The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1902-05-16
FROM THE CAPITAL.
Our Correspondent Talks in
General About Wash
ington.
(Communicatedl.
WASHINGTON.
May 18th, 1902.

May 18th, I9OZ.
"The bill reported by the Philip.
piue Committee is one of the most
iniquitous measures ever. present
ed to a Congress of the United
States," said Senator Dubois of
Idaho, yesterday when l asked
him his opinion of the bill itself
"By the provisions of the bill a
commission. composed OF three
men, is given the most absolute
powers over the Filipinos and
their lands. The edicts of the
commission will become laws un
less they are negatively acted upon
by Congress and, even if Congress
had the time itwould be impossible
for it to judge of these edicts at
this distance, 5000 miles away.
These three men can grant fran
chises to whomever they see fit
and require in return for the same
such compensation or no compen-
satiOn as they choose. They can
lease land in immense tracts 10
corporations for whatever rental
they desire. They can grant the
privileges of cutting timber to such
corporations as they may choose
to befriend and on such terms as
they may be disposed to make.
1t is ridiculous to say that the
Democrats are opposing step to-
wards the self government to
which they believe the Filipinos
are entitled. The Democrats are
doing all in their power to save
the Filipinos from being delivered
to an oligarchy which can sell
them, body and soul, from whose
actions they have no redress, from
a despotic government in which
they have absolutely no voice.
ga careful reading of the Philip
pine bill will convince any intel
ligent person that the Philippine
Commission, should the bill be-
come law, would have powers
that are today possessed by no
European ruler save, perhaps, the
Russian Gar. There are in the
Philippine millions of acres of
rich agricultural lands, more
than there is in the United States
west of the Missouri River, and
the other resources of the islands
are beyound computation, and
so long as human nature re-
mains the delegation of
such plenipotentiary power to a
commission composed of a few
favored individuals is bound to
result in corruption. 1t il follow
to plead the high character of the
present commission. Its MEM
bers may all be dead in month.
AS a general proposition, it is
evident that the best men in the
United States are not going to
fOrsake their homes and their
business interests and go to the
Philippines to administer the
affairs of the islands. The men
who seek those positions will be
the usual class of place hunters
who regularly besiege the Presi-
dent for positions which carry
handsome salaries. The passage
of this bill will inevitably result
in scandals from which the fair
name of the United States will
long suffer-"
ALL last week in the Senate was
spent in debating the Philippine
bill and the prospects are that all
this week will be spent In the
same way. Senator Dubois tells
me that he expects to address the
Senate on the subject and Sena-
tor Bailey told me that he would
probably do so. Senator For
aker will speak for the Republi-
cans and probably Senator Spoon
er. The Democrats feel that they
will be derelict in their duty if
they do not completely expose to
the public the situation in the
islands and the probable results
of the Republican policy which is
un-American in every detail.
The sudden death of three
Democratic members of the House
of Representatives early last week,
Messrs. Cummings, Otey and Sal
mon, seemed about to be follow
ed by another on Friday when
delegate Smith Of Arizona, ex-
hausted with his efforts in behalf
of the Territorial Omnibus Bill,
concluded speech in favor of the
bill and fell insensible with
slight stroke of apoplexy. For
tunately, however, Mr.. Smith soon
showed signs of recovery and is
now regarded by his physicians
as out of danger. The bill pass
ed the House with the provisions,
that the constitutional convention
of New Mexico might change the
name of that territory on it's be-
coming state, and that the con-
vention Of Oklahoma should adopt
an irrevocable statute to the effect
that the Federal government