Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-02-21
PATTERSON ON
THE PHILIPPINES
Colorado Senator Vigorously At
lacks Commission
lNSINUATES AGAINST TAFT.
Says lie Has siisrepresonted the True
situation Were Filipinos Protest'
ants Things Would be Different

Washington, Feb 9o-With the ex-
oention of few minutes given to rou-
tine business. the senate today devoted
lis entire session to the Philippine
question.
Mr. Patterson Of Colorado, one Of the
minority members of the Philippine
committee delivered his FIRST extended
speech IN the senate and was given a
most attentive hearing. He discussed
principally the sediton laws enacted
by the Philippine commission yigor-
ously attacking the authority Of the
commission to enact and enforce such
laws, He maintained that Congress
alone had the power to put in force
enactments of that character He COM
pared information furnished by the ex-
ecutiye departments Of the government
with some of the statements Of COY.
Taft In his testimony before the
Philippine committee. with respect to
the capabilities of the Philippine peo-
PIE, and declared with some heat his
belief that COY. Taft misrepresented the
true situation In the island for motives
unknown.
He asserted that II the 100000 OF
Christians IN the Philippines were Prot
estant Christians. the crueites prac-
tlced on them by the American author
tiles would have to stop, az no mem
her of Congress- would be able to With
stand the wrath OF the Methoulhls'
Baptists and Presbytenans OF inns
country.
Mr., Nelson of Minnesota ana MI,
McCumber Of North Dakota supporter
the administrations policy IN the ISL
onds. Mr. Patterson discussed al length
the report made TO the navy depart
ment by the two officers VINO made
tour Of many of the provinces OF The
Islands The report, he Insisted re-
peated positively the statements tnat
the Fllipnos were not fitted Tor lnde-
pendence and seli-goYernment,
Sentiment for independence might We
stamped out by great army cohtlh-
ued Mr. Patterson, Dut such course
would be one of perildy ana intamy'
Statehood, he said, was what the req.
NlNl I'fiNe NN'''"'N'Nf 49,
that II was by representations Whicn
led the Filiplnos TO believe they might
eventually achieve statehood that the
intelligent Filpinos were induced TO
submit TO American control The STU
alton now was, he said, that Congress
could work It's own VIII upon the Phll-
ippine islands and their people
In conclusion, Mr. Patterson referred
Ia. 20 gN IA at
Of the Islands were Christians but
he said, they are not protestant Chtls-
tons Senator'S may smile put ] nave
II in my mind that II the bOOO'OVC OF
Filipino Christians mad learned theif
Christianity In the sanctuaries OF the
Methodist, Presbyterian or Baptist
churches and were as Wen rounded IN
the cardinal principles OF Christianity
as they are today there would be such
I'm uprising of the Methodist, PreSpy-
terrain and BAPTIST denominations at
the cruel, unconstitutional and relent-
less treatment of their people in the
Philippines that Few members OF Con-
gress supporting that policy would race
their wrath But the Filipinos are not
Protestant Christians
Mr., Nelson OF Minnesota followed
with a legal argument, dealing with
various phases of the Philippine ques-
ton, In beginning he took Mr.. Pat
terson sharply TO task for injecting Sec
taranism into the discussion ana adding
that the sending OF American teachers
tBthe Philippines to teach the Filipino
youth the English language was an act
of tyranny and despotism The foreign
born people Of the northwest, he said,
might as well insist that II was tyran-
ny and despotism 10 be afforded the OPP
portunity of sending their children TO
the public schools.
In an extended argument Mr. Ne
son maintained that right of rial
by jury was not necessarily consti-
tutional right. In conclusion Mr. Nell
son said the argument of the minority
was based on an entire misapprehen-
sion OF the physical and legal
situation In the Philippines. The
United States government was not
In the Philippines precisely as
1t was in California from 1916
to 1850. The government was holding
these islands, not by legislative enact
ment but by the executive powers Of
the government. The president had the
right to govern those islands until such
time as the Congress should provide for
their control The Philippine commits
sion, he said was simply an executive
aid to the president and il was idle for
senators to regard Il in any other light
n Il were so desired, he maintained
the United States had ample authority
TO hold the Islands precisely as they are
being held today,
Mr.. Nelson declared It was Islander
upon America TO assert, as the minor
ity did, that this government was not
mines "A GOOD government