Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-30
MR.. SPOONER'S SPEECH
ADVOCATES PASSAGE OF THE
PHILIPPINE BILL.
Declares That the Minority Has
Changed It's Position-opening Of
Hostilities in the Islands.

Senator spooner spoke in the Senate yes
terday afternoon on the Philippine bill for
two hours. and. being indisposed, discon-
tinued until tomorrow morning, when he
will conclude
Referring to the speech of Mr.. Carmack
(Tenn.). who had referred to the President
by saying that his natural gait was rum
ming away" Mr.. Spooner said the intention
of Mr.. Carmack was to intimate that Presi-
dent Roosevelt was a man of impulse
1.-THE President of the United States,' he
declared "of all men whom I know is one
who does not run off from duty or danger"
He said President Roosevelt had left his
place in the government to go to Cuba,
where he offered his life in the midst of
flying bullets for liberty-for the liberty of
the people of Cuba. The President he said,
had won the right to be regarded as the
steadfast and strenuous friend of liberty.
In answer to criticisms of Gov. Taft Mr.
Spooner declared that Judge Taft was a
gentleman incapable of doing anything not
in consonance with the action of an honor
able man.
Attitude of the Minority.
Mr. Spooner said the general attitude of
the minority senators was this: I'VE who
voted against the Paris treaty are men
who observe the obligations of the Consti-
Constitution; we who are opposed to you
stand for the Declaration of Independence,
you disregard it; we are the friends of the
army, you assail it; we love the flag, you
dishonor it; we hate atrocities, you defend
them; we want liberty in the Philippines,
you want slavery there
THAT" said Mr. Spooner, "s a modest
attitude, but not altogether persuasive"
Discussing some references which had
been made to previous speeches of his. Mr..
l,oL ,,I f1,,%1 T.
not in favor of the permanent dominion of
the United States over the Philippines. and
he was not now. Il would not he said,
buy dominion at the cost of any mans
liberty.
II said that our flag in Cuba would come
down in honor it went up in the interest
of liberty. And so it has. But that has
nothing to do with this bill
Mr.. Spooner referred to the argument of
the minority that the "outrages" in the
Philippines were not the fault of the army.
but the result of the governments policy in
the islands. That, he said was a change
of base the part of the minority who
first had attacked the army
Mr.. Spooner said he had declared that he
was not in favor of making promises to
men who had a revolver at his breast nor to
men who We're training their guns upon
American troops. He stood by that declara-
ton now.
Opening Of Hostilities.
between the Americans and Filipinos, Mr.
Spooner described how the firing began.
Mr.. Hoar interrupted to say that Aguinaldo
had written to Gen. Otis expressing regret
at the occurrence and had withdrawn his
troops.
The Filipinos were not withdrawn" in
terjected Mr.. Spooner. vehemently. "They
were driven back" Appause)
Further along the Wisconsin senator re-
To tny,
naldo in imitation of the Mexican constitu-
ton, With provision for patents of nobility
and large concessions of land which he
promised to his followers. He presented
Photographic copy of the document, which
Mr. Carmack desired to examine.
With a flourish, Mr.. Spooner handed the
parchment to the Tennessean with the COM
ment: For you. You are decorated by
Aguinaldo." Gaughter.)
Mr.: Spoonar insisted that there was no
parallel to be drawn between the situation
In Cuba and that in the Philippines. The
Cubans had been fighting for independence
for ten years but no such struggle had oc-
Cured in the Philippines. Aguinaldo had
proclaimed shortly after Admiral Dewey
had entered Manila that he (Agunaldo) had
come to Manila to prevent the former in
surrectos from joining the Spanards in an
attack upon the American troops.
He declared that the opening of hostili-
ties in the Philippines was a perfectly
wanton attack upon our troops who were
rightfully around Manila
Vote for Raising Troops.
He quoted the vote in the Senate by
which troops had been raised to be sent to
the Philippines. The democrats, he said,
knew when they voted for the sending of
the troops that there was to be a war;
that there would be cruelties
Are they" he demanded 'n position to
turn upon us with vituperation and chal-
lenge? They voted for it on the basis that
We had acquired sovereignty In the Philip
pines from Spain-that we had paid for it,
and that we must sustain 1t. They cannot
properly turn on us and assert that the
present situation is the result of the damna-
BILE policy instituted by the republican
party.
II withdraw that word 'damnable,' said
he, after a moment.
Its a quotation" suggested Mr.. Bever-
idge.
II think it is, but I withdraw it." said
Mr.. SpoOner
After quoting from one Of President Nc
kinley's messages, Mr.. Spooner exclaimed:
Never in the annals of time-say what Won
will about the brutal policy Of the admins
tration-has there been carried by an army
SO much of amelioration, so much of up-
building, so much of REFORM of kindness
and tenderness as were carried by this
army of ours under the instructions of Will
nam Mckinley. 1t was destructive war,
of course, but along with the destruction
of war were the constructive forces of
peace and humanity
After speaking for about two hours. Mr..
Spooner. who was indisposed, suspended for
the day. Some discussion ensued as to the
of general debate, it being
agreed finally that, If necessary, a night
session would be held Saturday to conclude
1t.
The Senate then, at o'clock, went into
executive session and soon afterward ad-
journed until Saturday
Anacostia and Vicinity.