood in honorable
war. is conduct unworthy Of a just and
ehivalrous nation. Fight them If you
will; burn, kill and destroy. Write large
the precepts Of Christian charity in their
blood and ours upon the tropic sands
and let the flames TO which We feed heir
homes fash as new beacons of civiliza-
ton across the eXpanse of summer seas
but spare them, in mercy's name the |
imputed iafamy OF treason II we are |
bent upon slaughter let it be in open |
guise. II we lust for these peoples land, |
let us net glaze over our enterprise with |
false and sinister pretence. Rather let |
us boldly raise the sombre flag of in |
ternational piracy, whistle scrupIe down |
the wind and then close in upon our |
feeble victim 10 the cry of Loot and |
glory
Mr. Towne declared that as a result Of |
two years OF wasting war We occupy about
one e-hundredth part Of the archipelago. |
No district is really paclfed," said he. |
I'VE mold the ground our troops stand on.
practically nothing more There is no |
evidence that any strong native pro-Ameri- |
can element has any existence whatever |
The Filipinos are answering the cry of ex- /
termination or surrender with another cry !
which has come echoing down through all 1
our history: Liberty or death
The retention OF the Philippines would /
commit us 20 the whole programme of en-
plre. A bad appetite grows by what il |
fec7s on. no nation in history has resist |
ed IL and TO every nation that has yielded |
TO il II has brought disaster
ALREADY we feel the virus In our Yeins. |
The President felt ii and itched for Luz |
zon. The fever grew and the whole Taga- |
log and Visayan groups of islands were |
sacrificed. The temperature mounted (
higher and the Sultan of Sulu was alb
sorbed. The disease is fercely contagious |
and the whole Republican organism, at |
first unsympathetlc TO the bacillus impe- /
RAILS, Is now at last fairly raging with /
delirium. lhe other day. II having tran
spired that in some unaccountable manner
q miscellaneous assortment of Islands on
the outer fringe Of the delectahlc Jolo
collection had escaped the drag net at
Paris the majority Of even this staid and
elf-pcssessed body bestirred itself with
anxious voracity and swept them in"
The speaker offered document after doc
ument TO prove his contentious and was
never disputed.
The Republic is at the grayest crisis
In It's history" said he, and the people
should understand what is being done.
THE GRIPPE