The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-05
Washington Day by Day


 radical Republican New York Sun. 'con- tains so much sledgehammer sense, put in such a knockdown way that the Re publicans could use it to advantage in the coming Congressional campaign"
 Senator Pettus said in open session that if the bill became law and a carpet bagger was given his choice between heaven and the Philippines, he'd say; "I'n take the Philippines"
 That was the continuation of Senator Pettus brief and unanswerable speech against the Senate bill In support of which Senator Morgan spoke ably for sev- eral hours. It shows how wide apart | the two Alabama Senators are regarding this Senate Philippines bill. which Is held by most Democrats here as one Of the most dangerous measures proposed in Congress in many years.
 | It is generally understood that Senator Morgan will be alone am ongst all the | Democrats In both Houses of Congress to vote for this bill, which in respect espe- | cially to public lands and minerals is, according to leading Democrats, to be l the monstrous equivalent of a gigantic steal of Filipino property, since the bill | provides that all public lands and min ! erals, some of which are fabulously rich, shall be sold by the Philippines Commis- sion at such prices as it may deem proper, and to favored few at practically noth- ing It is like giving the Interior Depart ment in Washington sole power to dispose of all the public lands m -le United States at will, selling the public mineral lands of Alabama or the public pine lands of Mississippi at a cent an acre if the department so willed.
 
 Under the title of "A Scathing Rebuke to the Democratic Senator's" the New York Sun, organ of the rabid Republi- cans of Wall Street, says:
 "It Is like a tonic to see a Democratic senator, old, bent and worn in service, break the bonds of partisanship and talk good Republican doctrine to his associ- ates. It should be the doctrine of the whole nation and the individual. We re- fer to the policy of the administration fin | the Philippines and to Senator Morgans speech on the bill providing for the civil government and development of the is- l lands. The remarks of the senator, who belongs to the new south. notwithstand- ing years and long service in public life, | reveal in all It's starkness the narrow | spirit which actuates the minority in the filibustering against the Philippine gov | ernment bill, for their captiouS opposi- ton amounts to filibustering. A stranger entering the senate yesterday would have supposed that the venerable man who chastized the minority for It's little ness and upheld the policy of Mckinley and Roosevelt with such trenchant ex- pressions of scorn was a champion of the administration. MT. Morgan declar- ed that the United States had put it's hand to the blow in the Philippines and could not turn back. He justified it in it's resolution. With fine sarcasm he said he excused those who saw a fatal pol | icy in the cession of the islands for not trying to repeal that cesson, because to crown such a war with such result would have dismayed stronger hearts than those that beat in the breasts of his Democratic colleagues. MT. Morgan knows humbug when he sees 1t, and can unmask it when he sees f1t."
 Washington Is never without a noble sensation furnished forth by our noble rulers The latest relates to that which one of the local court organs calls "a strange sea-going steamer plying up the Potomac" and which caused great ex- citement amongst rivermen who saw it. | of sands of pleasure-seekers on and along the Potomac. Strange as 1t may seem this strange sea-going steamer" was flying the American flag, and stranger still "it played stedily up stream until it arrived opposite the port Of Alexan- dr;a," where 1t came to anchor. Then. strangest of all, the Stars and Stripes were lowered, and u bright yellow flag run up to the peak. And miraculous as l 1t may seem, no boats were lowered, and the crew seemed idly waiting the result of showing that yellow flag. This imperial color of China and of Spain, and likewise of yellow fever, did however, attract especial attention. and a quarantine of- | ficer went off to see what the signal was about. In point of fact, it was about nothing. The strange sea-going steamer" had come in from Havana, and according to law had displayed a yellow flag by way of informing the quarantine of- flccrs that it had come frcm West In- dian or South American port. A detective officer in fact, found out all atout it., and it WAS at his instance that quar- antine officer went aboard the steamer.
 There was little or nothing done, as 1t seems, fer the steamer proceeded up Into the local harbor end came to anchor again.
 Now, the most extraordinary fact about all this sensation about the "sea-going steamer is that 1t was merely a freight vessel, though bearing the mighty burden of a great mars clothing and household effects. In a little while tue news spread all over the city that a steamer had ar rived at the foot of Ninth street, convey ing to the capital of the nation the bag. gage of the mighty Gen. Leonard Wood. Thousands swarmod 10 the shore to see the great sight, an ordinary steamship conveying General Weeds baggage.
 It will be remembered by the few who keep up with the movements of General Leonard Wood that the moment he sur rendered the government of Cuba to the | crstwhile American school teacher.