Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-31
Comment at the Capitol on
His Arlington Address.
REPUBLICANS PLEASED
DEMOCRATS SAY THE OCCASION
WAS INAPPROPRIATE.
The Reply to That is That It Was a
Defense of the Army and Was
Thoroughly Opportune.

President Roosevelt's address delivered
yesterday on the occasion of Memorial day
was the subject of general comment at the
Capitol today. The speech was considered
a notable departure from Decoration day
addresses in its political bearing, and as
such was commended and deprecated ac-
cording to the politics of the commentators.
Republican politicians in Congress were
delighted over the Presidents vigorous talk.
They regard it as the keynote Of the answer
to be made to the attacks on the American
army which have been made by the demo-
cratic senators persistently within the past
six weeks or more during the consideration
of the Philippines civil government bill
Criticism of Military Power.
The republican managers, who are keep
ing in touch with the political situation,
have not failed to notice that the discussion
of the administrative feature of the bill de-
signed to promote civil government in the
Philippines has been subordinated almost
entirely to the criticism of the military
power. Isolated acts of cruelty, all of them,
as Senator Lodge stated, at least a year
old have been cited to stigmatiZe the entire
army Senator Carmack, for instance,
asked how long it would be before the army
would sink to depths of brutalza ton and
degradation which would make it a fit COM
panion to relieve Herod in the solitude of
his infanmy. Senator RawllnS bitterly
scored the army. Another democratic SEN
ator said the atrocities of the army were
worthy of Attila. All the way through
there has been a steady volume of condem-
nation of the army. Outside of the remarks
of Senator RawlinS very little was said
about the terms of the bill itself
President Roosevelt's vigorous and char
acteristic defense of the army is therefore
applauded by the party managers. His de-
tI,Ns Ji,-iI Of
his assertion that they would be promptly
investigated and punished and steps taken
to prevent occurrences. relieves the admin
istration of responsibility for the acts. But,
more than ALL they are pleased with his
resentment of the course of the opposition
in utilizing the few sporadic cases to typify
the whole army, and in that connection
think that the comparison of cruelties in
the Philippines with lynchingS at home was
a good one.
Spirited Defense of Army.
There is no doubt that the party man
ayers are very much heartened by this
spirited defense from the commander-in-
chief of the army, and his words re-
freshng to them, coming after the simeon
of withering denunciation which has swept
over the Senate recently. The political sig
nifcance of the incident is that hereafter
the guns are to be turned against the DEM
up to public judgment for slandering the
American army fighting in the field.
The Presidents speech naturally will
have wide circulation, and is expected to
attract attention to the subject Republi-
senators have from time to time re-
PEELED the assaults upon the army, and
now that the eyes of the nation are direct
ed to the attitude of the democratic SEN
ators, will renew their protests.
Naturally, democrats in Congress depre-
cate the Presidents speech. Smarting
der the caustic fiagellation, they say that
the time and place Were ill-chosen for the
delivery of a sem-political address. There
are mutteringS of a revival of "bloody
shirt talk; his reference to the resolution
of the confederate congress on Lincoln is
resented. They don't like to have the south
ern lynchings thrown up at them, either.
The Occasion Defended.
But republicans say in answer to the
criticism of the inopportuneness OF the
speech that yesterday was soldiers
day: that soldiers constituted the topic; the
colleagues and former officers of the men
who yesterday celebrated are the officers
now under fire; the sons and relatives of
the fighting men of 81 are among the boys
now in the field who are being maligned;
so taken all together. they fail to see why
the address was not very pat, indeed.
1t Is quite likely that one effect of the
speech will be to increase the partisan bit
terness in the Senate over the Philippines
bill That will be deplOred by the men who
are trying to pass the civil government bill, =,
but they say they did not start this fight:
If it had to come they will see it through,
and see justice done the army.