The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1902-05-16
PHILIPPINES BILL
DISCUSSION IN SENATE TAKES
SENSATIONAL TURN.
TILLMAN DEFENDS SLAVERY
Excited Debate-Mccomas Joins in
tration.

WASHINGTON, May 8.-Discussion
OF the Philippine bill in the senate
took a sensational turn yesterday.
Mr.. McComas of Maryland, referring
to the alleged cruelties of American
soldiers in the Philippines, which he
deeply deplored, told of some Of the
cruelties which had occurred on both
sides during the civil war. Neither
side, he said, was to be held respon-
sible for those regrettable occurrences,
as neither side approved them. In
this connection he suggested that SEN
ators from South Carolina and Mis-
sissippi, where there is less popular
liberty than in any other states, we're
shouting the loudest for constitutional
liberty in the Philippines"
This drew a sensational reply from
Mr. Tillman, who declared that it
was no longer possible to sheer away
the responsibilities for the infamies
committed by the Americans in the
Philippines. He said that if it had
been in the south that if the reins
of government were to be given to the
negroes the civil "a would have been
prolonged Indefinitely. He insisted
that in order to maintain their self
respect the white people of the south
had been obliged to Subdue the negro
by whatever means, using the shot
gun as one of the means.
He frankly described how the ne
groes had been defeated at the polls,
admitting that the whites had gotten
just such majorities as were neces-
sary. when we get ready to put a
nigger's face in the sand" he shouted,
"we put his body there, too" He
declared the people of the south
never would submit to negro DONNA
ton and he hoped republican senators
would turn from their game of devil
try in the Philippines and assist the
south to rid itself of threat of negro
domination.
While Mr.. Tfllman was speaking
many of the democratic senators left
the chamber, his audience on the
floor being largely on the republican
side.
Mr.. Burton of Kansas vigorously ar
raigned Mr.. Tillman for his utter
ances. He asserted that the senator
who could defend slavery and govern
ment by the shotgun could not be eX-
pected to carry good government to
the Philippines. He was astonished
that a senator should in Z breath
make an appeal for unsullied govern
ment in the Philippines, and in the
next boast of crimes almost unpar-
alleled in history.
Mr.. Burton followed with a warm
defense of the governments policy in
the Philippines and became involved
in a heated colloquy with Mr.. Rawlins
of Utah, because he had denounced
some of Mr.. Rawlins' statements as
false. He paid a brilliant tribute to
General as one Of the great heroes
Of the army.
After declaring that the war with
Spain had been forced upon the
United States by the democrats and
that the Philippines had come to this
country through the war, Mr.. Nc
Comas asserted that in the debates on
the Philippine question the democrats
ignored all history and ignored the
treaty which they helped to ratify. He
said they proposed to undo the glori-
GUS work of the last four years, to de-
our treaty, to disgrace the army
and navy, to throw away the sover-
eighty over the islands, to defy the
verdict of the people, to reverse the
supreme court and to scuttle amid
the flouts and jeers of all the ma
tons of the world.