The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-05-06

House adopts Resolutions on the
Death of Hon. Amos j. Cummings.
Washington. May 3.-Discussion OF
the Philippine question became heated
in the senate today. Thus far the mi
nority party has had a clear field in
the debate, the policy of the majority
being to permit the criticism of the
democratic members of, the body to pro-
ceed without interruption.
Today it was different. Senators
Spooner. of Wisconsin,; Lodge, Massa-
chusetts. and Foraker, of Ohio became
aroused. They spoke in defense of the
administration and of the army and
| they spoke hotly, almost unrestrainedly.
The result was one Of the most spirit
| ed debates that yet has occurred on the
| Philippine question. While the debate
| took a wide range it revolved around
the resolution calling for Major Corne-
| Illus Gardener, in the Philippines, to ap-
| pear as soon as possible before the Phil
| ippine commmittee as a witness. A ca
blegram from General Chaffee was read
| by Senator Lodge, saying that it was
| impracticable for Gardener to leave the
| islands at present, as he was an essen
| tial figure on a committee which was
| investigating the conditions of the pro-
| vince of which he was provincial gov
| ernor.
| The reading of the cablegram called
| out a sharp attack upon army methods
| by Senator Rawlings, of Utah, who in.
sisted that Gardener ought to come to
| Washington Immediately. In the course
| of his remarks. Senator Rawlings made
| some severe structures upon General
| Chaffee-
| Senator Rawlins, of Utah, said it was
| evident that Major Gardener thought
| the investigation to be made of his
charges was in unfriendly hands He
| said the bias of General Chaffee, as
shown in his cablegram to the war de-
| partment. was manifest. That cable
gram indicated that Major Gardener
| was reluctant to submit himself to an
| investigation by officers who had been
| the subject of his criticism. He SYM
| pathized with the motives of the Wash
| ington officials that the charges should
| be fully investigated; but he held that
| some tribunal ought to be selected to
make the investigation without posi-
bility of the charge of partiality.
| Senator Spooner. of Wisconsin, said
] the observations of Senator Rawlins
were quite characteristic of the action
| of the democrats in the course of this
| debate. He had read carefully the tel
| egram from General Chaffee and had
| discovered nothing indicating a bias or
his part
| 'The senator from Utah, continued
| Senator Spooner. seems to be blinded
with suspicion of the army and of al
most everybody charged with any re-
sponsibility in the Philippines
| 1t seemed to him that there was too
| great willingness on the part of the
| minority to impeach the whole Amer
| lean army. He denied emphatically
| that the officers constituting the board
| of inquiry were those who had served
| in the province of which Major Garden
| er was governor.
| 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 isolat-
| ed instances in the Philippines. He
| condoned no outrages of any kind. All
charges officially made of such outrages
| would be investigated thoroughly and
undoubtedly the guilty would be pun
| ished. The complaint of the minority
| seemed to be, said he, that the secre-
| tary of war had not given Major Gard
| ener's charges Immediately upon their
| reception to the Associated Press cor
| wide dissemination.
He was interrupted by Senator Car
| mack Of Tennessee. who said the COM
plaint was that the charges had not
been furnished to the Philippine COM
| mittee.
THAT is" said Senator Spooner. that
| they had not been made public"
I'VE have heard nothing from the
minority" declared Senator Spooner,
except suppression, suppression, sup
preston. and yet every possible effort
is being made by the department to as
certain the facts and to punish the
| guilty.
Senator Foraker defended Governor
Taft against the charge that he had
| withheld Major Gardeners report
''The record" he said. shows conclu-
sively that such a statement is not war
| ranted."
Senator Lodge said it was perfectly
monstrous to bring Major Gardener
here and allow him to make his accu-
sations in a committee room of the
senate when the officers against whom
he makes them are thousands Of miles