The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-02-20
CASE OF LOUISIANA
HISTORY RECALLED IN PHILIPPINE
DISCUSSION.
MUCH DEBATE ON SUBJECT.
MALLORY, TILLMAN AND MONEY
OPPOSE THE BILL.

MIR. Burrows of Michigan Contends
That FiIipinOs Do Not Desire In
dependence-Mr. TiIiman Com
pares the Louisiana and the Phil
ippine Acauisitions-He Dcnounces
"Benevolent Assimilation as Pro-
posed by the Lntc President Me
Kinley-Mr. Foraker Argues the
Case with Him.
Washington. Feb. 1.-THE Senate
continued the consideration of the
Philippine tariff bill to-day the main
speeches being made by Mr.. Burrows
of Michigan, for the BILL and Mr.
Money of Mississippi, against it, al
though Mr.. Mitchell of Oregon, Mr.
Foraker of Ohio, Mr.. Mallory of Flori-
da, and Mr. Tfllman of South Carolina,
all took more or less part in the gen.
eral debate on the subject.
Mr.. Burrows said that Congress was
now dealing with Philippine questions
as they We're found to-day, and not
as they had been in the past or might
be in the future. He felt that the ma
ton was confronted by a condition and
not by theory.
1--WE hold" said he, "the Philippine
Islands by a title that connot be chal-
lenged by any court in Christendom.
We have become responsible for them
to the nations of the world. The pend
ing bill simply provides revenues suf-
ficient to meet the needs of the gov
ernment of the Philippines"
While Mr. Burrows was reading the
proclamation of President Mckinley
known as the benevolent assimilation"
proclamation, Mr.. TIllman interrupted
to inquire if he contended that the
President had authority to issue that
proclamation.
mo doubt of it," replied Mr.. Bur-
rows.
While the treaty had not been rati-
fed. he said, the President had ample
authority to issue such a proclama-
ton as a guide to the military com
manders in the Philippines.
'In other words" suggested Mr.. Till
man, although that proclamation sed-
ulously ignored the political status
of the Filipinos, it was expected that
the 5000, 900 people would accede to its
provisions"
Mr.. Culberson interrupted to say
that the proclamation was considered
so extreme that a part of 1T was sup
pressed by Gen. Otis.
Mr.. Burrows declined to be diverted
further from his argument by Mr.. Till
man, as "the questions of the senator
from South Carolina evidently are not
intended to illuminate the subject"
Mr.. Burrows contended that while
Ut,t n crOxF Fxay-Yl
ment they did not, as a whole, desire
independence, because it was realized
by the best informed of them that an
independent government in the archi-
pelago was neither practicable nor de-
sirable. The Filipinos, he asserted, were
not prepared either by education. or
experience, for independence, and could
not maintain it IL it were granted to
them.
Mr.. Mallory Of Florida declared his
opposition to the principles underlying
the pending measure and to the spe-
cific provisions of the bill. He made an
argument in support of his proposed
amendment to the bill, which he said
was designed to make 1t conform to
certain principles of navigation that
have been in operation for many
years.
Mr.. MaIfory's Amendment.
Mr.. Mallory's amendment provided
in brief, that the navigation laws of
the United States, suitably modified,
should be applied to traffic between the
United States and the Philippines and
among the islands of the Archipelago.
He maintained that the proposition
of the majority to admit foreign ships
to our coastwise trade was so great an
innovation that it ought not to be con-
, sidered lightly.
Mr.. Mallory did not want to embar-
rass the shipping on the Pacific, so he
had fixed, in his amendment a limit OF
time during which foreign ships should
enjoy participation in the Philippines
trade. That limit was July 1. 1908. After
that time, according to his amendment
the United States navigation laws
would apply to the Philippine trade abb
sclutely.
Mr.. Mallory maintained that Con-
gress should control the navigation
trade between the Philippines and the
United States and the trade among the
islands themselves and not the Philip
pine Commission. If his amendment
were adopted it would do away with
some of the serious objections to the
proposition of the majority. AS it stood
that was measure unsound in prin-
ciple and unwise in policy. but IL his
amendment were adopted the majority
proposition wolld at least be rendered
somewhat better
TiIImanTaIISs of Assimilation.
Mr.. Tillman presented a number Of
public documents, as he said i'm refu-
tation Of statements made by Mr.
Burrows I'm his address earlier i'm the
day These papers generally bore upon
the treatment by the United States of
the inhabitants Of newly acquired
countries and were intended to show
that they have i'm the past been re-
ceived as citizens. He laid especial
stress upon the difference Of the cir
cumstances connected with the acqui-
sition Of Louisiana and those connected
with the acquisition OF the Philippines.
The former he characterized as Demo-
cratic expansion, and the latter as Re-
publican subjugatiOn. Speaking of the
Philippines, ne said that our conduct IN
those islands had been so Infamous
that Il should cause a blush OF shame
can. Quoting President McKiniey'a
announcement that we must pursue n
method OF benevolent assimilation"
~ the Fil'pinos. Mr.. Tilmnn said that
the assimilation which had been prHc-
ticed could be- contrnsted 10 nothing
90 well as the parable OF the lamb and
the lion. n would be- found. he said
when they should get up that the lamb
would bo Inside the lion. he spoke of
the effort 81 building up American
erhoolF in the Philippines nH "mawk-
iah Hentlmentnliiy" saying that the
system could be- ~ no avail in view
0f the fact that the teachers sent over
know nothing ~ ~ lansuage - the