The age-herald., 1902-02-12
Another Spirited VOIey of Words in the Philippine
 Debate
FLAWS ARE COMPENDIUM
 OF TYRANNY AND INFAMY'
Platt In Reply Says Wherever Insur- rection Arises Against U. S. Flag 1t Must Be Put Down Re-
 gardless of Sentiment.

Washington, February 11.-A stirring debate on the general Philippine question was precipitated in the Senate today. the principal participants being Mir. Platt of Connecticut and Mr. Hoar of Massachus- etts.
 Mir Teller had concluded for the day his argument against the enactment of the pending Philippine tariff bill In re- sponse to some statements he had made Mir. Platt directed the Senate's attention to the situation in the islands, as he viewed it. maintaining that great pro sress was being made by the government In subduing the insurrecton. He refer led to the elections for municipal of Hcers in various cities of the islands and b the establishment of schools for the fducation of Filipino children.
 MT. Hoar ridiculed the statements of Hr. Platt and in facetious vein advert Id to the efforts of the American govern nent to control the Filipino people.
 The remarks of the Massachusetts Sen ator aroused Mir Platt, who delivered notable speech in the course of which he referred to MT. Hoar in pretty sharp terms. His speech was listened to by Senators on both sides of the chamber with profound attention.
 Roar's Severe Criticism.
 In his reply MT Hoar delivered an in- risive criticism of the action of the Phil lppfne- Commission declaring that he had been taught tosjudge men rather by their actions than by their words. and by this r,dU ba pine Commissioners with any degree of favor.
 Early in the day the Senate passed Joint resolution submitting a constitu- tional amendment changing the time of Presidential inaugurations and the termi- nation and commencement of Congresses from the fourth of March to the last Thursday in April.
 During his argument Mir Teller said:
 In the twenty-two years of his service in the Senate he said. he had seen many strange things, but never anything like the reading of the so-called enactments of the Philippine Commission, which he said was a compendium of tyranny and lnfamy.
 MT. Foraker said that the sedtion and treason laws enacted for the Philippines were almost identical with those of Ten nessee.
 MT. Hoar interrupted to ask if the or der of General Otis directing forced sub mission was not itself an act of war.
 MT. Teller answered that ten years ago it would have been so considered where upon Mr Hoar declared that the Fili- pinos could not be charged with open ing hostilties when the United States by General Otis order had issued a for maj act of war long before.
 MT. Teller expressed the opinion that the Fiipinos never would consent to our control of the islands.
 "Is the senator entirely certain" inter jected MT. Platt. Connecticut. that a majority of the Christian people of the islands do not consent to our govern ment?'
 Mir. Teller replied that if he could trust the information which had come to him, not one-tenth of the people wanted the United States government in the islands. He urged, however, that the Filipinos ought to be afforded an opportunity to express their sentiment without the fear of bayonet rule.
 Population Opposed to U. s. Rule.
 MT. Culberson said that Generals Mac Arthur and Chaffee both were on record as saying that practically the entire pop ulation in the islands was opposed to American rule and that Governor Taft had testified that the Christians in tho islands were vigorously opposed to the control of this government.
 MT. Teller said that mot a small per centage but practically no per cent of the Filipinos wanted American government fin the islands. They might receive our commissioners with music and banners but would shoot them if the opportunity offered.
 MT. Hoar suggested to MT. Teller that an order was said to have been issued by the Philippine commission prohibiting the reading of the declaration of independ- ence at a Fourth of July celebration in Manila and he inquired if that were not inconsistent with the statement of the majority.
 Promising to discuss that and other points later MT. Teller yielded the floor for the day.
 MT. Platt. Connecticut. pointed out that the American army in the Philippines should be reduced from 10000 to less than 40OO He thought it very strange that the American forces could be reduced thus if all the Filpinos were struggling against American control.
 After he had read a considerable num- her of declarations from native Filipinos Indicating growing appreciation of American control and government MT Platt declared that nothing the minority could say would convince him that the United States government was not mak- ing rapid progress in the Philippines to- ward peace and contentment
 RidicuIed the Elections.
 Mir Hoar, Massachusetts. referred to the declarations of Filipinos which the latter had read as "a sweet morsel'' vrested from conquered people by d great army. MT. Hoar ridiculed the eIec- ticns in the Philippines, declaring that under tine sedition laws enacted by the Philippine commission 1t was d peniten- tiary offdnse for anybody in the islands to advocalt te a political opinion or politi- cal policyS lie re1erred In facetious vein to the schools established in the is-