The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1902-02-20
WASHINGTON.
From our Regular Correspondent.

Washington, February ID, 1909.
The United States Senate has been
= dismal place for the republican
members OF late for the best talent on
the democratic side of the Chamber
has been devoted to a painful analy-
Sis OF the administrations policy in
dealing with the Philippines. Senator
Teller still has the floor, as he has
not yet completed the speech which
has nov occupied large portion Of
three days. The gloom OF the pro-
ceedlngs was, however, dispelled on
Tuesday when the venerable Senator
from Massachusetts rose to refute
some OF the fallacies propounded by
Senator Platt Of Connecticut in his
criticism Of the position of the Sena.
tor from Colorado.
With burst Of oratory seldom ex-
celled, Senator Hoar ridiculed the
statements of his colleagues from
Connecticut and with scathing irony
drew the picture of the free schools
in the Philippines where the child
who read the Declaration of Inde.
pendence 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 pentlen-
tiary" under the tyranical laws and
edicts of the Taft Commission. He
lampooned the election of the pro-
vincial governors and dehed Senator
Platt to produce platform on which
they ran, resolution placing them
In nomination or political speech
In Their favor, IN a country "where to
advance political opinion was trea-
son." Senator Plat made a reply
brilliant from an oratorical standpoint
but repete with fallacy and sophlstry
as his opponent subsequently pointed
out.
.*
No important legislation has been
enacted in the Senate since the date
OF my last letter, although the resou-
ton changing the date OF the inaugura.
tlon from the 4th of March to the last
Thursday in April was adopted by the
necessary two-thirds vote and the
Committee on Judiciary has reported
bill providing for the protection Of
the President and those in the line of
succession from attacks by anarchists
and others, novel feature of which
IS the commission to the Secretary of
War of the safety OF the Chief Execu-
tive and the authorization of that
official to assign guard composed of
members OF the regular army to carry
out the provision. The Secretary is
empowered to prescribe a suitable
costume or uniform and make such
ru es governing the guard as may be
deemed appropriate.
The House of Representatives has
devoted itself to The consideration of
the oleomargerine bill to the exclu-
sion OF all other business and the de.
bate has been spirited and at times
amusing. Only the manifestly pre-
JUDGED decisions of the chair pre-
vented the bill from being amended
out of existence.
On motion of Mr.. Allen of Ken
lucky, 1t was amended so as to pro-
vide tor the inspection and branding
OF renovated butter and passed by an
estimated vote of II8 to I67, no
division being called for.
The Ways and Means Committee is
still wrought up over the question of
reciprocal relations with Cuba and
many covert attempts have been made
to force declaration OF their posi-
tion from the democratic members,
who consistently refuse to commit
themselves until some definite mea-
sure shall be presented for their con-
sideratlon. Rep esentative Newlands
told me yesterday that he had reason
to believe that the sentiment in favor
OF MS resolution inviting Cuba to be-
come annexed to the United States
under territorial form of Govern
ment was growing "I have been
told by several republican members
that they were in favor of my resolu,
hon," said Mr.. Newlands, sand one
OF them went so far as to say that he
believed if it were put to a vote of
the people three-fourths of them
would vote for 1t. Some influential
Cubans, who have been in Washing.
ton in the interest ofr.ciproclty, have
also talked to me on the subject and
one of them told me he believed that
II the question of annexation could be
placed before the people of Cuba not
more than FIVE per cent of the popu-
iatlon would vote in negative. My
policy is to grant 20 per cent reduc-