Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-02-10
57TH CONGRESS-.
Senator Carmack Hunting for
Trouble in the Philippines.
Throws His Sarcasm at President and
Secretary Of War.
House Puts in a Day on District of
Columbia Bills.


today, Carmaek spoke on the Rawlins
resolution, calling on the secretary of
! war for the proceedings in certain
| courtsmartial. He charged that muir
ders in the Philippines by American
soldiers have become so common that
they would not bear investigation and
| that this answer was entirely satisfac-
| tory ito our noble, generous and hui.
name secretary of war He also criti-
cised the President for never having
| heard of the Captain Brownell case af-
| ter having announced his intention Of
probing crimes in the Philippines"
Kean spoke on the statehood bill for
a short time, when he yielded to vari-
GUS senators. who INDUCED in debate
| over the question of the influence of
| the Mormon church in politics. Elkins
also spoke at length on the defence of
| the claims of New Mexico to statehood.
The Littlefield antitrust bill was re-
ceived by the Senate. today, from the
House ard referred to the committee
on judiciary. The army appropriation
bill was sent to conference, Proctor
CVt), Quarles (Wis.) and Cockrel!
(Mo) being named as conferees.
A number of bills of minor impor-
lance were passed and Carmarck
(Tenn) then addressed the Senate on
| the Hawlins resolution calling for the
records of courtmartials of officers
serving in the Philippines.
The best army that ever trod the
earth. Carmack declared, could be sent
to distant tropical land, but when it
became known that crimes would go
a
ensue. He asserted that there was an
organized system of torture in the
Philippines.
1T is a further fact" said Carmack,
that thought this was notorious
throughout the whole army it was con-
tinued for months and years. No effort
was made to suppress it, and no single
torturer was punished for the crime. 1t
| is a fact that men of high character
and standing, the representatives o.
leading Republican administration
newspapers went IN person to the corn-
handing general and told him that
they had not only seen a perfect orgy
of looting and plumber but that they
had seen wounded prisoners butchered
before their very eyes; and though he
did not deny it, he ignored it. 1t is
further true that this fact was brought
to the attention of the secretary of war
in letter over the signature of Robert
NJ. Collins. the chief agent and repre-
sentative of The Associated Press in
the Philippine islands, and it did not
suggest the propriety of an inquiry 0:
any investigation.
Murders by American soldiers in the
Philippines had become too common.
he said. to bear investigation, which
answer seemed entirely satisfactory
TO our noble and generous and humane
secretary of war
Courtmartial in the Philippines had
been a travesty on justice, he said. He
cited the case of Lieut.. Preston Brown,
who. he charged, murdered an unarmed
and unresisting native Filipino anG
whose sentence of five years was miti-
gated by the President to a nominal
fine and a slight reduction in rank. To
every wicked, vicious and depraved
ruffian III the army, he said, the order
of General Jacob Smith to kill and burn
in Samar meant that there was no law,
no restraint and no punishment, and
yet the President calmly surveyed the
ruin he had wrought land like another
great imperialistic he is astonished at
his own moderation"
He inquired how it happened tina;
the President. who had declared his in
tention of probing crimes in the Phil
ipDines never heard of the Captain
Rrownell case when Father Augustine
was tortured until he died.
THE President in a speech while
governor of New York had said that
our Indifference to the welfare of the
people of Ala ska made them prefer an
nexation to Great Britain, and the
same condition would result if we
showed like indifference in the Philip
pines
He declared that the Filipinos were
starving. The same vigilance which
enabled the President to discover them
"as enjoying the greatest prosperity
should cause him to see that they were
starving.
Time he said, in conclusion, will
demonstrate the folly of this business"
and he hoped it would find some cure
'for the blunder we have made
The resolution then went over and
the statehood bill was taken up.
Kean, N. j., continued his remarks
in opposition to the measure. He said
opposed to polygamy and meant in ev-
cry way to stamp it out.
Answering Nelson, Kean said Nor
mons who fled from Idaho to Mexico
undoubtedly would return to the Unit
ed States and mix in the politics of Ari-
IONA and attempt to usurp the public
authority of that state should it be adj
mitted.
Hale interrupted to say that every
time this phase of the subject was
reached it presented some new infor-
nation and before anything further
was done he thought somebody should
submit amendments in order to have
an expression of the Senate on this
subject and bring it determinately be-
fore the Senate for it's action.
Kean said he would offer an amend
ment of this kind.
In the course of Kean's remarks Pat
terson interrupted to read from
speech made by the President Mt Las
~ a,e-sr,