The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1902-05-08

f1OuS0.-1u0 house pdSSSV Iu0 anu
conspiracy bill reported from the judi.
ciary committee without word OF
debate. 1t came UP rather unexpect-
eddy and Littlefield, of Maine, who
had fled a minority report on the bill
and had intended to offer some amend
ments, came in just as it was put upon
its passage and the vote was taken
before he understood what was go.
ing on.
Washington, May 5.-Senate.-Dis-
cussion of the Philippine question be-
came heated in the senate today Thus
far the minority has had clear field
in the debate, the policy of the ma
the democratic members OF the body
to proceed without Interruption.
Today it was different. Spooner of
Wisconsin, Lodge of Massachusetts
and Foraker of Ohio became arous-
ed. They made defense of the adj
ministration, Of the; army, Of Gov.
ernor Taft, and then spoke holly, al
most unrestrainedly. The result was
one Of the most spirited debates that
mas yet occurred on the Philippine
question. While the debate took wide
range, it revolved around the reso-
luton calling for Major Cornelius Gar,
dener, in the Philippines, to appear
as soon as possible before the Philip
pine commission as witness. A
cablegram from Chaffee was read by
Lodge saying that it was impracti-
cable for Gardener to leave the is
lands at present, as he was special
inquire in court of inquiry which was
Investigating the conditions in the
province of which he was provisional
governor. Both Morgan and Pettus in
SI.cated that they could see no good
to come from a pursuit of the discus
sion, and the latter urged the with
drawal of the resolution. No action
had been taken on the resolution when
the senate adjourned on account of the
death of Representative Amos j. Cum
mings of New York.
House.-Ihe death of Representa-
tive Amos j. Cummings of New York
in Baltimore last night caused general
regret and sorrow in the house to.
day. The blind chaplain, Rev. DR.. Cou7
den, in his invocation, made touch
ing reference to Mr.. Cummings death,
his great service to his country as
a journalist and statesman and he
prayed for those who had been near
and dear to him by the ties Of kin
row with which the house heard of
the death were adopted and it was
decided to hold appropriate services
in the hall of the house tomorrow
The public funeral ceremony in the
house of representatives is an unusu.
al tribute to the deceased member
and it has been given in recent years
only in the cases of Representatives
Dingley of Maine and Kelly of Penn
sylvania, both veterans Of congrega-
tional service.
Washington, May Essentially
vindication of the American policy in
the Philippines, Lodge of Massachu-
sets, chairman of the Philippine COM
mitee, addressed the senate today. His
review of the situation in the islands
and Of the utteranes of the minority
in criticism of the conditions there
was notably interesting, forceful and
effective. He spoke with deep earnest
ness and at times became eloquent,
He warmly resented the imputarions
cast on the president, the secretary of
war and the army for the alleged cruel
ties and atrocities said to have been
practiced in the Philippines. He said
every effort had been employed by the
officials In authority to prevent such
cruelties as had been referred to, and
measures had been taken to punish
those guilty of them. Such things.
however were incidents of every war
and could not be prevented absolutely.
He had no defense to make of many
of the cases of torture which had been
cited, but the men of the American
army had been provoked almost be-
yond human endurance. He recited
scores of instances of cruelties and tor
ture practiced by the Filipino insurg-
ents on American prisoners. Many
had their ears cut off, had been dis
emboweled, had been driven into
streams, and, while drowning, shot to
death; had been tied to trees and
stoned to death by women and chill
dren and buried alive. Others had
BEEN shot and boloed treacherously
While succoring the wounded. In the
face of these horrible atrocities, some
of the American troops had been
guilty of administering the water
cure" hut the instances of this kind
were isolated and no part of the gen
eral policy in the Philippines. He
warmly defended General Chaffee for
his conduct of affairs in the islands
and paid brilliant tribute to his he
ro1sm and patriotism, he drew cordial
applause from the galleries. In a
brief reply, Rawlins, Of Utah, declared
that the charges which had been made
were not against General Chaffee or
the American army. but against the
senator from Massachusetts (Lodge)
and others who were responsible for
the present Philippine policy. Both the
sundry civil appropriation bill and the
bill for the purchase of the Rosebud
Indian reservation were passed. The
sundry civil bill included an amend.
ment to postpone the st. Louis expo
sition until 1904.
House business of Importance
was transacted.
FAILURES ON WALL STREET.
Three Stock Exchange Firms Go to
the Wall.
I mi.