In January 1899, Senator Bacon introduced to the US Senate resolutions which concluded thus:

That the United States hereby disclaim any disposition or intention to exercise sovereignity, jurisdiction or control over said islands except for the pacification thereof, and assert their determination when an independent government shall have been duly erected therein entitled to recognition as such, to transfer to said government upon terms which shall be reasonable and just, all rights secured under the cession by Spain, and to thereupon leave the government and control of the islands to their people.

Had the US Senate decided to vote on the Bacon resolutions before the outbreak of the Philippine-American war on February 4, 1899, the it would most probably have passed.

In the emotional times after the outbreak of hostilities, on February 14, 1899, ironically Valentine's day, the US Senate voted 29 to 29, with the Vice President casting the deciding vote which defeated it.

Had a single senator who voted Nay voted Aye, the United States could have avoided the $300,000,000 cost of the war, and saved the lives of tens of thousands of American and Filipino soldiers, and of many hundreds of thousands of Filipino civilians.

We reproduce this historic vote thus:

Later, Sen. Lodge said at the Philadelphia National Republican Convention of 1900 that:

We make no hypocritical pretence of being interested in the Philippines solely on account of others. We believe in Trade Expansion.

Source : American Occupation of the Philippines 1898/1912. James A. Blount