Evening star., 1902-02-20
Senator Patterson Speaks on
the Philippines.
ARRAIGNS COMMISSION
DISCUSSES NEW TREASON AND
SEDITION LAWS.
The Indian Appropriation Bill Taken
Up for Amendment in
the House.

AT the conclusion or routine business III
the Senate today consideration was re-
sumed of the Philippine tariff bill. Mr..
Patterson (Col), member Of the Philip
pines committee of the Senate, discussed
the treason and sedition laws enacted and
enforced in the islands by the Philippine
commission. He denounced the laws as
tyrannical and oppressive. He maintained
that the decision Of the United States Su-
preme Court seemed to indicate that when
the question was presented unqualifedly to
that court 1t would be held that the bill of
rights would be extended to the Filipinos.
and that they were as fact within the
limits Of the Constitution Of the United
States.
He maintained that when the question
finally should come before the Supreme
Court 1t would be held that the rights Of
free speech and a free press in the Philip
pine Islands would be protected fully and
beyond any doubt. He said that it was "a
new and strange sovereignty that enabled
the Philippine commission to enforce such
laws as had been put in effect In the Phil
ippines, and he challenged the authority Of
the commission to enact such laws. He
recognized that all the judicial powers Of
the Constitution were not extended to a
territorial government but he held that,
beyond doubt in his mind, the Philippine
commission had no authority to define trea-
son or to provide punishment therefor.
That, he held was solely within the power
and authority OF Congress.
Acts Of the Commission.
He declared that the Philippines commits
sion had outraged every United States stat
ute it had attempted to follow and had
made Its own enactments tyrannical, be-
cause there had been evidently a deliberate
purpose to make offenses where none had
been defined by the United States statutes.
He denounced the "devilish malignity' Of
the Philippine commission displayed when 1t
attempted to copy the United States stat
utes and Incorporated other and extraneous
matters.
Mr.. Patterson declared that only four Of
the fifteen acts Of the Philippine commits
sion relating to conspiracy against the
United States had any resemblance to the
statutes of the United States. The re-
mainder, he held. were taken bodily from
the statutes of Spain as enacted by the
Spanish cortes. He declared, after analyz-
Ing the enactments, that no greater outrage
enforcement of the sedition laws enacted
by the Philippine commission. Acts more
tyrannical, more unconstitutional and more
inimical to the interests of the people. he
ought to be repealed Immediately by act Of
Congress.
Gov. Taft Criticised.
Discussing the testimony of Governor
Taft before the Philippine commission, Mr..
Patterson said that seldom had a people
been held up to greater contumely and
scorn than had been applied to the Fill
pinos by Judge Taft, ''who, temporarily,
at least Is their ruler"
Mr.. Patterson declared that the informa-
ton supplied by the War Department was
absolutely in opposition to the statements
made by Governor Taft. 1t was, in effect.
the War Department against Governor
Taft.
In respone to an inquiry by Mr.. Foraker,
Mr.. Patterson stated 1t as his Judgment
that Governor Taft had motives for mis-
representing the situation in the Philip
pines that the War Department did not
have.
1.-The statements Of the War Department. .
he asserted, after reading from some docu-
ments, brand as slander most of those
made by Governor Taft about the Filipi-
nos character and abiIities-brand as SIAN
ders his charges that they are cruel, idle,
shiftless and as unfit for governmental self
control"
In response to another inquiry by Mr..
Foraker, who said he wanted clearly to un-
derstand the statement, If. Patterson reit-
Grated his statement that Governor Taft
had motives for Misrepresentation and that
he had misrepresented the situation in the
archipelago, was his deliberate Judgment