Evening star., 1902-01-29
Conflict Of Words Called Out by
Debate on Philippines.
TELLER MAKES SERIOUS CHARGES
Lodge Challenges Statement of
the Colorado Senator.
AN EN NCITED SESSION

noon by a heated discussion of the Philip
| pine question. For nearly three hours the
spectators in the galleries watched the pro-.
| ceedings with breathless interest, apprehen-
| sive that they might see serious ending to
| the Incorporate debate.
Acrimony in Senate debates is not infre-
| quent, but old senators say it has been
years since there has been such a hurri-
| cane of bitter vituperation, of personal
| taunt, of ugly charges and of unmodified
criticism as was witnessed yesterday after
noon. Not since the discussion of the reso-
| lutions leading up to the Hispano- American
war have such scenes occurred in the Sem
ate. Even that debate lacked the personal
bitterness manifested at times during this
discussion of the Philippines
Irritation was aroused on both sides of
the chamber, and once or twice personal
encounters between senators seemed immi-
nent. Once, when Senator Teller taunted
the republican senators by declaring they
knew the statements made in recent dis
patch from Manila in which General Whea-
ton was represented as criticisng the op-
ponents of the governments policy in the
Philippines, were true, a half dozen repub-
lcans were on their feet in an instant
Senator Lodge, at whom the taunt seemed
to be aimed particularly, hurriedly crossed
from his seat in the center of the repub-
| lican side to the main aisle of the Senate
anu, "iiIte " tile illlS, pdSSlOnately chat-
lenged the statement of the Colorado SEN
ator and demanded that he withdraw it.
Senator Teller modified the statement
that further hostilities at that time were
averted.
Sharp CoIioquy.
One of the sharpest colloquies of the ses-
sion was between Senators Spooner of Wis
consin and Tillman of South Carolina The
race problem, involving the 1ynching of ne
groes, was interjected into the controversy.
| and much feeling was manifested by both
senators. In the course of the colloauy
| Mr.. Spooner declared that if the same rule
| were to be applied to the colored people in
| the Philippines Mr.. Tillman referred to
| in the south, then God help the colored
| man in the Philippines
God help him in the Philippines now"
| shouted the South Carolina senator mas
sionately. You have already butchered in
| three years three times as many as the
Spaniards did in three' centuries
| 1T is; is one thing" retorted Mr.. spooner.
| Ito Kill men with arms in their hands
| against the government and against the
| flag. 1t is another to burn them"
Senators in their excitement seemed for
| the moment to have forgotten the subject
| of debate. The chair CMr. Frye was able
with difficulty to maintain order. When
| the discussion finally was ended for the
day the chair felt called upon seriously to
admonish senators that the rules of the
| body had not been observed, and after
| reading the rule which had been violated
! he expressed the hope that in the future
senators would have a care to observe it.
Such an admonition has not been made by
the presiding officer of the Senate in many
years.
'''' Mild Opening. --.r
| After The Stars report of the proceed
! ings was closed the Senate engaged in such
| pacific business as the passage of a joint
| resolution authorizing the selection of
site and the erection of a pedestal for
| bronze statue in this city in honor of the
| late Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Mr.. Foraker, referring to a recent criti-
clsm OF Gen. Wesley Merritt, formerly
| commander Of the department of the east,
presented letter from General Merritt,
denying emphatically that he had said the
| CONSTITUTION was an antiquated document
| and ought to be abolished
| MT Spooner referred to the report Of the
| minority on the Philippine bill, saying that
| even that did not propose immediate with
drawal Of this government from the Phil
| lpp1nes, holding that we should remain in
| the Islands until the establishment of
| stable governments government able to
| discharge its international obligations and
| protect life and property. He could not
| understand upon what theory the Senate
was TO spend weeks in threshing over the
ola straw of the Philippine question. In
his opinion that proceeding would be ir-
| relevant.
AFTER rather breezy colloquy between
| Mr.. Spooner and Mr.. Tillman. the latter
| eshSu S1i' OpOOner TO say EXPLICITLY
| whether the Philippine Islands were part
| of the United States
II recommend" replied Mr.. Spooner,
that the. senator read the decisions of
| the Supreme Court"
| Il have read some of those decisions
MI. IiiAman said. ''but with four judges on
one side and four on the other and the
of them.''
| Whatever may be said about their de-
cisfons,' replied Mr. Spooner, II don't think
| that the Justices of the Supreme Court will
| be very sensitive as to the senator's criti
| cism'' -
| Mr.. Tillman-"Oh not at ALL
| Mr.. Spooner-'The Supreme Court set
! tied one thing, and that is that there is a
dlstinction between the United States and
| territory belonging to the United States"
| interrupted by Tillman.
While Mr.. Spooner was proceeding with
his speech, he was interrupted by Mr.. Till
| man, and In an instant sensational COL
| loquy was in progress
Mr.. Tllman inquired: Will the senator
| allow me to ask him il the Platt amend
| ment had been defeated by debate until
| the END OF the session would that side
| nave had courage to have gone for
| tianity and liberty and all that kind of
thing and to have called an extra session
Mr.. Spooner-"We have courage enough
| on TINS side to do anything on earth.
l
| negro
Mr.. Spooner-'We have not courage
enough to lynch .colored men or deprive
them Of their rights
Mr.. Tillman-"Does the senator desire to
discuss the race question here? He seems
to have left the proposition which he start
ed on to throw a personal fling at me- I
| am ready to meet him here, in Wisconsin,
| or anywhere else on the race question"
| Mr.. Spooner-"Wherever the senator is
willing to meet me on that question or any
other, he will find me there SO far as that
| is concerned. The senator addressed to me
an observation rather offensive in its char
! acter."
Mr.. Tiilman-.'H certainly had no allu-
sion to lynching.,'
/ Mr.. Spooner-.No'ssk
| Mr.. Tillman-"Andth the senator under
stands very well thatsI come from a Sec
tion of country where Iynchings for given
crime and for good many other crimes
are very prevalent Now, does the sena-
tor wish to leave the Philippine PROPOSE
tion in which he is dealing with a colored
| people in most Infamous and damnable
and hypocritical way and go south and
hold them up as examples that we are
a l1y,rp y, -