River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-01-30

| committee on lllcIOCSdulC ChAeaAS Oiea
not make report Monday, but de-
cided to have hearings beginning
| next Monday. The members of the
isthmian commission and such other
witnesses as may be desired will be
summoned.
Senate Proceedings.
Washington, Jan. 28.-Soon after
| the senate convened Monday Senator
| Lodge, chairman of the Philippine
committee, favorably reported res
| oIution authorizing that committee
| to make an investigation of the Phil
| ippine question, and for that purpose
| to sit during the sessions of the SEN
ate. The resolution was referred to
the committee on contingent ex-
penses.
Senator Blackburn (Ky.) present
ed the credentials of James B. Nc
Creary, recently elected a senator
from Kentucky for a term Of six
years beginning on March 4, 1908.
They were placed on file.
Senator Hanna CO., likewise pre-
scented the credentials of his col
league, Joseph Benson Foraker, who
was reelected recently to the senate
for a term of six years beginning
March 4, 1908. They were read and
filed.
In introducing a resolution provid-
ing for the appointment of a COM
mission of experts to ascertain the
cost of an isthmian canal tunnel five
miles in length by what is known as
the Darien route, Senator Scott CIV.
Va.) gave notice that at some later
time he would address the senate
upon the subject.
Senator Dubois Idaho), rising to
question of personal privilege, di-
rected attention to press dispatch
from Manila quoting Gen. Wheaton
as criticising some remarks of DR..
Schurman in a speech at Boston, and
that the opinion was prevalent in the
Philippines that men were sent to
prison in Manila for saying less. |
think, said Senator Dubois, in view
of the statements in this dispatch,
the president ought to reprimand
Gen. Wheaton and those officers in
the Philippines who are criticising
the senate for it's action or state
ments regarding the Philippines.
81 don't know who Gen. Wheaton
is, but he probably is some charity
boy appointed to West Point by a
senator or representative, and since
supported by the government. Such
remarks as he is quoted as having
10 nj
indecent"
Senator Lodge (Mass.) suggested
that it would be wise to ascertain
before Gen. Wheaton was reprimand-
ed whether he actually made the
statements attributed to him. Gen.
Wheaton, he said, was an officer of
ability and character, and no hasty
action ought to be taken in such a
case.
Senator Teller don't think
there's any doubt that Gen. Wheaton
said what is attributed to him.
Senator Lodge-There may be a
great deal of doubt of it.
Senator Teller, continuing, said
such situation as had arisen was
3
the conditions in the Philippines. A
paddock, he asserted, was to be placed
upon the mouth of every man, con-
gresham or private citizen, and all
criticism of the administrations
Philippine policy was to be silenced
He referred to the criticism of SEN
ators, who had antagonized the adj
ministration's policy in the Philip
pines, declaring they had been
charged even with treason.
ST suppose" said he, 'that no sem
ator, after awhile, will be able to
read on this floor the declaration of
independence without subiecting him
self to charge of melting treason"
He said that if Prof. Schurmann' s
speech was published in the Philip
pines it was known over there that
he proposed that the Philippines Ill
tinately should have their indie
pendence.
anybody" he declared, "who will
criticise the utterances in that speech
would criticise the declaration of in
dependence if he dared to do so.''
Senator Lodge said Senator Teller's
statement concerning the declaration
of independence was ''silly." What
President Schurman said in Boston
did not, in his opinion, concern the
senate. The only point was whether a
general of the United States army had
criticised the senate. 1t did not APP
pear from the dispatch that Gen.
Wheaton had referred to the senate
at all. He had a perfect right to COM
ment upon Prof. Schurman's utter
ances if he wished to. 1t would be a
most unusual proceeding to assume
that Gen. Wheaton was guilty of any
| indiscretion until he had been heard
from.
In response TO inquiries by Senator
Rawlins (Utah) Senator Dodge said he
did not know whether newspaper dis
| patches sent from Manila were CEN
sored or not, and he did not know
whether the war department had or
had not taken steps to ascertain
| whether Gen. Wheaton had made the