The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-06-05

Lexington (Ky) Herald.
on Thursday the Philippine debate IN
the Senate was on higner iesei an
the speeches were made of a far better
temper and with more OF the insPiratIon
OF craftsmanship than have marked much
OF that debate. Senator Morgan OF Ana
bahia delivered thoughtlui, apie anu al
most eloquent speech In favor OF the pas
sage of the pending bill, expressing MS
desire. however that 1t be amended in
csrtain somewhat subordinate provisions
Senator Clay of Georgia made a dignihed
speech in opposition to the bill. Senator
Spooner followed in the closing speech OF
the general debate for the Republicans
We wish we could lay before our read
ers the speech of Senator morgan In
some respects he is the ablest and most
eloquent Senator. If he would make but
one speech a session, or only OCCASION
allv. he would easily rank as the abiest
Senatorial orator. He has not the mag
netism of George Vest. He rarely ever
uses humor or INDUCES in wit, but his
range of accurate information Is wider
than that of any of his associates. lie
Is the master of the purest Engilsn, ana
his style Is clear. simple and attractive:
Even though he may speak suddenly and
extemporaneously, each sentence Is per-
fectly formed, and needs no correcuon OF
revision; and 1t is said that he rarely
looks at the notes OF the stenosrapneL.
notes of his speech. He has been an
intense student all his life, ana IS an
erudite lawyer and rarely cuitiVdeeu
scholar. ,,..,.
too independent of party authority. ana
has brooked no dictation from party eau
cuses. He rarely enters into Ga .
and when he does it Is with the disunct
understanding that he Is not bound py
its determination He has retained mis-
hold on the people of Alabama Witnout
regard to differences of opinion between
him and the Democrats OF ms ota.ec
They recognize him as the ablest son Oh
Alabama, as an absolutely fearless ana
lncorruptible Senator, who deFoteS ms
entire life and energy to the perform
ance of his duties, and who represents
the very best thought of his state anu o.
the South; and they forgive certain
self-assertion-a certain sense OF personal
superiority which in an inferior man
would be offensive.
During his whole Senatorial career ne
has been an intense American. He IS
thoroughly imbued with that spirit
which marked the Democratic party from
it's organization to the close OF tne war
and whenever his party associates nesl-
tated on any question he did not hesit1te
to express his dissent from their conciu-
sion. - -,
1t is not, therefore. surprising that IN
this debate he should differ from the
younger Democratic Senators who nave
taken command of the party and as
sumed Democratic leadership in the SEN
ate. His ambition was satisfied with ms
position as Senator. He has perslstentiy
refused to permit his name to be con-
nected with any other office. and has re-
peatedly declared that there was no Of
flee within the gift of the President or
of the people of Alabama that ne Wouio
accept except that of Senator. He frank
ly said to his fellow citizens that ne oio
desire to continue member of the Senate
as long as his State was willing to trust
him; and he did not want the once I'M
less he could act as his own judgment
and sense of duty dictated, nor unless the
people of his State desired his services;
and they have responded with singular
unanimity to this manly declaration.
To our constant astonishment Senator
Morgan was an ultra free silver adVor
cate. We were never quite able to UNI
derstand how a man of his capacity. mis-
scholarship and his independence could
hold the views he did on that question.
We knew that he did not cater 10 pup
lc sentiment: we knew that he did not
pretent to hold views for the sake OF
political position or preferment; ana now
such man, with such Intelligence, cou!u
hold such opinions was only explicaDie
because on all subjects during all MS
tory able and fair men have held diverse
views. and there is no opinion so strange
and unfounded that it has not been held
by some great man whose intellect was
no greater than his purity.
The senior Democratic senators nave
either been silent during this debate. or
disapproved of the violence OF their
younger associates. Cockrell and vest,
Jones and Berry. Morgan ana Pettus, ana
men like unto them have not denounced
the American soldiers; have not mace
abusive attacks upon those who are hight
Ing under our flag in those distant Us
lands
It only took one Phaeton to imperil
the chariot of the sun. 1t is not strange
that the Democratic party has been en-
dangered by having whole gang OF
Phaetons undertaking to drive and guide
t. -, n n
with Turner and Patterson, having I'M
man as their guide and model, the fact
that the Democratic party has escaped
speedy destruction is the highest possible
evidence of the almost incredible and in
extinguishable vitality which nothing can
destroy. Its escape however, is In part
due to the wisdom of the Older senator's
The pending bill would substitute civil
authority for the present military con
tror 1t may not be perfect, 1t Is In
some respects tentative. The experiment
Is in one sense not new one; In an
other sense it is. We have for more tnan
a century since the cession of the North
west Territory to the old Confederacy be-
fore the present Constitution was adopten'
to this day had territory under the con-
troll and supervision of our constitutional
authGcities. We have forty-hve s1ates'
and tnree Arizona, New Mexico and Ok
lahoma. named in the omnibus state Dill
which has passed the House. II they
become States our Federation VIII De COM
DOSed of fOrty-elRnt states, WHICH 10 az
most four times as many States as were
united under the articles of Confedera-
ton: in other words, the original thir-
teen States have with the constantly IN
creasing assistance of the new states,
ouadrupIed aheir number by the wisdom
Of territorial expansion and colonial gov
eminent 1t is not. therefore, new ex-
periment for the United States to acquire
foreign territory, and to divide that terri
tory into colonial or territorial govern
ments under Congressional legislation by
officers appointed by the President or ac-
cording to law. The fact that these IS
lands are separated from our continent
by water does not at all change the
problem. They are practically no farther
from us than the eastern bank OF the
Mississippi above the Ohio was from
Richmond and Philadelphia when George
Rogers conquered the Northwest Terri
tory; not so far in expense OF transpor-
tation as New Orleans and Oregon when
jefferson purchased the Louisiana Terri
tory; and in point of quick TRANSMISSION
of information these islands are practical
Nv inst outside the boundaries Of the Dis
tr!ct of Columbia for by tolegraphic
means the authorities at Washington and
at Manila can make many responses dur
ing twenty-four hours. Nor Is TINS the
first period in our history in which we
have acquired with the territory soVAr-
eighty over the inhabitants of the terri
tory: nor Is 1t the first time when those