The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1902-02-21
WASHINGTON LETTER.


been dismal place for the Repub
llcan members of late, for the best
talent on the Democratic side of
the Chamber has been devoted to
a painful analysis of the admins
tration's policy in dealing with the
Philippines. Senator Teller still
has the floor, as he has not yet
completed the speech which has
now occupied large portion OF
three days. The gloom of the
proceedings was, however, dis
PEELED on Tuesday when the veneer
able Senator from Massachusetts,
rose to refute some of the fallacies
propounded by Senator PIatt OF
Connecticut IN his criticism of the
position of the Senator from Colo
RADIO.
With a burst of oratory seldom
excelIed, Senator Hoar ridicuIed
the statements of his colleagues
from Connecticut and with scath-
ing irony drew the picture of the
free schools in the Philippines
where the child who read the Dec
laration Of Independence or recited
the famous speech of Patrick Henry
would be guilty of treason ''and
must be sent first to the coal bin
and later to the penitentiary" I'M
der the tyrannical laws and edicts
of the Taft Commission. He lam
pooned the election of the provin-
cial governors and defed Senator
Platt to produce a platform on
which they ran, a resolution plac-
ing them in nomination or a politi-
cal speech in their favor, in a
country where to advance a po-
litical opinion was treason. Sena-
tor Platt made reply brilliant
from an oratorical standpoint but
replete with fallacy and sophistry
as his opponent subsequently
pointed out.
No important Legislation has
been enacted in the Senate since
the date of my last letter, although
the resolution changing the date
of the Inauguration from the 4th
of March to the last Thursday in
April was adopted by the necessary
two. thirds vote and the Committee
on Judiciar, has reported bill
providing for the protection of the
President and those in the line of
succession from attacks by anar-
chists and others, a novel feature
of which is the commission to the
Secretary of War of the safety of
the Chief Executive and the au-
of that official to assign
a guard composed of members of
the regular army to carry out the
provision. The Secretary is EN-
powered to prescribe a suitable
costume or uniform and make such
rules governing the guard as may
be deemed appropriate.
The House of Representatives
has devoted itself to the considera-
ton of the oleomargerine bill to
the exclusion of all other business
and the debate has been spirited
and at times amusing. Only the
manifestly prejudiced decisions of
the chair prevented the bill from
being amended out of existence.
On motion of Mr.. Allen of Ken
lucky it was amended So as to pro-
vide for the inspection and brand
ng of renovated butter and passed
oy an estimated vote of 118 to 1852,
40 division being called for.
The Ways and Means Committee
S still wrought up over the ques
ion of reciprocal relations with
cuba and many covert attempts
AVE been made to force declara-
ion of their position from the
Democratic members, who consist
,ntly refuse to commit themselves
Until some definite measure shall
,e presented for their considera-
ion. Representative Newlands
old me yesterday that he had rea-
on to believe that the sentiment |
n favor of his resolution inviting
cuba to become annexed to the
United States under a territorial
orm of government was growing.
4 have been told by several Re
publican members that they were
n favor of my resolution" said
lr. Newlands, land one of them.
rent SO far as to say that he be
eyed if it were put to a vote of
be people three-fourths of them
7ould vote for it. Some infuen-
ial Cubans, who have been in