Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-02-22
57TH CONGRESS.
Six-Hours Debate in Senate on
Philippine Tariff.
Spooner Makes Brilliant Defence Of
the Republican Position.
Fate Opposes Mcasurs-TilIman Start:
Characteristic Harranaue.

six hours. today. the Senate had the
Philippine tariff bill under discussion.
Bate. Dem, Tenn, delivered a care
fully prepared speech in opposition to
The pending measure. He was followed
| by Spooner. Rep. Wis, in a brilliant
defence of the Republican attitude to-
ward the Philippine islands. He be-
came involved frequently in heated col
! loquy with members of the minority.
| He concluded with an appeal to Con-
gress to stand by the policies of Nc
! Kinley and Roosevelt.
Tillman, DEM, s. c., began a char
acteristic arraignment of the admins
| tration in the Philippines. but had not
concluded when the Senate adjourned
until tomorrow.
The Senate met at IL O'Clock and en-
tered upon the consideration Of the
| Philippine tariff bill. Bate, Dem.
Tenn, delivered an extended speech
in which ne covered pretty fully the
general Philippine question. Few
| things had occurred in the Senate
lit- SttIb, iioIt ldttl I'll anu III
volving more delicate issues and great
er results than the ratification of the
treaty Of Paris. He asserted that the
payment of s2O.OOO,000 for the Philip
pine islands was commercial rather
than a sentimental transaction and was
| the first step toward a colonial policy
| and antagonistic to American form of
government
While he regarded the acquisition of
the Philippine islands as hurtful to the
American system, as destitute of ben
eft to the American people and as
wrongful to the Filipinos, the present
was not the time to continue that dis
cusSion or to propose a remedy for the
evils that had sprung from the ratifi-
cation of the Paris treaty. He declared
that it was only after the ratification
of the treaty that the apprehension
rose that the Republican party had "bit
off more than il could chew
Then it was that the new idea had
blossomed out that only Congress could
extend the operation of the constitution
beyond the states; and it was in addi-
ton that Congress would not extend the
provision of the constitution to the Phil
ippines except with the string to it which
denied equality of administration. taxa
ton and citizenship. How many millions
of dollars had been expended in the sen
timental program of exploitation was un-
known to the American people, but thus
far there had been no money return OF
this war for trade spoilatton.
The present tariff bill. the Tennessee
senator said. would become a law but it
would not bridge the chasm that sepa-
rated a people struggling for indepen-
dence and the Republican party. bent
upon conquest, exploitation and CONNER
cialism.''
1t was not given to finite wisdom to
distinguish the form which retribution
for that trade at Paris would take but
when the tariff bill had been passed the
Republican party again might be heard
to eXclaim: Erring sister part in peace"
for there would be no more money to
be made out of the Filipinos and they
might then take their place again among
the nations of the world
Spooner (Wis.) addressed the Senate in
support of the pending bill. The meas
ure, he said. was entirely free from COM
plicationS. 1t was simply a revenue bill
SpOoner referred to some recent state
ments by VIM j. Bryan in his newspaper
in support of the minority in the Senate.
He pointed out that these very gentle
men who now We're criticisins the gov
eminent Were instrumental in placing
the problem before Congress. He de-
clared that Bryan had come to Washing
ton and advocated the ratification of the
Paris treaty. and he ventured the opinion
that If Ii had not been for Mr. Bryan'S
effort the treaty would not have been rat
flied.
Wellington said: II would give 10 years
of my life to recall the vote which l cast
for the treaty" He declared that the
promises made to him at that time "by
the administration with respect to the
treaty We're broken.
Spooner sharply arraigned the Demo-
cratic party for the encouragement which
its utterances had given the rebellion i'm
the Philippines.
Spooner denounced the sub proposition
made by the minority of the Senate COM
mittee on the Philippines as the most
mischievous project that could be devised
by the wit of man in the present status
of affairs
1T Is" he exclaimed. "a bill to raise
hell in the Philippine archipelago bill
which has no meri. whatever in it.
Tillman addressed the Senate in oppo-
sition to the pending bill He charged
that the American authorities In the
Philippines were steering clear" of the
provinces In the islands where war was
real and pressing and were combining
themselves to those places where oppor-
tunity wa affected to secure peif and to
rob the people. They were following he
declared. the same methods pursued in
South Carolina after the Civil War. 1t
was a carpet bag government, he insist
ed
Tillman had not concluded when the
Senate adjourned