Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-02-12
s7sh CONGRESS.


the able and gallant services of Capt.
Francis Tuttle. revenue cutter service.
his officers and men Of the Bear; also
the heroic services Of Lieuts. d. H. Jar
Wis. E. p. Bertholf and DR.. Samuel j.
Call. composing the overland expedi-
ton to Point Barrow, Arctic ocean, for
the relief Of imperilled whalers.
Consideration Of the Philippine tariff
bill having been resumed. Teller con-
tinued his speech begun. yesterday. He
said he believed that holding the is
lands would not prove profitable and
would be dangerous. Nobody could
force on the Filipinos our government
or our civilization. for they were Of
different race. 1t was against our prfn-
ciples TO hold people in subsection by
force.
Teller insisted that II a people are
elevated they must elevate themselves.
He said nothing but a plain edict from
the Almighty would lead him to be-
Iieve that the United States Is a crea-
ture Of destiny as regards the Philip
pineg. Some evil influence dominated
the executive department and its voice
was for war.
Had the administration declared its
present policy toward the Philippines
at the outset. the treaty with Spain
would not have been ratified. Teller
averred. In the % years Of his ser
vice in the Senate. he said. he had seen
many strange things. but never any
thing like the reading Of the so-called
| enactments Of the Philippine commits
sion. which he said were a compendium
Of tyranny and infamy.
Foraker said that the s-dition and
| treason laws enacted for the Philippines
were almost identical with those of Ten
nessee.
Ifoar Interrupted to ask If the order
of Cen. otis directing forced submission
was not itself an act OF war.
Teller answered that 10 years ago IL
would have been SO considered where.
upon Hoar declared that the Filipino,
| could not be charged with opening hostii-
| itiss when the United States by Gen. Otis
order had issued a formal act Of wal
long before.
Teller expressed the opinion that the
| FiliplnOs never could consent 10 oiir con-
troll of the islands.
rs the senator entirely certain in
| terjected Platt (CL), that a ma jority oi
the Christian people OF the Islands Do
not consent to our government?
Teller replied that IL he could trust the
| Information which had come TO him not
| one-tenth Of the people wanted the Unit
ed States government In the islands.
Hoar suggested to Teller that it was
said that an order had been issued by the
Philippine commission prohibiting the
reading OF the declaration of indepen-
dence at a Fourth of july celebration In
Manila. He inquired If that was not in
consistent with the statements of the
ma jority.
Promising to discuss that and other
points later Teller yielded the floor fos
the day. .
Plat Ct1. in replying to some state
ments made by Teller. pointed out thar
the American army in the Philippines
had been reduced from 1000 to less than
4OO00. He thought Ii very strange the
American force could thus be reduced IL
liberty. I'VE ought to consider facts
he urged. I'VE are getting along reason
ably well IN those lands. Peace will come
to them and government will be establish
ed therein, In which the F'ilipinos them.
selves will have large part and which
He pointed out that elections were be-
ing held In the islands for choice OF mu-
ntcfpal officers and In these elections ali
the people had a part. He had read a
native FilipInos indicating a growing ap-
probation of American control and gov
eminent.
The Senate agreed to conference on
the pension appropriation bill and Ca
linger. Prttchard and Turner were named
In reply 10 Platt. Hoar (Mass.) referred
to the declarations Of Filipinos which
the latter had read as sweet morsei
wfested from a conquered people by a
great army. He had no knowledge OF
the methods by which these declarations
were obtained. but he disclaimed any re-
Election upon the American authorities
without investigation.
Hoar ridiculed the elections to which
| n S- @.nls .rfsr bot
der the seditiOn laws enacted by tn.
Philippine commission Ii was a peniten-
tiary offence for anything In the Islands
but advocate a political opinion or polit-
ical policy. He referred In a facetiOus
vein to the schools established In the Is
lands by the American authorities. as
sorting that In not one Of them could the
declaration Of Independence be read or a
patriotic speech be delivery in safety.
He hoped that the roseate views Of Plat
might obtain very soon in the Philippines
but of that he entertained great doubts.
Hoars remarks called forth a vigorous
utterance from Plat. who said that his
respect for the long and distinguished ca
reer of the senator from Massachusetts
would prevent him from replying as he
would reply to some others. He believed.
| ne said. that the American people woul.1
| regret to note the "sneers' Of the senator
from Massachusetts, at the efforts of the
| government to educate the children OF
the Philippine islands.
| IN speaking Oh the petitlOHS IoT lHUe-
| pendence presented to Congress a year
ago. to which Hoar referred. Plat said
| they were paraded here now. as they had
been at the time OF their petition. as pos
tive proof that all the Filipino people
| wanted independence and freedom from
| American control. He lntimated that
they had been prepared Ivy the Filipino
Junta. either IN Hong Kong or I'm Bos-
| ton" and asserted that they bear on
| their face evidence Of being machine
| made
Plat paid a high tribute to Gov. Taft
and his associates on the Philippine com
mission and inquired; lis what thcsa
men say about the Philippines to be
whistled down the wind by our friends
on the other side reinforced by the sen.
ator from Massachusetts? Perhonally.
propose to trust the Philippine commits
sion. That commission. he said. had pre-
scented remarkable evidence of the pro-
gress which was being made in the archi-
| pelago toward peace and toward a happy
solution Of the situation there. Civil
| government had been established In 81
provinces and that government was being
|