The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-12


either in Hong-K Kong or in Boston," and
asserted that they bore on their face evil
dence OF being machine made
TRIBUTE TO TAFT.
Mr.. Plat paid high tribute to Governor
Taft and his associates on the Philippine
commission and inquired: 'Is what these
men know about the Philippine islands TO
be whistled down the wind by our friends
on the other side, reinforced by the SEN
ator from Massachusetts,? Personally, !
propose to trust the Philippine commits
sion" That commission had presented he
said, remarkable evidence OF the progress
which was being made in the archipelago
toward peace and toward happy solution
of the situation there. Civil government
had been established in thirty-four prov
inces and that government was being OPP
Grated to the entire satisfaction or the
people.
Mr.. Hoar interrupted to inquire II Mr..
Platt thought the Filipinos would have
adopted the treason law enacted by the
Philippine commission had II been sub
mitted to them.
The Connecticut senator replied he could
not say but Connecticut had law which
the people OF that State had never found
inconsistent with their rights and liberties.
He read the law, which proved TO be not
dissimilar to that which had been enacted
in the Philippines. He pointed out as one
of the benefcent results OF American oc-
cupati0n Of the Philippines that schools
had been established in the islands and
that nearly 1000 American teachers had
gone to the archipelago to educate the
Filipino children. Prior TO the arrival of
these teachers in the islands, he said. pri-
vate soldiers from the American army had
been detailed as teachers in many of the
schools Against this effort of the Amer
lean government TO educate and elevate
the people of the Philippines the senator
from Massachusetts,, he said, was directing
This sneers and his denunciations."
Mr.. Platt then read the treason law re-
ferred to by Mr.. Hoar to show that 1t was
directed against the formation of secret
societies. the purpose of which, in whole
or in part, was the promotion Of sedition,
rebellion and treason. 1T seems strange,
he said that human observation can be
SO warped as to draw such conclusions
from the enactment of this law as had
been drawn by the senator from Massachu-
sets" 1t a statute, he said, aimed
at secret plotting, such plotting as at one
time nearly resulted in inducing, in the city
of Manila. a massacre Of our troops and
friends. 1t did not prevent, he declared,
the reading of the Declaration of Independ-
ence in the schools of the islands or the
utterance of patriotic addresses 1t pre-
vented simply plotting in the dark.
WORLD TO BE CHRISTIANIZED.
IF we are a government worthy Of the
name" said Mr.. Plat with great vehe-
mence, 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 in
surrection down. No perversion of the
glories of liberty will prevent the Ameri-
can people from putting down rebelllOn
wherever it may rear its hateful head"
In conclusion he said: 81 believe that
the time is coming when the world shall
be ChristianiZed, when the world shall
be converted TO the cause of free gov
eminent, and / believe that the United
States is appointed providentially as agen.
for that purpose. He who has studied the
nf no
22d of December, 1920, TO the present hour
must be blind indeed If he cannot see that
the cause of free government in the world
is progressing and that what the United
States is doing in the Philippine islands
is an extension of that beneficent result"
Mr.. Hoar replied particularly to Mr.
enacted by the Philippine commission and
to his statements concerning the Connecti-
cut statute which he had quoted. He main
tanned that the Connecticut senator had
not quoted accurately the Philippine statute
because he had omitted a portion OF il
which, he asserted sustained the position
he [Hoarl had taken and the statements
he had made. 1T would have filed man.
kind with horror said he, IF this Con
necticut statute or If our statute Of trea.
son of 1890 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 tho
Philippines, upon which Mr.. Platt had
dwelt, Mr. Hoar said: Il call his atten-
ton TO the fact that these elections were
held under a law which sent every man
who is in favor of side of the ques-
ton. which he says was settled by them.
to the penitentiary for saying So Am
incorrect now"
Mr. Platt-No. the senator is infallible
[Laughter.l
In conclusion Mr.. Hoar said: 81 have
learned to trust men, even the greatest and
the best men, not only by what they say
but by what they do. and when Governor
Taft saws that the Filipino people want
independence and says at the same time
nobody shall express that desire above his
breath 1 distrust the opinion and look for
people are enjoying American freedom
when he promulgates a law which at the
same time makes it a penitentiary offense
to read the Declaration OF Independence
on the Fourth of July confess am very
little impressed by his judgment and very
profoundly impressed by his edict"
The Senate then, at Gas p. m, adjourned