The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-05-02
THE SUBJECT OF DEBATE IN
BOTH HOUSES.
SENATOR SIMMONS SPEAKS
On the Iva Cure" and otner
Modes of Warfare-he
Urges the President tn Make THOR
ough Investigation-In the House.
MIR. SfbIey. republican Creates u
Sensation by n Violent Attack on
General Smith for his Order as 60
Laying Waste the Island at >anar'

garine bill as passed by the sente- n
measure now goes TO the president for
his signature.
An effort was made by Senator Tel
lor. of Colorado. to amend the measure
so as TO levy a tax of 10 per cent. or
the capital or assets on any butter
trust that might be formed. but il was
d~efeated-25 to IS.
Senator Simmons, Of North Carolina,
discussed the stories of the water
cure, of the burning of towns and OF
reconcentrados He declared there was
no doubt as to the t"ruthfulness of the
charges against the American army,
OF cruelty, ~inhumanity and barbarity.
In fact. said he, il was now organized
cruelty and barbarity and not merely
isolated instances of torture. He re-
ferred to the order issued by General
Smith to make the island of Samar a
bowling wilderness" and TO Stay all
male inhabitants over 10 years of age.
No order recorded in al history"
Senator Simmons declared, ''paralleled
that order except that OF Herod the
king, when he commanded that all
the male children who were in Bethle-
hem and in all the coasts thereof from
9 year and under should be slain in or
der that he might the more securely
compass the death of Him of Whom ii
was said He came to be the King OF
the Jews, the Christ and Savior of
mankind"
Il feel" he continued, like calling
upon the great, brave and ma man
now in the White house to probe these
things to the bottom and at least. to
make them odiOuS."
In discussing the agricultural situa-
ton in the Philippines Senator Sim
mons confessed to a feeling of alarm
for his own section of the country over
the prospect of the admission to the
United States of the products of the
islands, for with the cheap labor there
those products could be produced in
the Philippines more cheaply thar in
this country.
In conclusion Senator Simmons pro-
tested against the holding OF the Phil
tpplneS islands as a possession of the
United States declaring that If retain
ed the Islands could bring to this coun-
try only disaster and misfortune.
House of Representatives.
Representative Sibley, of Pennsylva-
MA created something of a sensation
in the house today during the general
debate on the agricultural bill by Sc
verely ~denouncing General Jacob III.
Smith for the orders he issued in the
Samar campaign.
Mr.. Sibley's speech was enthusiastic
cally applauded by the democrats and
was received with some evidences of
approval on the republican side. The
speech was considered the more remark
markable in that it came from a repub-
lican who left the democratic party on
| fhp 1CCI1pC rnicn6 hU tho IN MICH mn
and who has since been an ardent sup
porter of expansion.
Mr.. Williams, democrat, OF Missis-
sippi. endorsed what Mr.. Sibley had
said.
Mr.. Sibley said he had been an en-
p~ansionist and defended the policy o.
the administration in the acquisition OF
he Philippines; that duty and honor
justified our position there: hat the
commercial welfare of the nation de-
manded that we should control that
archipelago. which stand as the gate
way to the oriental world. He then
continued:
Therefore. when I am compelled u
read utterances contained in military
orders that make the blood of man
run cold: when / have heard the state
ments made hat we were cruel I'm the
conduct of that war. I have thought
perhaps, the partisan was speaking:
but when I nave read. as I nave within
the past forty-eight hours, that a gen
eral wearing the uniform of the army
OF the United States. one who stands
under the shadow of our flag, issues or
ders-not to conciliate a province, but
to leave it a bowling wilderness and 70
Kill all above 10 years of age, the Il
seems to me that humanity must have
marched backward for Is centuries and
that Herod again appears. I have read OF
Ilmour. the Tartar. / have read of
Achilles. / nave read Of the Saracen
scourge. but l thank God that since thu
tragic scene on Calvary, it has taken
eighteen centuries to produce a Smith
I have read Of the water cure. I be-
lieve that was exaggerated. Can any
man whose blood pounds in his pulses
anv man who has read his bible or WIN
has been reared at the knee of a Chris
tan woman justify the preparation o.
such cruelties upon another man who
wears the guise and the image of his
Creator? And yet We lear this man
attempting to justify acts by which
men are pumped SO full Of water as "a
nearly drown them and bringing them
back TO life by humping them over the
tomach with the butts Of muskets
That is not civilization; that is no,
Christia MIXING the world. I am thank
full that these are sporadic cases.
They Will never pacify any race OF
human beings on this earth by first
browning them and then bringing them
tn life with the butt of a musket; and
against that as a member upon this
sid of the chamber: against that as a
man who belongs. I ,.ope, not alone tc
the republican ranks but to the whols
brotherhood OF man the wide world
round 1 want the members OF this
house on this side of the chamber and
that to voice their protest, and gains
all such measures (applause).
"A friend Of mine said a few minutes
o oh. you had better wait and hea,
his defense.
II hope the president OF the United
states VIII have the courage, upon whaI
the man admits. to discharge him dis
nonorably from the service that he has
disgraced (applause.) He admits that
ne issued the order to leave the pro-
vince a bowling waste and wilderness.
and to kill all above 10 years Of age. tbs
innocent with the guilty.
That man ought not to be permitted
to { In the service of the United
States until the sun goes down. He II
} a disgrace. not alone to the party. bat