The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-05-08
TILLMAN ON SOUTH
THE SOUTH CARoLINIAN MAKES
WARM SPEECH.
A HOT REPLY TO McoMAS.
PROBLEMS IN SOUTH AND PHILIP
PINES COMPARED.

ment Was to Be Turned Over TO
Negroes, Declared Mr.. TiIlman.
Republican Contention Is That Ne
grOes Are Fitted to Govern in This
Country, While FiIipinOs Are Not
Fitted to Govern Themselves in
PhiIippines-Better Solve the Ne
gro Problem First.
Washington, May 7.-Discussion of
the Philippine bill in the Senate took a
sensational turn again to-day. Mr..
McComas of Maryland, referring to the
alleged cruelties of American soldiers
in the Philippines-cruelties which he
deeply deplored-told of some of the
cruelties which had occurred on both
sides during the Civil War. Neither
side, he held, was to be held respon-
sible for those regrettable occurrences,
as neither side approved of them.
Referring to elections in the South,
Mr.. McComas said that the senators
from South Carolina and Mississippi
(Tillman and Money! cried out against
the small percentage of voters in the
early elections in the Philippines.
After discussing the election methods
in the states referred to, he said
I'VE behold senators from the two
states where there is less popular lib
erty than in any others shouting loud
est for constitutional liberty on the
other side of the globe"
These remarks drew a sensational
reply from Mr.. Tillman. He said Mr..
McComas had passed over with COM
placency the outrages and iniquities
and barbarities which had been COM
mitted by American soldiers. He de-
clared that when the light had been
turned on in full upon the Philippine
situation the American people would
see to it next November that the ma
jority in one branch of Congress would
not be committed to this infamous
policy.
Tillman declared, you shall not pass
this bill until full light has been turned
on the Philippine situation"
Senator Tillman said it was no longer
possible to sneer away the responsible
ity for the cruelties and infamies COM
| mitted by the American soldiers in the
Philippines Referring to the situation
of the negroes in the South, Senator
! Tillman said the senators from those
| states were prepared to meet any legis-
lation which might be brought into
| Congress upon that question.
MIR. TiIIman on Reconstruction.
He discussed the situation in the
South during and subsequent to the
Civil War, and declared that if it had
been known prior to the conclusion of
| l. r
government were to be turned over to
the negroes there would have been in
augurated a guerilla warfare in the
swamps of the South that would have
been kept up indefinitely
AS he discussed the question he said
he was scarcely able to contain him
self when he recalled the indignities
and humiliations to which the people
of his state were subjected during
the reconstruction period, from 1868
to 1876. In his own state there were
in Mississippi there were 100000 more
negroes than whites. In order to
maintain their self-respect the whites
were obliged to take the reins of gov
eminent in the South by whatever
means they could-using the shotgun
as one of the means.
Referring to the re-inauguration of
NllllC supp ClidCy III OOuln CdI Olllld AlG
said the whites had secured a majority
of $780, 1t might just as easily have
been, he said, $4,000 or $4,000. They
simply got such a majority as was
necessary.
He referred to the outrages in the
Philippines and then said he had heard
only of the application of sand cure"
in the South. He thought the sand
cure as described was mild.
s'Whan " he continued 1--WE get ready
to put nigger's face in the sand, we
put his body there too"
The Republican Position.
He insisted that the Republican con-
tention was that the negroes of the
South were fitted to govern in this
country, but that the Filipinos were
not fitted to govern themselves in the
Philippines. In the United States a
serious problem confronted the gov
ernment-the negro problem-and we
might better try to solve that than to
hunt for trouble in the Philippines.
Throughout the South" said Sena-
tor Tillman, there is a horror hang
ing over every household, for this aw-
full fear of rapine. And yet you turn
your back upon it and march to the
East, where you murder and butcher
and torture the poor Filipinos. And
you are doing all this in the name of
Christianity and humanity and liber-
ty! 1 can see the hypocrisy oozing out
of you all over" Oaughter)
"As Confederates, the Senator de-
clared, I'VE cannot think it right to go
into the Philippines and desolate the
islands with fire and sword"
Adverting further along to the situa-
ton in the South, Mr.. Tillman asserted
that the South would not submit to
negro domination, "and the sooner you
unders tand that the better"
He urged that discussion of the
Southern race question should cease.
you are haunting u.s." continued
Senator Tillman, "about our treatment
of the negroes of the South. hoping at
the same time that we will not inter-
fere with your game of deviltry in the
Philippines. We hope you will help US
of the South to get rid of the threat
of negro domination which hangs over
US like the sword of Damocles. Lynch
ings will continue as long as those
fends rape our wives and daughters"
While Senator Tillman was speaking
many of the Democratic senators left
the chamber, his audience on the floor
being largely on the Republican side.
Burton Arraigns TiIIman.
Mr.. Burton of Kansas vigorously ar
raigned Mr. Tilman for his utteranees.
He asserted that the senator who could
defend slavery and government by the
shotgun could not be expected to think
we'll OF senators who were trying to
carry good government to the Filipi-
nos" He was astonished that in one
breath he should make an appeal for