The Savannah morning news., 1902-02-22
PHILIPPINE DEBATE
SENATORS NEVER SEEM TO TIRE
OF THE SUBJECT.
SPo0NER UPHoLDS THE BILL.
SAYS WILLIAM j. BRYAN is RE-
SP0NSIBLE.

Had Not Mr.. Bryan Come to WASH
tngtOn and Advocated Retiaca-
tiOn of the Paris Treaty the Coun-
ippfne Problem to Deal With.
Wellington Says He Would Give
Ten Years of His Life to Recall
His Vote for IL.
Washington, Feb. 21-For more than
six hours to-day the Senate had the
Philippine tariff bill under discussion.
Mr.. Bate, Democrat of Tennessee, de-
livered a carefully prepared speech in
opposition to the pending measure. He
was followed by Mr.. Spooner, Repub-
lican of Wisconsin, in a brilliant de-
Tense of the Republican attitude to-
ward the Philippine Islands. He be-
came involved frequently in heated
colloquies with members of the minor
ity. He concluded with an appeal to
Congress to stand by the policies of
Mckinley and Roosevelt.
Mr. Tillman, Democrat, of South
Carolina, began a characteristic ar
raignment of the administration in the
Philippines, but had not concluded
when the Senate adjourned until to-
morrow.
Mr.. Bate asserted that the payment
of $40, 100000 for the Philippine Islands
was a commercial, rather than sent
mental transaction, and was the first
step toward a colonial policy antagon-
istic to the American form of govern
ment.
While he regarded the acquisition OF
the Philippine Islands as hurtful to
the American system, as destitute of
benefit to the American people. and as
wrongful to the Fillpinos, the present
was not the time to continue that dis
eussion or to propose remedy for the
evils that had sprung from the rati-
fication of the Paris treaty.
Mr.. Spooner addressed the Senate
in support of the pending bill. The
measure, he said, was entirely free
from complications. 1t was simply
revenue bill. Whatever difficulties
senators or others had in reconciling
the differences of the Supreme Courts
decisions in the insuls- cases, he was
satisfied that the proposed bill was
1
Rican bill was constitutional.
Refers 40 william j. Bryan.
Mr.. Spooner referred to some recent
statements by William ]. Bryan in
his newspaper in support of the minor
ity in the Senate. He pointed out that
these very gentlemen, who now were
criticising the government, were in
strumental in placing the problem be-
fore Congress. He declared that Mr..
Bryan had come to Washington and
advocated the ratification of the Paris
treaty. and he ventured the opinion
that If it had not been for Mr.. Bryan's
efforts the treaty would not have been
ratified. A solution of the Philippine
question as presented to Congress and
to the country now, was demanded,
not by any political party but by the
people of the country. He claimed the
right of the majority TO deal with the
question as it saw fit, as by the people
it had been placed in responsibility and
was held to accountability by the
American people.
Mr.. Spooner discussed at length the
ratification of the treaty of Paris. In
the course. of his statement he was
interrupted by Mr.. Wellington, who
said:
Il would give ten years of my life
treaty"
Mr.. Wellington declared that the
promises made to him at that time by
the administration with respect to the
treaty were broken.
Mr.. Spooner sharply arraigned the
Democratic party for the encourage
ment which its utterance had given the
rebellion in the Philippines, and de-
clared that the motive which actuated
hn laodaro ffhIfVA
greed for political power which made
them forget for the nonce the army at
the front"
spOoner Grows Emphatic.
Mr.. Spooner denounced the substi-
tute proposition made by the minority
of the Senate Committee on the Phil
ippines as the ''most mischievous pro-
ject that could be devised by the wit
of man in the present status of af-
fairs"
"It is," he exclaimed, "a bill to
raise hell in the Philippine archipelago
"a bill which has no merit whatever
in it,
Mr.. Tillman addressed the Senate in
opposition to the pending bill. He de-
clared that the expression of the mo-
tives for enacting the bill were a sub
terfuge and a humbug and everybody
knew 1t. He said this government, in
it's treatment of the Filipinos, had re-
turned to the policy of Great Britain.
which had been overthrown by our
forefathers at Yorktown. II was
damnable doctrine, yet we called our
selves liberty-loving Americans and
declared our pride in our ancestry.
TiIIman Makes Charges.
Mr.. Tillman charged that the Ameri-
can authorities in the Philippines We're
steering clear" OF the provinces I'm the
islands where war was real and press
ing, and were combining themselves to
those places where opportunity was af-
forded TO secure "pelf' and to rob the
people. They were following, he de-
clared, the same methods pursued In
South Carolina after the war OF seces-
sion. IL was a carpetbag government
THE first thing" said he, (which the
carpetbag vermin In the Philippines
would do (as they did In China would
be TO get their hands into the pockets
OF the people and steal all they could.
/ expect GOV. Taft has already caught
some OF the scoundrels. but that would
not be a good thing 90 yentilate IN the
United states just now"
He said the Filipinos now were being
"pacifed on the face Of the earth"
Mr. Tlliman had not concluded when
the gaunfa aHlpuruaH