Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-03
GARDENERS EVIDENCE
Resolution Discussed in the
Senate.
MR.. .LODGE'SSTATEMENT
MR.. RAWLINs cRITICIsEs CHAT
FEES DISPATCH.
Rejoinder by Mr.. spooner-Thinks
Minority Too Willing to
Impeach the Army.

At the conclusion OF routine business in
the Senate today the resolution previously
offered by Mr.. Patterson (Col) requesting
the President to cause the Secretary of
War to cable Major Gardener, in the Phil
ippines, to come to Washington to appear
as witness before the Philippine commit
tee was laid before the Senate.
Mr.. Lodges Statement.
Mr.. Lodge (Mass), chairman of the Phil
ippine committee, explained that when 1t
had been learned that Major Gardeners
regiment would not leave the Philippines
until about June 10 the committee on the
Philippines had decided to secure, if possi-
BILE, Major Gardeners presence as soon as
possible Later it was found that Major
Gardener had filed no specifications of the
charges he had made to the Philippine COM
mission. The committee then had rescinded
its action calling for Major Gardener. Yes
terday, he said the War Department was
notified that Major Gardener had filed a
few specifications, very indefinite in charac-
ter, and mentioning the name of only one
officer. When an investigation was ordered
Major Gardener complained that the inves-
tigaton had developed into an attack upon
him. and he asked for counsel A board
was appointed to investigate Gardeners s
charges and some time probably would
elapse before the board could make its re-
port.
In the circumstances the Philippine COM
mittee had thought it woll to permit Major
Gardener an opportunity TO prove before
the Philippine authorities the truthfulness
of his charges-an opportunity which he
would have. full and far.
View of Mr.. Rawlins.
Mr.. Rawlns (Utah) said it was evident
that Major Gardener thought the nvesti-
cation to be made of his charges was in
unfriendly hands. He said the bias of Cen
email Chaffee. as shown in his cablegram to
the War Department, was manifest. That
cahlegram indicat ted that Major Gardener
was r"fu"tant to submit himself to an in
VeStigation by officers who had been the
SUBJECT OF his criticisms. Now, Mr.. Rawlins
said, it is proposed to go through the farce
of awaiting the specifications filed by Major
Gardener and the result of an inquiry made
by the board. He sympathized with the
motives Of the Washington officials that
the charges should be fully investigated:
but he held that some tribunal ought to be
selected to make the investigation without
possibility of the charge Of partality. He
believed that the committee ought not to
refuse to send for Major Gardener, as his
testimony was extremely important.
Mr.. Spooner's Reply.
Mr.. Spooner (Wis.) said the observations
of Mr.. Rawlins were quite characteristic
of the action of the democrats in the course
of this debate. He had read carefully the
telegram from General Chaffee and had dis
covered nothing indicating a bias on his
part.
THE senator from Utah. continued Mr.
SpoOner, seems to be blinded with SuSpi-
cion of the army and of almost everybody
charged with any responsibility in the Phil
ipDineS.'
1t seemed to him that there was a too
great Willingness on the part of the minor
ity imDeach the whole American
MIR. Rawlins seemed to think no army
board could be constituted which would in
vestigate searchingly the case of Major
Gardener. He denied emphatically that the
officers constituting the board of inquiry
were those who had served in the province
of which Major Gardener was governor.
The charge Of Mr.. Rawlins was that as
Gardener had made general impea chment
of military officers in the Philippines, no
board could be constituted which would
give him an impartial trial.
THE American people,, he declared, will
not believe that charge because they will
know that it is not true of the army in the
Philippines or any other American army
Referring to General Funston, Mr.. Spoon
er said he may have talked too much, but
If he had he had done no more than some
others who not in military life had
done about this war in the Philippines The
charge had been made, said he. that Fun
ston had fought his way to fame with the
jawbone of an ass. That was unjust and
unworthy of those who made it. Funston
had won fame a soldier by leading the
bravest of men in battle and had won at
the same time the commendation of Presi-
dent Mckinley, one of the most beautiful
characters in the life of our nation. Fun
ston had not won his fame with the jaw
bone of an ass. but with his sword.
In the Senate of the United States of all
places. said he. the effort ought not to be
made to besmirch the reputation and the
honor Of the army. Outrages probably had
been committed in isolated instances in the
Philippines. He condoned no outrages of
any kind. All charges officially made of
such outrages would be investigated thor
oughly. and undoubtedly the guilty would
be punished.
But" said he, "the American people will
convict no man without a hearing and will
convict no man on statements made in
the Congressional Record They will de-
mand condign punishment OF the guilty,
but the investigation must by the same de-
mand be conducted with fairness and JUS
tice.''
Mr.. Spooner declared that he was not
willing to vote for the resolution because
the Secretary of War, as soon as the mat
ter had been brought to his attention, had
ordered an investigation to be made of the
charges of Major Gardener. The complaint
of the minority seemed to be, said he that
the Secretary Of War had not given the
charges Immediately upon their reception
to the Associated Press for wide circula-
tion.
He was interrupted by Mr.. Carmack
|. (Tenn.), who said the complaint was that
the charges had not been furnished to the
Philippine committee.
THAT is" said Mr.. spooner. that they
had not been made public
Every Effort to Get the Facts.
I'VE had heard nothing from the minor
ity," declared Mr.. Spooner. except sup
preston, suppression, suppression, and yet
every possible effort is being made by the
department to ascertain the facts and to
punish the guilty.
The minority, he insisted, urged that
Maj. Gardener be brought here to Wash
ngton to repeat his charges before the
Philippine committee against his comrades
who were 5000 miles away. The sense Of
decency Of the world. he declared would he
shocked by such action. Maj. Gardener he
said, had asked to come here and give his
testimony. Why he had asked he did not
know. Personally he was not given to in
sinuation. as the minority seemed to be-
If he were, he. too might say some caustie
things about Maj. Gardeners report He
declared that Maj. Gardener ought to make
good his charges where they were made
among his comrades. An honorable soldier
ought to court the fullest investigation, and
would not seek to come 5000 miles to an