The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-05-03
Pritchard Tells of Sand Cure Being
Administered to q
Republican.
THIS IS SOME THING NEW TO Mr.. SIMMONS
Debate, Prec plated by Priichard's Assertion
That There is Need Of Reform in North
Carolina as Well as in the
Philinnines
Philippines.
(By the Associated Press.)

Washington, D. c., May "A lively
debate was precipitated in the Senate
today by Mr.. Pritchard IN. c.. by
some remarks he made on politics and
the course of discussion of the Philip
pine Bill. He maintained that the pend
ing measure dealt simply with admin
istrative features of the Philippines and
insisted that charges made against the
American army that tortures and bar
barities were practiced in the islands
We're not relevant: to the discussion. He
said that if the charges were true. the
guilty ought to be punished severely
and undoubtedly would be. He suggest
ed that some of the methods employed
by the opponents of the bill in this coun-
try ought to be reformed and told of
wkat is called the "sond curs'' in North
Carolina, the victim having his face
crushed into the sand to stifle his cries
while he was being beaten to intimidate
him politically.
This drew the rSt Of Mr.. Simmons IN.
c., who declared that he never heard
of such e practice. The debate thus
started covered a wide range of SUBJ
iects concerning North Carolina politics.
Mr.. Pritchard declored that a major
ity of the people of North Carolina and
of the South We're liz favor of the propc-
sition of the majority of the Philippine
Cmmttee and he quoted the Charlotte
Observer as a leading Democratic pa
per of the South in support of the re-
lentioE of the Philippines.
'Does not the Senator know" inter-
rupted Mr.. Simmons, that the Char
lotte Observer opposed the election of
William Jennings Bryan to the Presi-
dercy?"
THAT is true,' replied Mr. Pr;tchard,
"but the paper opposed nm purely on
the issue of free silver
In response to another question by Mr..
Simmons, Mr.. Pritchard said ne knew of
nobody in the South-Republican or
Democrat-who was in favor of "imper-
ialism," but he asserted that a majority
of the business men of the South were
in favor of expansion.
Concerning the charges of cruelties
and torture alleged to have been in
fiicted upon the Filipnos by the Amer
not see the relevancy of the charges to
the pending measure. He was in favor
of the prompt and speedy INVESTIGATION
of the alleged cruelties and the punish
ment of the guilty, but he believed The
charges had nothing to do with this
measure. which provided rereiy for a
civil administration in the Philippines.
'If we retain the Philippine Islands,"
said he, 'as we will, the Southern States
will retain the bulk of rrade with the
Philippines and the South will be the
chief beneficiary of the extension of the
cotton goods trade in the Orient"
He said that Republican voter was
taken from his home at night and beat
en-, his face being crushed into the sand
to sti1e his cries
Mr. Simmcn declared that this was the
first time he ever had heard Of the sand
cure" He said he did not he,'eve the
statement of the witness quoted by Mr..
Pritchard and insisted that il il were
true, the "sand cure" was not admins
tered for politica; purposes. He said
that for six years he had been The chair
mar of the Democratic Executive Com
mittee of North Carolina aud ne had
never known of any cases of outrage
and violence for political purposes.
Mr.. Pritchard inquired Il it We're not
fact tnat organized bands OF "red shirts
rode over the State of North Carolina
for the purpose of terrorizing Republi-
can voters.
'"rhat organization (the rHd shirts),
replied Mr.. Simmons, 'never had for it's
object any bellicose or beligerent pur-
rose toward any part OF the voters of
North Carolina. IT is merely an organi-
2ation for the purpose Of moro effectu-
ally organizing the voters of the State"
'Prolonged laughter on the floor and in
the gaiIeries)
In the course of colloquy with Mr..
Clay, who said that while he had no
doubt about the validity of the title of
the united States to the Philippine Is
lands but thought the islands ought to
be turned over to the inhabitants in or /
der that they might govern themselves, !