The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-05-02
ROOSEVELT AND FUNSTON
Severely Criticised by Senator Cur-
mack in a Speech on the PhiIip-
Pine Bill.

washington, April 25.-Two extended
speeches occupied the attention of the
senate today during its entire session.
Senator McCumber, of North Dakota,
discussed a bill introduced by him to
prevent m~isbranding and mlsrepresent-
ing OF food products which enter into
Interstate commerce The intent of
the Of the measure was to pre-
vent, so far as possible, these imposi-
tions upon the public.
Senator Carmack. of Tennessee. one
OF the minority members of the Philip
pine committee, spoke in opposition to
the Philippine government bill now
pending. His address attracted to the
m not only many senator's, but a
considerable number of his former col
leagues in the house. He sharply criti-
clsed the president. He quoted from
Mr. RooSevelts charges that treason
able" talk had melted the F%iliplnos to
instruction and said that we must not
judge the president il his moments of
oratorical ferocity or when the frenzy
OF battle is in his blood. The president
was not vindictive, but simply ~..strenu-
GUS" and resemb,ed in his habits Of
speech a certain Tennesseean's horse
of which it was said that running away
was his natural gait. Mr.. Roosevelt had
ftjoitnally spoken of the Filipinos as
'savages" and "barbarians" and
"Apaches" M those denunciations a
been scattered broadcast throughout
the islands to infiame the people against
the United States. The effect of the
presidents language had been to harden
and intensity Filipino opposition to
American rule.
Some of our military heroes had been
guilty of a like %offense, he said. He re-
ferred to a recent speech Of General
Funston, whom he described as the
"~Jay-Hawker b%rigadier from the wind
swept plain, the mightiest Sampson
that ever welded the jawbone of an ass
as a weapon Of war"
Senator Carmack said death had
cheated Funston of some illustrious
victims like ex-senator Sherman and
eX-PreSident Harrison, but there were
still enough to keep him busy. Papers
had quoted Funston as saying that the
president entirely approved his gallows
speech and wanted him to accept an in
vitation from the junior senator from
Massachusetts to go to Boston and
talk to the peole there about hanging
n senior senator from that state, but
the plain truth was that Funston could
not hang andbody. Funston should &c
back to the PhilippInes-to a LAND
where there was plenty of hemp AND
no constitution.
IF men are to be hanged without re.
gard to law for speaking words cal.
culated to incite Instruction" he said
1.-The first neck to feel the ~stranglins
clutch of a soaped rope should be thu
heroic gullet Of Funston Eve since
he had been in the Philippines ne hac
been pouring forth TRADES OF indiscrim'
inate insult against the whole people
n had outragaously trsulted the YER!
men upon whom the commission wa;
relying for aid in pacifying the cour
try. He also had il OH the very high
est authority that a speech made b!
the senator from Indiana CBeverfdge
a been circulated broadcast through
out the country with al exceedingl!
pernicious effect upon the natives.
The dominant idea Of the bill now be
fore the senate, said he, was to exploit
the Philippines. The whole bill was
pitiful evasion of a plain duty. We ha'
c right to aemand, and the Filipino
had a right to demand that the admin
istration shall at least define its polio.
in the Philippines.
Upon what fact or experience" n
asked, did they base their belief IN tn
; purity of carpet-bag government? HI
spoke of the horrors ot carpet-bai
government in the south and salt
that "the republicans save no heed Z
: the cry OF an oppressed and plundere'
! people though they Were their own PEG
pie, of their own blood"