The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-02-21
NOT PROTESTANTS
THIS is TROUBLE WITH FILIPINos,
SAYS PATTERSON.
SEDITIoN LAWS ATTACKED.
SAYS GOV. TAFT MIsREPREsENTED
SITUATION.

Colorado Senator Discussing the
Philippine Question Vigorously.
If FilipinOs Were PrOtestnnts, He
Declared, Their would BE an Up
rising of Methodists, PresbyterI-
ans and Baptists in Their BehaIif.
Eleven of the Fifteen Conspiracy
Acts Taken From the Spanish sta
tutes.
Washington, Feb. 20.--With the ex-
ception of a few minutes given to
routine business the Senate to-day de-
voted it's entire session to the Philip
pine question. Mr.. Patterson OF Colora-
do one of the minority members OF the
Philippine Committee, delivered his
first extended speech in the Senate
and was given a most attentive and
careful hearing. He discussed princi-
pally the sedition laws enacted by the
Philippine Commission, vigorously at
tacxing the authority of the commits
sion to enact and enforce such laws.
He maintained that Congress alone
had the power to put in force enact
ments of that character. He compared
information furnished by the executive
departments of the government with
some of the statements of Gov. Taft,
in his testimony before the Philippine
Committee, with respect to the capa-
bilities of the Philippine people, and
said with some heat it was his belief
that Gov. Taft misrepresented the true
situation in the islands for motives un-
known.
Mr.. Patterson said that only four of
the fifteen acts of the Philippine Com
mission, relating to. conspiracy against
the United States had any resemblance
to the statutes of the United States.
The remainder. he held were taken
bodily from the statutes of Spain as
enacted by the Spanish Cortes. He de-
clared, after analyzing the enactments,
that no greater outrage could be in
flicted upon a people than the enforce
ment of the sedition laws enacted by
the Philippine Commission.
0,0OO,0D0 Are Christians.
In conclusion Mr.. Patterson referred
to the fact that 100000 of the people
of the islands were Christians
But he said, "thcy are not Protes-
tant Christians Senators may smile,
but have it in my mind that If the six
million of Filipino Christians had
learned their Christianity in the sanct-
uaries of the Methodist, Presbyterian or
Baptist churches and were as well
founded in the cardinal principles of
Christianity as they are to-day, there
would be such an uprising of the Meth
odist, Presbyterian and Baptist denom-
nations at the cruel unconstitutional
and relentless treatment of their peo-
pie in the Philippines that few men,
bers of Congress supporting that policy
would face their wrath. But the Fill
pinos are not Protestant Christians.
Mr.. Nelson of Minnesota presented
legal and constitutional argument in
support of this governments action in
the Philippine Archipelago and sharp
ly criticised Mr. Patterson for infect
ing into the controversy the question
of sectarianism.
MIR. Nelson maintained that the right
of trial by jury was not necessarily
a constitutional right.
Mr.. McCumber of North Dakota urg-
ed that Congress should not bind the
future now by a declaration of def
mite policy regarding the Philippines,
as 1t was desirable that all possible in
formation should be in hand before a
permanent policy was determined up
on.
The Senate adjourned until IL o'clock
Tomorrow.