The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-05-06
He REFERS 70 CRUELTIES
The Cases Isolated and Could Not b
Prevented.
A CHAMPION OF GENERAL CHAFFEE
Mr.. Lodge Closes His Speech Amid Applause
from the Galleries. RaWIins Makes
Brief Reply. The Sundry
civil Bill Passed
Sivi. Bill Passed.
(By the Associated Press.)

Washington, May 5.-In vindication of
ippines, Mr.. Lodge, of Massachusetts,,
Chairman of the Philippine Commission,
addressed the Senate today. Long be-
fore he began to speak the galleries were
thronged with people and the attendance
on the floor of the Senate was unusually
large. Mrs. Cowles, the Presidents sis
ter, was an interested auditor. His re-
view of the situation in the islands and
of the utterances of the minority in criti-
cism of the conditions there was notably
interesting, forceful and effective. He
spoke with deep earnestness and at times
became eloquent.
Mr.. Lodge warmly resented the impu-
tatiOns cast on the President, the Secre-
tary of War and the army for the al
legged cruelties and atrocities said to
have been practiced in the Philippines.
He said every effort had been employed
by the officials in authority to prevent
such cruelties as had been referred to
and measures had been made to punish
the guilty. Such things however, were
Incidents of every war and could not be
prevented absolutely. He had no de-
fense to make of any OF the cases of tor
ture which had been cited but the men
or the American army bad been provoked
almost beyond human endurance. He
recited scores of instances of cruelties
and tortures practiced by the Filipino
insurgents on American prisoners. Men
had hal their cars cut off; had been dis
emhowled, had been driven into streams
and while drowning shot to death; had
been tied to trees and stoned to death by
women and children; and buried alive.
Others had been shot and bOloed treach-
erously while succoring the wounded. In
the face of these horrible atrocities, some
Of the American troops had been guilty
of administering the water cure" but
the instances of this kind were isolated
and no part of the general policy in the
Philippines. He warmly defended Gener-
al Chaffee for his conduct of military
affairs in the islands and paid a brilliant
tribute to his heroism and patriotism
AS ne concluded his defense of the Amer
lean army and the American admins
tration, he drew cordial applause from
the galleries.
In brief reply, Mr.. Rawlins, of Utah.
declared that the charges which had
been made were not against General
Chaffee or the American army, but
against the Senator from Massachusetts,
(Mr. Lodge) and others who were re-
sponsible for the present Philippine
policy.
Both the Sundry Civil Appropriations
Bill ana the bill for the purchase of the
Rosebud Indian Reservation were passed
Mr. Lodge, III his address, expressed
the hope that the time would come when
measures in regard to the Philippines
would be discussed with a view to get
ting the best infor nation possible One
of the objects of the Philippine Bill he
said. was 10 help the development of the
island. The opponents of the bill, he
said, had charged that it opened the way
to exploiters, syndicates and carpet bag
gers.
He was aware, he said, of tho general
hostility of the Democratic party to any
man who has made money or was making
money and that, was the only one of their
principles that was carried out with COM
plete success during their last tenure OF
power.
There was suppressed laughter in the
galleries when he said that few Amer1-
cans at that time made money.
TORTURE OF OUR SOLDIERS.
Mr.. Lodge referring to the charges of
torture in the Philippines said It was
a source of bitter regret to him that
any American officer or enlisted man
should have tortured any Filipino or that
any order had been issued that on It's
face seemsd revolving.
But" said he there must be some
reason for these alleged cruelties."
He then told of three American sol
diers who were captured by the Filipinos
They were stripped naked and told that
If they would cry "long live The Fill
pipo republic, they might run away
into the bush as they were. One of the
mel stood there naked. in the midst of
that hostile banG and cried long live
America" The Filipinos tied him to a
tree and women and children stoned him
to death.
he other two cost heart and cried
long live the Filipino republic" but
Notwithstanding this. they were cut to
pieces with bolos. After that, said he
1t is no wonder tho comrades of those
men went into battle with cries of ven
geancc.
Il am not here to excuse cruelty and