The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-06-24
The Days Session in the House.
(By the Associated PresS.)

Washington, June 21.-Debate on the
Philippine Civil Government Bill Jagged
in the House today. There were seven
speakers, Messrs. Reeves, Glls.), Brom-
well, (Ohio), for the bill and Messrs.
Maddox, (Ga.); Dinsmore, (Ark.), and
Thayer, (Mass), against it. Mr.. Nc
Clellan, On. ", a son of the late Gen
eral George B. Mcclellan, delivered a
short but eloquent defense Of the army.
Earlier in the day the conference reports
on the Military Academy and Sundry
Civil Appropriation Bills were adopted.
Mr.. Hay, Va.); Mr.. Clayton, (Ala.),
and Mr.. Mann, Glls.), criticised the ac-
ton of the House conferees in agreeing
to the increase in the number OF candi-
dates at West Point proposed by the
Senate. Mr.. Mann said that recently
the number of cadets had been increased
one hundred. The increased member
ship of the House would further increase
the cadets thirty, and now it was pro-
posed to increase that number still more.
He did not believe we should legislate
in the direction of a great increase in
the standing army.
Mr.. Clayton called attention to the
fact that the army, which cost annually
$25, 0oO, 900 before the Spanish War, now
costs annually 1925, O0O, 900.
Mr.. Hull and Mr.. Parker On. j., de-
Tended the conference report, arguing
that the increase was necessary in order
properly to officer the army.
In the discussion of the Philippine
Bill Mr.. Reeves contrasted the condi-
ton of the Filipinos under the Spanish
regime with their condition now, and
with what it might be expected to be in
the future. He used a wealth of statis-
ties to show that our great market in
the future must be in the Orient, and
that our position at the gateway of the
east would be of unreasonable adyan-
tage to us.
Mr.. Maddox, (Ga.), who followed Mr..
Reeves, opposed to the bill. The uues-
ton OF whether we were to permanently
retain the Philippines, he said, would
be ultimately decided not by Congress,
but by the American people.
God was with us during the war
with Spain" he continued, but when we
entered into the peace negotiations the
devil stepped in, and he has been run
ming things ever since.'
Mr.. Maddox questioned Secretary
Roots figures as to the cost CT the war
in the Philippines. He said he could not
understand how the Secretary got his
figures. The actual amount appropriated
on account Of the war with Spain and
the subsequent operations in the Philip
pines, he said, exceeded one billion dol
lars or about half of the cost of the Civil
War. He asserted that the cost OF the
army in the Philippines, including trans
rortatiOn, had been in excess of 500 :
600, 600 annually, and with the reduced
force would not fall much below So. 900. :
900. If the army in the Philippines for
the last fiscal year cost only torty Ill
lions as Secretary Root alleged he
wanted to know what had become of the
remainder of the $115, 900 900 appropriated
in the Army Appropriation Bill for that
| year.
Mr.. Bromwell (Ohio). defended the pol
icy of the administration and admon-
ished his Democratic opponents to heed
| some of the words Of wisdom which re-
| Gently had fallen from the lips of some
Of their old time leaders.
Mr.. Dinsmore (Ark.), made an earnest
| sreech appealing to boths sides to weigh
we'll the tremendous issue which was to
be decided in the pending legislation. De-
| cided one way, it meant, he said, free
government and independence for the
Filipinos; the other way, 1T means colon