The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-01-14
HARRIS WANTS TO KNOW
What Is Being Done Toward
Collecting u. p. Debt.

Washington, Jan. 14.-When the SEN
ate met today q concurrent resolution
was passed appointing a joint commit
tee of congress to consider the question
of site for a hall of Secords. to be
erected in Washington.
A resolution offered by Mr.. Harris
was also passed, directing the attorney
general to inform the senate as to what
steps had been taken to secure the pay
ment of the interest due the United
States on account of the, subsidy debt
of the Kansas division of the Union Pa
cific Railway company.
Mr.. Hoar called up his resolution Of
fered yesterday providing for an inves-
tigation of the conduct of the Philip
pine campaign, etc, and after explain
ing that the purpose of the resolution
was not to interfere with the work of
the Philippines commission, he claimed
that we ought to have some reliable
information regarding the war in the
Philippines which he characterized as
a painful controversy" During the
civil war. he said, there was a commit
tee which reported upon their RESPONSE
bility, the facts which were needed for
the senate and for the country. There
are many thing about which the public
has been in doubt, as for instance the
statement appearing in the public press
and twice made in the senate that
Aguinaldo had sold out his countrymen.
I'VE want to know who promised the
Fflipinos Independence" he insisted.
Some charge that Dewey did, and
Dewey says they lie and the matter
was allowed to stop there
Was it worth while for us, he con-
tinued, to be considering these great
questions which involve the propriety
and good faith and integrity of our
dealings with these unfortunate people
in the matter of their liberty when We
were in the dark. He said he wanted to
know something about the character of
the Filipinos. He wanted Governor Taft
to come before a senate committee
where he could be asked questions. He
j - t.ar~T III
stories from brave soldiers and officers
of high rank about the way the Philip
pine war is conducted.
Mr.. Hoar called attention to what he
characterized as the conflicting reports
of General Cnaffee and Judge Taft of
the Philippines commission and said it
was important that the country should
know which of these had taken the cor
rect view of the situation. Hence, he
appealed for careful inquiry by the sem
ate.
Mr. Hoar thought there should be a
committee to take up these questions
and consider both sides of them. He
declared it to be one of Gods truths
that no one people has the right to
crush the liberty out of another people
and added:
I'VE are engaged in the Philippines
in the unholy office of crushing out a
republic and if we had dealt with them
as we have dealt with Cuba, the Fill
pinOS would now be a happy, prosperous
people, sending their children to our
schools and initiating our institutions
Senator Mason addressed the Senate
upon his resolution of yesterday rela-
tive to reciprocity with Cuba. He advo-
Gated such reciprocal arrangement in
strong terms. He spoke of the COM
plant as to the inability to market the
products of Cuba and urged that
CubanS should be allowed to store free,
such products in the warehouses of the
United States.
Mr.. Mason alluded particularly to the
Buffalo speech of President Mckinley
and declared that reciprocity was the
legitimate child of protection. He insisted
that the protective tariff was necessary
to this government and declared that
Mckinley had not abandoned the policy
of protection in his Buffalo speech.