The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-01-29
SHARP DEBATE
IN THE SENATE
Killing Of Father Augustin in the
Philippines Threshed Over.
Mr.. RAWLINS WAS VEHEMENT
SENATOR QUAY FINALLY CUT
THE MATTER SHORT.

Washington. Jan. 2S.-In the senate
today the resolution offered yesterday
by Rawlins calling on the secretary
of war for information regarding GER
tain trials by courtmartial in the Phil
ippines was called Up.
Mr.. Lodge protested that the resOlu-
ton called for the printing of pro-
ceedings of a voluminous nature.
Mr.. Rawlins urged that the resoIu-
ton be adopted because neighbors and
relatives of the persons concerned had
demanded the facts. He referred 10
the death of Father Augustin, who.
he said, had been murdered in cold
blood. 1--WE have reason to infer"
said he, that a foul crime has been
committed and that the criminal is
within our borders, and under the
present law cannot be reached
Mr.. Beverage said he had hoped an
end had been reached of the policy of
tnsinuation and badger about Ameri-
can soldiers.
Based on Afidavits.
Replying. Mr. Rawlins said he had
not specifically charged any person
with having committed cold blooded
murder, but his statement was based
on affidavits on file in the war depart
ment.
1T is the old charge" said he, that
we have called attention TO tortures
and thereby have been arraigning the
American army. Tt is false and in
famous charge and 1 will crowd it
down the teeth OF the men who have
falsely given it utterance. I brand
the statement as infamous if not cow
ardly II is simply an attempt to put
me in a false position which / will not
occupy"
IF that is the best explanation the
senator can give remarked Mr.. Bev-
eridge, 'for his remarkable language
here, I think the best friend the sen
ator has would advise him to accept
the alternative of silence
He then entered upon a defense of
the army and said that Mr. Rawlins
had given the best argument why the
resolution should not be adopted.
Hoar Repels Insinuations.
Mr.. Hoar interrupted and asked if it
was fair to impute to anybody a de-
sire to attack the American army
when the government of the United
States Itself through it's military au-
thority has made such charges.
Mr.. Beveridge reverted to the use
of the words ''cold- blooded murder"
and said that Mr.. Rawlins would not
undertake the responsibility of say
ing it.
Mr. Carmack characterized the
charge that the Democrats were as
sailing the army as the ''meanest and
dirtiest" of all that had been made.
1T has been the very vermin,' he said.
'of this debate, and / am little sur
prised TO find ii crawling in the hair
OF the honorable senator from Indi-
ana"
Whoever made the charge, he said
consciously took falsehood upon his
lips when he spoke it. He declared
that the senate committee on the Phil
iippines had refused to investigate the
facts of the murder of Father Angus
tin. There had been a policy of sup
preston, he asserted, and in the case
of one witness who, he said. had tes-
titled falsely before the committee had
been allowed to go unpublished. Jake
Smith is no more the American army
than the senator from Indiana is the
American senate. and not half as
much as he thinks he is"
Action Was Forced.
He insisted that whatever action had
oeen taken by the president and war de-
partment had been because they were
driven to il by the minority of the senate
and that even then no single fact was
brought to light.
Mr.. Beveridge. replying. said Mr.. Car
mack had made his charge because the
Investigation did not result as he Gar
inaclO had hoped it would. ct did not
result in putting on the American army
the brand which the senator had thought
would be put there, but which resulted
in complete and brilliant vindicatiOn.'
Mr.. Carmack again reverted to the in
VestigatiOn by the committee on the
Philippines and said it occupied but four
days of seven hours each. although the
secretary of war. with his usual loose and
lavish unveracity. had said it occupied
five months -
Mr. Proctor said that Captain Cornelius
NJ. BrOWneil. who is charged in the Raw
Inns resolution with being responsible for
the death of Father Augustin. was a
Vermont man and that there was no bet
ter specimen of the volunteer soldier in
Vermont or any other state He had read
q statement by Captain BTOwnen. detail
ing the circumstances of a plot to massa-