The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1902-05-29
WASHINGTON.
From our Regular Correspondent
Washington, May 20, 1909.

Washington, May 2o, 1902.
The debate on the Philippine bill,
which still occupies the attention of
the Senate, was marked by a very
able speech by Senator Bacon of
Georgia on Tuesday in the course Of
which the Senator compared the con
centration camps in the Philippines
with those established by Weyler in
Cuba. The speech as whole was
conservative but for that very reason
its more powerful passages caused the
republicans, who have attempted to
justify the administration policy in
the islands, to wrlthe under the scath-
ing charges of the Georgia Senator.
1t is now anticipated that the bill will
be disposed Of on Thursday, one week
from today.
1t is safe to assume that the Philip
pine bill will be followed by the
Nicaraguan Canal bill and that, in
turn, by the Cuban reciprocity bill.
Were there harmony In the republi-
can ranks the Cuban bill would be
next considered as that is the wish of
the President and the republican
leaders, but the insurgent beet sugar
senators are still firm In their opposi-
ton and in the hope that the approach
ing heated period and the pressure
from the House for adjournment will
break then resistance the considera-
ton Of the Cuban bill will be post
poned, unless Senator Platt can come
to some agreement IN the meantime
by which he may feel assured of the
prompt passage of a Cuban reciprocity
measure.
The Committee on Interstate Com
merce recently gave hearing on the
bill introduced by Representative
William Sulzer of New York provld-
ing for the establishment of Depart.
ment of Commerce which was offered
as a substitute for the Senate b {.
Hon. II. b. Martin, national secre-
tary of the Anti Trust League and
Mr.. II. J. Shutters. chairman OF the
National Legislation Committee of
the Knights of Labor, appeared be-
fore the committee and warmly advo-
Gated the provisions of the bill which
are calculated to secure that public
ity of the affairs OF the trusts which
was SO strongly recommended by the
President in his message to Congress.
There is some likelihood that part
of its provisions will be added to the
Senate bill when that measure comes
up for consideration in the House.
The House, after days of consider
alton, has at last passed the naval
Appropriation bill. An amendment
which makes it illegal to purchase
any copies of Maclays history for use
in the Naval Academy at Annapolis
was adopted and also one changing
the title of what are now ''naval ca
dets' TO "midshipmen.' The most
significant feature of the debate which
led to the prohibition of the Maclay
history was the statement of Repre-
sentative Dayton of West Virginia
that after the record OF the Schley
Court of Inquiry had been read by
the members of the House there
might be a Congressional investiga-
tion of Admiral Schley's case. This
is considered a direct affront to ths
President who has ordered that the
Schley affair be considered closed.
The adoption of the amendment OF
Representative Roberts of Massachu-
setts, which provides that three vessels
shall be built by the Secretary of the
Navy in government navy yards, was
an overwhelming defeat for the Re
publican leaders. Chairman Foss of
the Naval Affairs Committee had
originally opposed the provision that
one ship be built IN the navy yards
and the leaders are all opposed to the
idea. They opposed 1t because they
appreciate that it will be thrown out
by the Senate, as Senators Hanna
and Mcmillan are stockholders in the
trust which builds the battleships, and