Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-04-23
ON THE PHILIPPINES.
Wyoming Senator Makes Speech Crit
icizing Administration Policy.

| icizing Administration Policy.
Washington, April %. Senator
Rawlins today concluded his speech
begun yesterday in the senate on the
bill to provide a government for the
Philippine islands.
He denounced the bill as an unwar-
rented imposition on the Filipinos. de-
lclaring that it would establish one of
the foulest oligarchies in the history of
| the world. He maintained that the
Philippine commission was given too
great q power by the bill and asserted
that under its provisions the islands
would be exploited for private gain.
While he was speaking two efforts
were made to maintain a quorum. the
second resulting In a lively tilt among
several senators, Mr.. Scott of West
Virginia intimating that argument
could not influence any senator.
Mr. Rawlfns. addressing the senate
| IL opposition to the Philippine govern
inent bill, said
I'VE seem to have arrived at that
point in our history where there are
those who affect to believe that 1t is
sedition to think and treason to talk.
For Gods sake let us keep silent until
the war is over exclaims peripatetic
hero and graduate from the Philippines
who wants to make free speech trea-
son, and to cart us away to the gall
lows, altho he might give the senator
from Massachusetts the benefit Of cler-
gy on account of his sympathy for a
superheated conscience, ALL If we are
to believe him, with the approval of the
49, -e,tf cd toe
Congress no longer has to declare
war. An Otis or Chaffee are prepared
to attend to this any day In the week.
IA few days ago message came 10
the United States that Malvar. the last
Of the insurrectos. had surrendered.
The next day 1t was announced that
General Chaffee had declared new
war and had dispatched an army To
wage 1t against two millions Of people
In the island Of Mindanao. But mum
is the word. so long az there is any.
disturbance anywhere within our bor-
iders or in any one of the more than
thousand islands beyond the seas.
"There are facts which cry out for
utterance. There are ten millions OF
suffering people across the water. 81
lent, unfeard, but whose very souls cry
out against wrongs cruel, unspeakable
beyond the ken of mortal language to
describe. There are more than seventy
millions on this side Of the water want
ing to know the truth. heretofore stifled
and suppressed.
"This bill strikes its roots into and
derives Its support from that excres-
cence upon the army appropriation bill
of 1901 known as the SpoonO amend
ment. The qualification of the absolute
power therein conferred. adopted at the
instance of the senator from Massa-s
chusetts, by this bill was not elimi-
mated.
"All property rights in the islands
and the fate of their inhabitants are
turned over to the control and DISPOSE
ton of the commission, without any
qualification of Importance.
THE commission may declare war
and make peace: raise armies and pro-
vide navies; regulate commerce with
all sorts of determinations between
islands and ports; levy taxes without
limit and without uniformity. 1t may.
coin money and regulate the value
thereof. and may establish religion and
punish those who do not conform to its
tenets. it may cry free speech ana
punish as an act of sedition the publ
cation of the truth in regard to their
administration. 1t can establish an in
ouisition; devise and apply methods of
exercising torture, compelling persons
to be witnesses against themselves and
disclose information which the COM
mission may desire to extort.
1T is useless to say that this power
will not be abused. Attention will be
invited to some instances in the history
OF our relations with the islands show
ing the extent to which our representa-
tives have gone in acts of perfidy, in
Justice, oppression and cruelty"