The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-02-25

exception Of a few minutes given to
routine business. the senate today de-
voted its entire session to the Philip
pine question.
Senator Patterson. of Colorado. one
Of the minority mebers of the Philip
pine committee. delivered his nrst ex>
tended speech in the senate and was
given a most attentive I'D careful hear
ing. He discussed principally the sedi-
ton laws enacted by the Philippine
commission, vigorously attacking the
authority of the commission to enact
and enforce such laws. He maintained
tina congress alone had the power to
put In force enactments of that charac-
her. He compared information furnish
ed by the executive departments of the
government with some Of the state
ments of Governor Taft in his testimo-
ny before the Philippine commission
With respect to the capabilities of the
Philippine people n declared, with
some heat. his belief that Governor
Taft misrepresented the true situation
N the islands for motives unknown.
Senate Patterson declared that My
four of the fifteen acts of the Philip
pine commission relating to conspiracy
against the United States had any re-
semblance to the statutes OF the United
States. The remainder. he held, were
taken bodily from the statutes of Spain
as enacted by the Spanish cortes. He
declared, after analysing the enact
-z-+c thot No orootpr n11traQ a could no
Inflicted upon a people than the en-
forcement of the sedition laws enacted
by the Philippine commission. Acts
more t~yrannical. more unconstitutional
and more inimical to the interests or
the people. he asserted, never were en-
acted. and they ought to be repealed
Immediately by act of congress.
Senator Patterson maintained that,
under the enactments Of the Philippine
commission any person Dun distribut-
ing the congressional record containing
speeches of any member Of the minori-
ty upon the Philippine question would
be liable to fine and Imprisonment. He
denounced such a condition as unWar-
ranted and extraordinary and without
any constitutional authority. he de-
cleared that the sedition laws enacted
by the congress in 1898 were a beacon
light OF liberty and independence as
compared with the laws enacted by
the Philippine commission. he said
that Governor Taft a explained that
I'm instances where the death enalty
was inflicted under the law the cases
had to be taken to the supreme court,
but in all cases of fne and imprlso1-
ment no such appeal was permissible.
Discussing the testimony Of Governor
Taft before the Philippine commission.
Senator Patterson said that selCom a
q people been held up to greater con-
tumely and scorn than a been applied
to the F%ilipinos by Judge Taft. who,
temporarily at least, is their ruler"
Governor Taft declared. he said. that
no people in the stands were fit fer
Jury duty because the body OF the peo-
lie was either corrupt or open to cor
ruption."
The Colorado senator was or opinion
that Governor Taft was not frank with
the committee and he believed that the
American authorities were afraid 70
trust jury duty with the Filiptnos leSi
the right of Imprisonment therehy
should he taken out of the hands or the
commissions officials. He felt that the
Filipinos had been maligned and sland-
cred and he took issue with Governor
Taft and with other defamers nf the
Filipinos upon that point and quoted
documents to substantiate his position.
In conclusion. MI. Patterson referred
to the fact that 5000. 600 OF the people
OF the islands were Christians. "Rnt-"
said he. "thev are not Protestant Cnrls-
tians. Senators may smile" he con-
finued." but / have 1t in my mind that
If the 5000. 600 OF Filipino Christians had
learned their Christianity in the sane
tuaries of the Methodist. Pres0y> erran
or Baptist churches and were as We'll
founded in the cardinal principles al
Christianity as they are today. there
would be such an uprising of the Meth
odist, PRESBYTERIAN and Baptist denom-
nations at the cruel, unconStitutinna
and relentless treatment of their nSn-
ple I'm the Philippines that few m1mbfrS
OF the support lg that roncy
would face their wrath; but the F1lipi-
mes are not Protestant Christians
Senator Nelson, of Minnesota. present
ed a legal and constitutional argument
I'm support Of this governments actor,
I'm the Philippine archipelago" and
sharply criticised Senator Patterson Fnr
injecting into the controversy the CUES
don OF sectariantsm.
Senator Nelson maintained that the
right of a trial by jury was not neces
sarily a constitutional right.
Senator McCumber. of NORTH I,akotn
urged that congress should not ! the
future now by a declaration OF a deh-
mite policy regarding Philirpir es. as II
was desirable that all possible informa-
ton should be in hand before a pernis'
nent policy was determined upon
The senate adjourned until IL O'Clock
tomorrow.
II.-se Of Representative
The house spent the day working on
the Indian appropriation bill. F"rtv-
two Of the sixty-two pages were oia-
nosed of. Several amendment We're
adopted. none. however. Of much IN"
ment-
The appropriation for pre- tminn.v
work on the reservoir for the Gin'
river valley went out on a point OF ov-
der. Mr.. Smith. Of Arizona offered an
amendment to strike out h approprt:'-
fion for the Carlisle school. and VI re
came the text for a genera onsiau<hf
upon the practice Of educatine 49,.
In eastern schools; but the Amendments
was defeated.
Just before the close OF the session.
Mr.. Fftzgerald. Of New York. made an
attack upon the suuerinte,@e1t Of the
school at Mount Pleasant. Mich. who.