Show I SENATOR TELLER ON PHILIP PHILIPPINE PINE IREA TREATY If I Washington Washington Fib Feb I 11 A l-A l A stirring debate debate debate de de- de- de bate on the general Philippine question queston question ques ques- tion ton was precipitated in the Senate late today the principal participants being Mr Platt of Connecticut and Mr Hoar of Massachusetts Mr 11 Teller Teller Tel Tel- ler of Colorado had concluded for the day his argument against the enactment enact ment meat of the pending Philippine tariff bill bi In response to some statements he made Mr Platt directed the Senates Senate's attention to the situation in the is islands is- is islands lands in which he viewed it it i. i maintaining maintaining main main- taming that great progress was being made by the Government in subduing the insurrection Mr Hoar ridiculed the statements of Mr MI Platt and in facetious vein adverted to the efforts of the American Government to control the Filipino people The remarks remarks' of the Massachusetts Senator aroused Mr Platt Plat who made madea a notable notable speech In the course of which he referred to Mr Hoar in pretty sharp terms In reply Mr Hoar delivered an in- in criticism of the action aton of the the Philippine commission Early In the day the Senate passed a joint resolution submitting a constitutional constitutional con con- amendment changing the time of Presidential inaugurations and the termination and commencement of Congresses from the of March to the last Thursday of April SENATOR PLATT PIATT REPLIES REPLIES Mr Platt of Connecticut in replying to some statements nade by Mr Teller Teller Tel Tel- ler pointed out that the American army army army ar ar- ar- ar my In the Philippines had had been reduced reduced reduced re re- re- re from to less than He thought it vei ve vel strange that the American Amerian force could be reduced thus if i all al the Filipinos were struggling against American Amerian control control We ought to consider facts fats he urged We Ye ought to take things as they are and not things as they may be conjured up We Ve are getting along reasonably well wel on those islands Peace will wl come to them and a Government will wi be established there in which the Filipinos themselves will wl have a large part and which will wl prove to be a blessing to them HOAR ANSWERS ANSWERS Mr Hoar of Massachusetts In re reply reply reply re- re I ply to Mr Platt Plat referred to the declarations declarations de de- de- de of Filipinos which the latter had read as a sweet morsel wrested from a conquered people by a great army He had ha no knowledge of the methods by which these declarations had been obtained obtained but disclaimed any reflections upon the American f rican authorities authorities ties tes or the American army without in inv in- in v RIDICULES THE TIlE ELECTIONS ELECTIONS Mr Hoar ridiculed the elections to which Mr Platt Plat referred declaring that under the sedition laws enacted by the Philippine commission it was wasa a p penitentiary offense otense for anybody in inthe inthe inthe the islands to advocate a political opinion opinion opinion ion or political policy He referred Ina in ina ina a facetious vein to the schools established established es es- es- es acetous in the Islands by the American American American Amer Amer- ican autho authorities ites ass asserting that in not one of them could the Declaration of Independence be read and no patriotic patriot patriot- ic speech delv delivered red in in s 's safety fety PLATT PLAT WAR WARMS UP Mr 11 Hoars Hoar's remarks palled forth a vigorous utterance from froni Mr Platt Plat who said that his respect for the long and distinguished career of the Senator Senator Senator Sena Sena- tor from Massachusetts would prevent him from replying as he would reply to some other others He believed he said that the American people would re regret regret re- re regret gret to note the sneers rs of the Senator Senator Senator Sena Sena- tor from Massachusetts at the efforts of the Government to educate the children children chil chil- dren of the Philippine islands PETITIONS P PREPARED y B JU JUNTA TA Speaking of the petitions for independence independence inde inde- presented to Congress a year ago to which Mr Hoar had referred Mr Platt said they were paraded here now as they had been at the time of their presentations presentation's p positive proof that all al the Filipino people wanted was Independence ncE and freedom from American Amer- Amer Amen Ameri can control control He intimated that they had been prepared by the Filipino junta either in in- Hong Kong or in Boston and asserted assented that they bore on their face evidence of being ma chine made HIGH TRIBUTE TO TAFT Mr Platt Plat paid a high tribute to Gov Taft and his associates on the Philippine Philippine Philip Philip- Phlp- Phlp pine committee and inquired Is what these men map say about the Philippine Islands to be whistled down the wind by our friends on the he other side rei reinforced rein rein- rein rein- reinforced forced by the Senator from Massachusetts Massachusetts Massa Massa- Personally I propose to trust the Philippine commission Mr Hoar interrupted to Inquire if it Mr Platt thought the Filipinos would have adopted the treason law enacted by the Philippine commission had it been submitted to them QUOTES CONNECTICUT LAW The Connecticut that he could say but but Connecticut had a law which the people of that State had never found Inconsistent with their rights and Ubert liberties s. s He read the law which pr proved ved to be not dissimilar to that which h had been enacted in the P Philippines I He PE pointed d ou 1 as one of the bene bene- results of American occupation of the Philippines that schools had been established in t the e islands and that nearly one thousand American teachers h had d g gone ne to the archipelago to educate the Filipino children READS ACT TlE THE TREASON I Mr Platt Plat read the treason law referred re- re to by Sin Mr MIl Hoar to show that Iwas i iwas it was directed against the formation of secret societies the purpose of which which in whole or in part was the promotion of sedition rebellion and and treason I It I seems strange said he that human human human hu hu- hu- hu man observation can be so warped as to draw v such conclusions from the enactment of this law as had b been drawn by the Senator from Massa Massachusetts chusett It I was a statute he said aimed at secret plotting such plotting as s at one time Ume pearlY nearly resulted in Inducing inducing inducing ing in the city cit of Manila Mania a massacre of our troops and friends REBELLION MUST CEASE If I we are a Government worthy of I the name said Mr Platt Piatt with alth great vehemence when men take tak up arms against the United States in any district district district dis dis- dis- dis or territory where the sovereignty of the United St States tes obtains we will put that insurrection down No perI perversion perversion per per- I version of the glories of liberty will prevent the American people f from om putting putting put put- ting down rebellion wherever it it may rear real its hateful head lu Iu conclusion he said I believe beleve that the time is coming when the world shall be christianized when the world shall be converted to the cause of free government gov- gov and T I believe beleve that the United States is appointed providentially as agent for that purpose Mr Hoar replied particularly y to Mr Plaits Plait's discussion of the treason law enacted by the Philippine commission and to his statement concerning the tile Connecticut statute which he had quoted HOARS HOAR'S CONCLUSIONS In conclusion Mr Hoar said I I have learned to trust men even the greatest and the best men not by what they say but by what they do and when Gov Taft says that the Filipino people want Independence and says at the same time that nobody shall express that desire above his breath I distrust the opinion and look for evidence of the of-the the fact When he says that people are enjoying enjoying enJoying en en- en- en American freedom when when h he he- promulgates a law which at the same time makes it i a penitentiary offense to read the Declaration on on on- the Fourth of July I confess I am very little Impressed im urn- pressed by his Judgment and very profoundly Impressed by his edict edit The Senate then at p. p m m. ad ad- |