New-York tribune., 1902-01-28
HOT PHILIPPINE FIGHT.
DEMOCRATS WANT GENERAL
WREA TON CENSTRED.
Nh. DUBOIS STIRS Up THE LIvELIEST
POLITICAL DEBATE OF THE SES-
SION IN THE SENATE
TBy TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIBUNE. !

Washington. Jan. Ex-senator Dubois. Of
Idaho, one Of the distracted Democracy's latest
and most promising recruits. raised storm in
the Senate soon after that body assembled to-
day which ragged all through the session. TAX
ing advantage Of hiatus in the proceedings in
what is known technically as the morning hour
the IDAHO Senator rose 10 what he declared TO
he question Of personal privilege and had sent
n the clerks desk and read a recent press dis
patch from the Philippines containing what pur-
ported 70 be q brief interview with Major Gen
ersl Lloyd Wheaton. commander of one Of the
military divisions Of Luzon. in which the General
is represented as having severely criticised Pres
ident Schurman of Cornell University. chair
man of the first Philippine Commission for de-
Cls-ing n 4 speech a. Boston that the Philip
pines should have their independence. The dis
patch also said that the civil and military au-
thorlties in the Philippines were criticising the
minority IF the Senate for reporting substitute
for the majority tariff bill With this as
basis. Senator Dubois proceeded 70 denounce
General Wheaton as ''proba bly, some charity boy
appointed n West Point by Senator or Repre-
sentative and since supported by the govern
nent- Such remarks as he is quoted as having
made are outrageous and indecent Senator
Dubois declared further thar he thought the
President ought 70 reprtmand General Wheaton
and other officers Of the army and navy in the
Philippines who are crtticising the Senate for its
actlou or statements regarding the Philippines
PARTY STRIFE STIRRED Up.
This sharp denunciation Of General Wheaton
stirred the feelings Of the Senate as nothing
slse has done since the assembling Of the with
Congress PaIpably Senator Dubois had strained
point II making Of the affair a matter Of per
sonal privilege bur when this became aupsrent
& was too late for the president pro TEN. Sena
ter FRYE. 70 check the threatened conhagratfon
The enbers Of partisan strife had been famed
in-o 4 fame, which was obviously the sole pur-
pose Of 4fr. Dubois. and for the remainder Of
the day. with only little interrnission for the
completion Of morning business" the flames
-oared and cracked. Senator Lodge was quick
- see the necessity OF putting stop 70 the
irregular proceedings but even with the as
sistance OF Senator's Aldrich McComas and
Hoar ne vas unable 70 DO so. Mr. Lodge point
ed out that General Wheaton had probab bly,
been misquoted. in which event Il would be
grave injustice for the Senate ask the Presi-
dent 70 reprimand so gallant a soldier who was
doing his duty in the Philippines uncomplain-
ingly. and who only recently had been con-
frraed by the Senate as major general for
rae-1torious services 4 rereading Of the dis
patch. II the suggestion Of Senator Aldrich.
showed that General Wheaton had not been
quoted as criticsing the Senate OF Senators.
out even this did not stop the row Evidently
ne Democrats wanted 10 fight, and the fact
hat they would have ample opportunity TO in
5ulge their bellgerenr bent 70 their hearts con-
tent in an hour or TWO, when the regular de-
bate on The Philippine bill was scheduled for re-
funption, did not suffice for them.
FIERCE ATTACKS OK WHEATON.
When Mr. Dubois had had his fling Senator
Teller Of Colorado, took up the cudgels and
hammered away al Wheaton. Senator Hcar
tried 70 hold The bellicose minority in check
for brief tine by making q humorous little
speech, but this only had the effect Of causing
Messrs- Rawlins. OF Uta-, Caruack Of Tennessee.
and Tilnan. Of South Carolina, 70 swing their
patteaxes Jhreateningly. How long the rum
p1s would have continued and how bitter and
acrimonious II would have become had not Nj
trge finally declared the whole thing out Of
order cannot be guessed
50 excited had nearly all the Senators be-
come under the inhamed spirit of party strife
mat when = O'Clock ca ne and the Philippine bill
vas taken up as the regular order OF debate. the
carefully prepared programme of the Democrats
went all aVry. Senator Teller was 70 have made
The first speech but Senator Money. Of Missis-
sippi. got the floor first and held II until the
senate went into executive session. The MisEis-
siPpian vas q revelation OF 1uency and nimble-
ness. H was pressed hard By Messrs. Foraker
5s-e and Bevcridge. and when asked by Mr.
CrraEer What he would do II he CMr. Money!
we're managing the Philippine business. ex-
Gained passionately that he would get out Of
u lsIanos ana let them 20 70 the devil" Mr.:
foraker tried 70 get NJ Money TO tell how
long il would take him 70 carry cut this pro-
granre, but the Mississippian could not be
pinned down on This point.
SENATOR HALEE ATTITUDE
Senator Hale. while questioning Mr None.
made an important announcement Of his own
position on the Philippine question by declaring
that IN large part ne agreed with Mr Money
and that he was in very serious doubt as 10
what vas best 10 be done with the islands
Senator Spooner drew from Senator Money the
admission that Mr.. Money was not in SYM
pathy with the Democratic Philippine policy
formulated by the minority OF the committee,
as that policy contemplated the esta blshmenr
py The United States OF republican government
ior the Eilipinos. Mr. Money did not believe the
rlAplnos, any more than other Oriental people,
we're prepared for republican government and
tree institutions those terms were applica bic
% our form Of government Senator Hoar took
issue with Senator Money this point and as
serted that the Filipinos had demonstrated their
capacity for self-government by maintaining
ancient municipal governments throughout the
=, Vhipelago even under Spanish rule Senator |
rat OF Connecticut also took sharp issue with
Ile mississippi Senator some OF his con-
eiaslons OF constitutional law. contendins that |
me United States could not be expected to- grant
independence 10 the Filipinos and TO relinquish |
al rights in the islands merely because Of he
natives desire for liberty. Senator Beveridge
sTled hsrd 70 learn from Mr.. Money what limit |
& &ne would put on our military occupation Of the |
Islands after. under his programme all civil Off
cers mac been Withdrawn. but the Mississippjan |
ssone"hat petuiantly declined 10 elaborate this |
-eelure or MS policy, which he careful re- |
peatedly 70 avow was his own and not that of |
MS party or any considerable element Of It
rfesuIna bly, the regular debate the Philip |
noon
The DEBATE IN DETAIL.