The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-11
Clause Providing for Retirement of
Wilson, Lee and Shafter as Regu-
lar Major Generals Adopted.
AN APPEAL FROM FILIPINos
MIR. TELLER WANTED 1T PRESENT
ED AS A SENATE DOCUMENT.
But Mr.. Hawley Protested on the
to Kill Our Soldiers.

progress was made to-day by the Senate
with the army reorganization bill, but the
final vote upon the measure still seems Tar
off. To-day's proceedings were character
lied by several sharp colloquies, some OF
them decidedly personal. Consideration was
concluded of the committee amendments to
the bill and the Senate took up the amend
ments proposed by individual senators. Tn
amendments providing for the appointment
of General James II. Wilson, Fitzhugh Lee
and General Shafter to be major generals
of the regular army and retired. precipi-
tated an extended and, on the part of Mr..
Pettigrew. a bitter debate. The amend
ments prevailed, however, despite the oppo-
sition.
On the desk of Mr.. Gallinger at the OPEN
ing of the session lay a bunch of beautiful
roses sent by friends as a testimonial of
his efforts to secure the abolition of the
canteen in the army.
Mr.. Vest and Mr.. Rawlins announced
that they had been detained unavoidably
from the Senate yesterday when the vote
upon the canteen question was taken. They
would nave voted, had they been present.
to sustain the action of the Senate COM
mittee-that is, against the abolition of the
canteen.
MEMORIAL FROM FILIPINOS.
Mr.. Teller presented a memorial from zoos
'Fflipinos and peaceful inhabitants of Ma
Mia" The memorial is in the form of all
appeal to the Congress of the United
States, and, as Mr.. Teller stated. was
signed personally by the leading people of
Manila, that section-lawyers, bankers and
professional men representing the best ele-
ments of that community" 1t reviewed the
circumstances leading up to the preSent
struggle of the Fflipinos for independence.
1t paid a high tribute TO the work of Aguin-
aldo and his coadjutors in their endeavor
to obtain liberty and independence for the
people of the Philippines. Reference was
made to some of the principal events of the
present revolution against American au-
thority, the petition urging hat the Amer
lean troops had failed to make a serious
impression upon the revolutionary party. It
pointed out that Aguinaldo had declared he
might lose the hope of victory, but he
would not lose the hope of dying for the
liberty and independence of his people. 1t
points out that the revolution has the sup
port of practically all the people of the
Philippines and declares that though
1.4O0 revolutionists be destroyed, 1,0OU
for independence. All the islands of the
archipelago, says the memorial. are sup
porting the revolution, and they will not
yield until the last drop of Filipino blood
has been shed. 1.-The Filipino nation" the
memorial continues, bearing in mind the
history of America and its humanitarian
doctrines, asks the government of the
United States to cease its persecution of
men struggling to be free-struggling
against greater odds and greater wrong
than inspired the fathers of the Republic"
This they ask in the name of Washington.
of Jefferson, of Lincoln, and in the name
of justice, and in the name of God the
Eternal" The appeal declares that auton-
omy similar to that enjoyed by Canada or
| Australia would not be acceptable to the
Filipinos, who desire full liberty and indie
pendence. and they urge the government
of the United States to give them liberty
and independence.
Mr.. Teller then presented an order for
the printing of the Filipino appeal as a
Senate document.
MR.. HAWLEY PROTESTS.
Il protest against that paper being print
ed as a Senate document" said Mr.. Haw-
ley. 1T is an attack upon the United
States. its authority and its troops, and a
passionate appeal to the Filipinos to con-
tinue to kill our men. If Jefferson Davis
had brought forward a similar paper after
the battle of Gettysburg, and demanded to
have it read and printed as a Senate docu-
ment, ii would have been a mild crime In
comparison to this" On account of the OBJ
lection of Mr.. Hawley the order went over
until tomorrow.
Consideration of the army reorganization
bill was then resumed, the pending question
being the amendment offered by Mr.. Proc
| tor. for the military committee, providing
how volunteers might be appointed first
and second lieutenants in the regular army.
The amendment was agreed TO finally, n
was as follows:
Persons not over forty years of age who
shall at any time have served as volun-
teers subsequent to April p, 1898, may be
ordered before boards of officers for such
/ examination aG NAV ha nraccrfhaH hy the
| secretary of war and those who may
establish their fitness before those examin-
ing boards, may be appointed to the grades
of first and second lieutenants in the
regular army, taking rank I'm the respective
grades according to seniority as determined
by length of prior commissioned service;
but no officer appointed under the pro-
visions of this section shall be placed above
another in the same grade with longer
commissioned service and nothing herein
contained shall change the relative rank
of officers heretofore commissioned in the
regular army. Enlisted men or volunteers
may be appointed second Iieutenants i'm the
regular army under the same conditions
now authorized by law for enlisted men of
the regular army"
number of frst-class privates in the signal
| corps from 200 to go was adopted.
To Section thirty-one Of the bill pro-
viding for the retirement of officers,
amendments were made that the section
should not apply to any officer whose ac-
tive service In the army does not exceed
| tnlTly-uNe years, ana IL snail not appiy
to any officer who has been placed on the
retired list by virtue OF any special act of
Congress or TO any officer who has already
| received such higher grade"
An amendment offered by Mr.. Penrose
authorizing the member OF societies and
corps and regimental organizations of
| Spanish war veterans to use and wear upon
| occasions the distinctive badges of such
organizations was adopted.
Mr.. Daniel offered an amendment au-
thorizing the President to select from the
list of brigadier generals of volunteers two
officers without regard to age for the pur-
pose of appointing them major generals of
the regular army and retiring them.
Mr.. Sewell offered an amendment TO the
amendment authorizing the President TO
select a regular army officer not above the
| rank of brigadier general TO be appointed
as a major general and retired.
Mr.. Sewelrs amendment was agreed to-
forty-oae to eleven-and the original
amendment as amended, was agreed to