Evening star., 1902-02-13
Star Chamber Method Charg-
ed in the Senate.
PHILIPPINE COMMITTEE
QUESTION OF ADMITTING ALI
NEWSPAPER CORRESPONDENTS.
A Tilt Between Senator's Lodge, Patter-
son and Tillman-A Philip
pine Memorial.

The discussion of the Philippine tarin
bill proceeded quietly in the Senate yester-
day afternoon until adjournment with the
exception OF a sharp clash between MI
Lodge and Mr.. Patterson over the admis-
sion Of representatives of the press to the
investigation which the Philippine COM
mittee Is conducting. The Colorado senator
desired that all newspaper men be admit
ted to the committee hearings, declaring
that as now conducted they were Of
star chamber character He said his recol-
lection was that Mr.. Lodge had suggested
that the hearings be entirely secret. This
drew the fire Of the Massachusetts sena-
tor. who Indignantly denied that he had
suggested anything Of the kind He In
sisted that the reports made Of the hear
ings by the three press associations We're
accurate and fair to both sides OF the con-
troversy.
A communication from the Secretary of
War transmitting a memorial Of the fed
eral party of the Philippine Islands in sup
port Of American rule in the islands called
from Mr.. Patterson the statement that the
federal party had obtained it's control in
the Philippines by promising to the Fill
pinos that they would be admitted ulti-
mately to statehood in the United States.
Mr.. Teller had not concluded his speech
when the Senate adjourned.
Mr. humans inquiry.
After The Stars report of the proceed
ings was concluded yesterday afternoon
Mr.. Tillman interrupted Mr.. Teller to in
quire of Mr.. Lodge. chairman Of the com
mittee on Philippines. whether it was true,
as had been charged In some newspapers,
that that committee was conducting it's in
vestigation OF the Philippine question in
a sort Of star chamber manner, special rep
resentatives of the press being excluded
from the hearings
Mr.. Lodge replied with some vehemence
that that was an idle story: that represen-
tatives Of the three press associations We're
admitted to the investigation and that fair
reports We're being sent out to all the news
papers Of the country. 1t had been decid-
ed by the committee not to admit all news
paper men to the hearings because the
committee room was totally inadequate for
the accommodation Of the public.
Mr.. Tillman insisted that the reports sent
out were garbled and colored.
That is not true in my judgment" said
Mr.. Lodge That Is simply a charge that
all three OF these great news associations
sent out garbled and colored reports"
In response to an inquiry Mr.. Lodge said
the committee had been as diligent as pos
sible in the conduct Of it's investigation and
witnesses would be heard as rapidly as
was practicable.
Mr.. Patterson said that when the Phil
ippine committee had the matter OF the
hearings under consideration 1t was his
recollection that the chairman (Mr. LODGE
had suggested that no members of the
press at all be admitted to the hearings.
Mr.. Lodges Denial.
II never made such a suggestion-never,"
interjected Mr.. Lodge. warmly And / OBJ
ject to such statements as that made by
the senator"
Notwithstanding" continued Mr. Patter-
son, Il reiterate my statement
ipfo
Lodge. IF he reiterates the statement that
l suggested that the press be excluded"
That is my recollection" replied Mr..
Patterson.
Well" protested Mr.. Lodge, Il have
denied that statement most emphatically"
MIR. Hoar raised the point of order that
committee discussions were not proper sub
Jects Of comment In the Senate and the
point was sustained.
Mr.. Patterson then made an argument in
support of opening the committee hearings
In the Philippine investigation to all the
members of the press. By such an arrange
ment, he said, the country would receive
every phase and color of the Investigation,
and correspondents would be afforded an
opportunity to enlarge upon and offer sug-
gesttons concerning the testimony He
agreed with the complaining newspapers
that the committee was conducting In q
sense. star chamber hearing. The news
papers. he maintained, should have every
opportunity to report the Investigation
A Philippine Memorial.
A communication was received from the
Secretary Of War transmitting to the SEN
ate memorial from leaders Of the federal
party in the Philippines In support of
American rule in the islands
Mr.. Hoar, disclaimtng any desire to pre-
cipitate a debate at this time, remarked
sarcastically that the memorial was "a
nrettv good cOmnppf9rv'' I'm ha aSfo af
the Philippine commission which prohibited
the promulgation by any society of any po-
itical opinion or policy. He said it ap-
peared lawful under the acts Of the com
mission to publish political opinions when
three members of the Philippine commits
sion were members of the society, provided
that the publication be accompanied by an
expression Of marvellous admira ton for
the commission itself.
They tell u.s. he remarked in conclu-
sion, that the Flipinos do not want inde-
pendence when 1t is made by the authori-
ties penitentiary offense to express any
desire for independence"
Mr.. Patterson thought the Senate ought
to understand the special significance of the
document presented by the federal party
He declared that it might be considered as
an utterance Of three members of the
Philippine commission. He said that Gov
ernor Taft had stated before the Philip
pine committee that the federal party had
been one Of Its mainstays in the efforts to
as the federal party had been the chief in
strument in securing the consent Of many
F1lipinos to American rule and control in
the islands, 1t was important to understand
what the party was and what inducements
1t was holding out to the Filipinos.
1.-THE federal party has met whatever suo-
cess 1t has achieved" he asserted, under a
declaration that 1t stands for the statehood
OF the islands In the American Union"
He insisted that If the republican leaders
should say that 1t was not their intention
to give the Philippines statehood the Fill
pinos who now were advocating American
control would desert them as rats leave a
sinking ship.
AS he understood the matter 1t was the
purpose OF the majority leaders to hold
the Philippines as colonies. Let that be an
nounced as a fact. said he. and 1t would be
equivalent to handing the islands over to
anarchy and chaos. The federal party, he
said. had told the Filipinos that there
would be no colonial government in the
archipelago. but that they would be ad-
mitted as soon as possible into the Ameri-
can Union. He appealed. in conclusion. to
the leaders Of the majority to be perfectly
frank with the Filipinos that course being.
IN 10 Ind fho hoHk