The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-02-12
were not inconsistent with the statements

were not inconsistent with the statements of the majority here.
 Promising to discuss that and other points later. MT. Teller yielded the noor for the day
 MT. Platt (Conn.) pointed out that the American army in the Philippines should be reduced from 70 900 to less than 4o,0Oo' He thought it very strang that the Ameri- can forces could be reduced thus 1T all the Filipinos were struggling against American controls
 After he had read considerable num- Der of declarations from native Fiiipinos indicating a growing appreciation or American control and government, MT
 Platt declared that nothing the minority could say would convince him that the United States Goverr rment was not mak- ing rapid progress i'll the Phiippines toward peace and contentment.
 Mir. Hoar referred to the declarations of Filipinos which the latter had read as
 "a sweet morser' wrested from con- quered people by a great arpy MT
 Hoar ridiculed the elections in the Philippines, declaring that un Ter the sedi- ton laws enacted by the Philippine Com mission it was a penitentiary offense for
 anybody in the islands to advocate
 political opinion or political policy. He referred in a facetious vein to the schools
 established in the islands by the Ameri-
 can authorities. asserting that in not one
 of them could the declaration of inde-
 pendence be read and no patriotic speech
 delivered in safety. He hoped that the
 roseate views of MT. Platt might obtain
 very soon in the Philippines, but Of that
 he entertained great doubt. \ MT. Hoar's remarks called 1ortn
 vigorous utterance from MT. Platt who
 said that his respect for the long and
 distinguished career of the Senator from
 Massachusetts would prevent him from
 replying as he would reply to some
 others. He believed, he said. that the
 American people would regret to note
 the "sneers' of the Senator from Mas
 sachusetts at the efforts of the govern
 ment to educate the children of the
 Philippine islands.
 Speaking of the petitions for independ-
 ence, presented to Congress year ago,
 to which Mir. Hoar had referred, Mr.
 Platt said they were paraded here now
 as they had been at the time of their
 presentation, as positive proof that all
 the Filipino people wanted independence
 and freedom from American control. He
 intimated that they had been prepared by
 the Filipino Junta, either in Hong Kong
 or in Boston, and asserted that they bore
 on their face evidence of being machine
 made" MT. Platt paid a high tribute to
 Governor Taft and his associates on the Philippine Commission and inq>ired: "ls what these men say about the Philip pine Islands to be whstled down the wind by our friends on the other side. re-en- forced by the Senator from Massachu- setts?'
 Mir Hoar asked if MT. Platt thought the
 Filpinos would have adopted the treason law enacted by the Philippine Commis- sio ha1 St1hpnitfad n them The
 Connecticut Senator replied he could not say, but Connecticut had law which the people of that State had never found in- consistent with their rights and liber- ties.
 He pointed out that nearly one thousand American teachers had gone to the archi- l pelago to educate the Filipino children. | Prior to the arrival of these teachers in | the islands, he said private soldiers from | the American army had been detailed as teachers Tn many of the schools. MT.
 Platt then read the treason law referred | to by Mir. Hoar to show that 1t was di- | rected against the formation of secret | societies, the purpose of which, in whole | or In part, was the promotion of sedi-
 ton. rebellion and treason.
 l It was statute. he said, aimed at se-
 cret plotting. such plotting at one
 time nearly resulted in inducing. in the I ClIy Ol 11dnlld, d lfldSSdCTe Ol our ltOoDs | and friends It did not prevent, he de-
 cared, the reading of the Declaration of | Independence in the schools of the islz ! ands or in the utterance of patriotic ad- | dresses It prevented simply plotting in 1 the dark.
 If We are a Government worthy of the | name." said Mir. Platt with great vehem- | ence, whenever men take up arms | against the United States in any district or territory where the sovereignty of the United States obtains, we will put that
 insurrection down. No perversion of the | glories of liberty will prevent the Amer | ican people from putting down rebellion | wherever 1t may rear its hateful head MT. Hoar maintained that MT. Platt had | not quoted accurately the Philippine stat ute. Ut would have filled mankind with kcrror,' said he, If this Connecticut statute, or if our statute of treason of l 1790 had been enacted in 1861 or any | time thereafter and put in force against | Tennessee, Virginia. Kentucky or Mis- souri,"
 Referring to the elections held in the | Philippines. upon which MT. Platt had dwelt, Mir. Hoar said: "I call his atten- | tion to the fact that these elections were held under a law which sent every man | who is in favor of one side of the ques- | tion which he says was settled by them ! to the penite ntiary for saying SO. Am I l incorrect now?'
 | MT. Platt-No; the Senator is infallible. | daughter).
 In conclusion, Mir. Hoar said: "I have | learned to trust men. even the greatest and the best men, not by what they say, but by what they do. and when Governor | Taft says that the Filipino people want 1 independence and says at the same time nobody shall express that desire above his | breath l distrust the opinion and look ] for evidence of the fact. When he says | that people are enjoying American free dom. when he promulgates law which at | the same time makes it q penitentiarY of l fense to read the Declaration of inde- pendence OH the Fourth of July. l con | fess I am very little impressed by his | Judgment and very profoundly impressed 1 by his edict."
 1 The Senate then, at 5:45 D. m. ad- | journed