Richmond planet., 1902-02-01
DEBATE ON TARIFF BILL
Senators Spooner and Tillman In
dulgs in Fierce Argument.
THE CHAIR RAPED FOR oRoEp

Tiliman ApoIoglzed and Said He Was
Taunted Into Anger-The Negro
Question Was Brought Up, and Led
to Argument.
Washington. Jan. 29.-One Of the
hercest debates OF the session occur.
red in the senate yesterday afternoon
between Mr.. Spencer (Rep), of Wis
consin, and Mr.. Tillman (Dem). of
South Carolina, during the considera.
ton of the Philippine tariff bill. The
Interchange OF words became so heat
ed that the chair raped for order.
Mr.. Tillman apologized to the chair
for not first securing recognition be
fore he spoke, but explained that he
had been taunted into anger.
Prior to the outbreak on the Philip
pine question the senate concluded
the consideration Of the bill establish.
ing a department of commerce and
passed it. The name OF the new de.
partment was changed to that of the
department Of commerce and labor.
During Mr.. SpoOner's speech on the
Philippine bill Mr.. Tillman interrupt.
ed him to inquire: 'Will the senator
allow me to ask him IL the Plat
amendment had been defeated by de-
bate until the end OF the session,
would that side have had courage to
have gone forward in its philanthropy,
humanity, Christianity and liberty and
all that kind of thing. and to have
called an extra session."
Mr.. Spooner-"We have courage
enough on this side to do anything on
earth"
Mr.. Tillman-"Except to defend the
negro"
Mr.. Spooner-"We have not courage
enough to lynch colored men or de-
prive them OF their rights"
Mr.. Tillman-"Does the senator de-
sire to discuss the race question here?
He seems to have left the Philippine
question to throw q personal fling at
me. ! am ready to meet him any.
where on the race question"
Mr.. Spooner--"Whenever the sena.
tor is willing to meet me on that
question or any other, he will find me
there so far as that is concerned. The
senator addressed to me an observa.
ton rather offensive in it's character"
Mr.. Tillman-"It certainly had no
alluSlon TO lynching.
Mr.. Spooner-"No."
Mr.. Tillman-"And the senator un.
derstands very we'll that come from
a section OF country where Iynchings
for given crime and for q good many
other crimes are very prevalent. Now,
does the senator wish to leave the
Philippine proposition, in which he is
dealing with a colored people in
most infamous and damnable and
hypocritical way and go south and
hold them up as examples that we are
dealing with in a similar way; I mean
the colored people here at home. Are
we to have two rules of conduct In re-
gard to the colorsd people, one in
the PhilippinS3, by which we butcher,
and shoot Christianity into them, and
another in the south, where we are
not allowed to protect our wives and
children?"
Mt. spooner-"1f We had the
same rule for the colorsd people in
the Philippines as the senator refers
| to In the south, God help the colored
man in the Philippines"
Mr.. Tillman-"God help him. In
the Philippines now you have already
butchered in three years three times
as many as the Spaniards did in three
centuries"
Mr.. Spooner-'Tt is one thing to
kill men with arms in their hands
against a government and against the
flag. 1t is another thing to burn them,
| Mr.. Tillman"
Mr.. Tillman-"You burned them in
| Kansas, sir"
Mr.. Spooner-"Wherever 1t is done,
| 1t is an outrageous crime"
Mr.. Tillman-"Oh, it is a very easy
thing for a man who has not come in
! contact with them IN close quarters
to arise and say what other people
! ought to do"
Mr.. Tillman was admonished by the
| president pro tenn. that he must not
interrupt a senator without first OBJ
tanning leave, to which he replied
that he was "taunted in a way that no
white man from South Carolina can
submit to-"