Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1902-02-05
MAKING n goT Eoa ssooaEa.
Senator Tiilman Calls Him Down on The Color
Question.

! Washington, January 29.A Phil
ippine storm was central in the SEN
ate chamber to. day for nearly three
hours, bnt was void of definite re-
suits. AT times it looked very seri-
GUS, and the spectators who thronged
the galleries watched it with breath
/ less interest.
Acrimony in Senate debates is not
infrequeut, but old Senators say il
has been years since there has been
such hurricane of bitter yitupera-
tion, of personal taunt, of ugly
charges and unmodified criticism as
was witnessed to-day. Not since the
discussion of the resolutions leading
up to the Hispano- American war
have any such scenes occurred in the
Senate. Evan that debate lacked
the personal bitterness manifested at
times to-day.
Irritation was aroused on both
sides of the chamber and once or
twice persona, encounters between
Senators seemed imminent. Once
when Senator Teller tainted the Re-
publican Senators by declaring they
knew the statements in recent dis
patch from Manila, in which General
Wheaton was represented as criticis-
ing the opponents of the Govern
ment's policy in the Philippines,
were true, a half dozen Republicans
were on their feet in an instant.
Senator Lodge, at whom the taunt
seemed to be aimed particularly,
hurriedly crossed his seat in the CEN
ire of the Republican side to the
main aisle of the Senate, and, white
to the lips, passionately challenged
the statement of the Colorado Sepa-
tor and demanded that he withdraw
it. Senator Teller so modified the
statement that further hostilities at
that time were averted.
One of the sharpest colloquies of
the session was between Senator
Spooner, of Wisconsin, and Senator
Tillman, of South Carolina. The
race problem, involving the lynching
of negroes, was interjected into the
controversy and much feeling was
manifested.
Senators, in their excitement,
seemed for the moment to have for
gotten the subject of debate. The
Chair (Senator Frye was able with
difficulty to maintain order. When
the discussion was finally ended for
the day the Chair felt called upon
seriously to admonish Senators that
the rules of the body had not been
observed, and after reading the rule
which had been violated he expressed
the hope that in the future Senators
would have care to observe it.
Such an admonition has not been
made by the presiding officer of the
Senate in many years.
PROCEEDINGS IN DETAIL.
After rather breezy colloquy be-
tween Senator Spooner and Senator
Tillman, the latter asked Senator
Spooner to say explicitly whether
the Philippines were a part of the
United States.
'I recommend" teplied Senator
Spooner, "that the Senator read the
decisions of the Supreme Court"
81 have read some of these decis-
IONS" Senator Tillman said, "but
with four Judges on one side and
four on the other side, and the fifth
wabbling, / could not make much
out of them"
"Whatever may be said about their
DECISIONS" replied Senator Spooner,
81 don't think that the Justices of
the Supreme Court will be very SEN
sitive os to the Senator's criticism"
Senator Tillman "Oh ! not at
ALL"
Senator Spooner: "The Supreme
Court has settled one thing, and
that is that there is a distinction be-
tween the United States and the
territory belonging to the United
States"
While Senator Spooner was pro-
ceeding with his speech he was in
terrupted by Senator Tillman, and
in an instant sensational colloouy
was in progress.
Senator Tillman inquired "Will
the Senator allow me to ask him if
the Platt amendment had been de-
feated by debate until the end of the
session would that side have had the
courage to have gone forward in its
philanthropy, humanity, Christianity
and liberty and oil tbot Lind &c