Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-05-24

ken of mortal language to describe,
There are more than 700000O0 people on
this side OF the water wanting 70 know
the truth heretofore stiied and sup
pressed. Mr. President, II seems 10 me
that II is a time when II Is a patriotic
duty 10 give utteTance TO the truth, thul
the American people may be advised
and that We may intelligently deal with
the important questions which confront
us.
Friends OF justice, champions OF lib
crty, have ever been jealous OF the en-
croachment OF the executive or klngly
power, and those who, irrespective OF
consequences TO themselves. have re-
sisted It's aggressions and refused TO be
seduced by It's Establishments have
passed into history with enduring and
honorable fame, while those who have
catered TO IL and sought to profit by
the favors which II had TO bestow have
sunk into oblivion, or. II remembered,
are only remembered TO be despised
What is this bill? The senator who
introduced II has not explained II; but
upon its examination we will find thal
II continues, II il does not establish la
perpetuity a presidential despotlsm-
not benevolent despotism, but cruel,
a remorseless, and predatory despot-
ism.
For this they have no warrant In our
history or traditions. To do this they
must trample under foot the precepts
OF our Constitution and aXioms OF our
liberty. This bill reaches backward as
we'll as forward. II strikes its roots IN
to and derives its support from that
excrescence upon the army appropria-
ton bill OF 1901 known as the "Spoonef
amendment" The qualification OF the
absolute power therein conferred,
adopted at the instance OF the senator
from Massachusetts, by this bill Is elm.
mated. After this bin shall have
passed, this absolute power viii stand
forth stripped OF every qualification
and limitation. In order to comprehend
this bill therefore, 1t Is necessary to
read into II as part Of II that grant
OF absolute authority. This bill appears
in some respects In disguise. Its real
purpose does not In all respects appear
upon its face. 1t is another Trojan
horse stalking into the citadel OF the
nation filled with the arms and soldiers
of despotlc power, concealing the In
strumentalitles OF tyranny and oppres.
sion and the means of spoliation ana
plumber.
PHILIPPINE COMMISSION.
Senator Rawllns then entered upon
lengthy analytical argument as regards
conditions IN the Philippines under the
provisions OF the commission In matters
of land, power OF courts, On the land
question he said in part:
zone Of the evils Of the islands Is the
large holdings Of land by what are
known as the friars. These holdings
each amount on the average TO about
60 600 acres of land, held by corpora
tions; and authority Is given In this
bill to appropriate those lands In exer-
else OF the power Of eminent domain.
The effect OF the transaction Will be, II
IL is consummated, TO take lands now
held in large quantities from one cor
poration In order TO sell them In equal
quantities 10 another corporation.
The mischief which now exists In the
islands does not consist particularly IN
the character of the individuals who
compose those organizations, but In the
fact that they are corporations or syn
dicates holding large tracts OF land and
excluding all the people from proprle-
torship In those lands They are
constant source of irritation. The per-
sons haJ,Ing them desire to exploit
them 10 the greatest possible advan-
tage. and they naturally desire to OBJ
tain the chea pest labor which will yield
70 them the largest amount OF product
with the lowest amount OF outlay. That
same mischief"
Mr.. Hoar--How many acres did the
senator say was the amount of these
lands?
Mr.. Rawlins--Held by the friars?
Mr.. Hoar-The senator stated he
number of acres as 10000, as under
stood him, and thought he had made
a mistake. -,
Mr.. Rawlins-Those lands are held
in tracts Of about 10000 acres each, and