Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-05-08

v hen the Senate convened. Cuilom.
chairman Of the foreign relations com
mittce, reported favorably a bill max
ng appropriation for the diplomats
ana consular service Of the United
States in the republic If Cuba. The
salary Of the minister is fixed at S12. 600
Spooner. Wis, offered an amendment
appropriating not exceeding $4,000 a
year for the rental of a proper legation
| residence in Havana. 1t was agreed
to. As amended the bill was passed.
Hawley. chairman of committee on
military affairs, reported the army APP
propria ton bill.
Consideration of the Philippine gov
| eminent bill was then resumed and
NcComas, Md, addressed the Senate
in support of the measure.
After declaring that the war with
| Spain had been forced upon the United
States by the Democrats and that the
Philippines had come to this country
| through that war, McComas asserted
| that in the debates on the Philippine
question the Democrats ignored all his
| tory and ignored the treaty which they
helped to ratify. He said they pro-
| posed to undo the glorious work Of the
| last four years; to denouncc our treaty:
TO disgrace the army and navy and to
throw away the sovereignty over the
| islands; to defy the verdict Of the peO-
pie: to reverse the supreme court and
| to scuttle amid the flouts and jeers of
all the nations of the world.
The benefit provided in the, pending
bill he said. was being INSTRUCTED by
Il
bers Of which confined their speeches to
| denunciations of the army. He SAID
| that all humane men deplored the ad-
| ministration Of the water cure BY the
Americans. but he insisted that ii wac
not patriotic to clutch at every charge
made against our army. He made n
warm defence Of General Funston and
paid a high tribute to his courage and
patriotism.
McComas paid high eulogy to
President Mckinley, President Roose-
relt and Secretary Root. He said:
Blind partisans abuse them. pessi-
mists decry their work, cynics sneer.
ldeansts revile and timid souls de-
nounce them as untrue to liberty. But
all of them are forceful and masterful
men Of whom the nation has reason to
he proud
Discussing the alleged cruelties said
10 be practiced by American troops
in the Philippines. McComas adverted
to many such instances during the
Civil war-instanees furnished by both
the Union and Confederate forces. He
referred to Shermans march to the sea.
lighted by the burning of bridges and
hamlets;" and to the horrors of An
Jacksonville and Libby prison. He
urged as to those prisons that the
Confederate soldiers as a body were
not to be charged with the acts Of
few.
Referring to elections in the South.
McComas said that the senators from
South Carolina and Mississippi (Till-
man and Money! cried out against the
small percentage Of voters in the ear
Is elections in the Philippines. After
discussing the election methods in the
states referred to he said: 1--WE be-
hold senators from the two states
where there is less popular liberty than
in any others shouting loudest for con-
stitutional liberty on the other side OF
the globe"
In concluding. McComas said: 'The
administration Of fTesluenL RooSeNelt
will not haul down our flag in the
Philippines. This administration will
follow the path wherein President Nc
Kinley walked
While McComas was referring to
| some of the eruelties Of war inflicted on
both sides during the Civil War. he was
INTERRUPTED by Tillman. who said he
had hoped never to hear again such
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