The San Francisco call., 1897-02-20
Evident That No Vote on
the Measure Will Be
Had This Session.
Fl clustering En- aged In With
Cd Time Vlgor by OPP
ponents OF the Bill.
Senator Dani M kes an Impassicnsd
Address Impugning Enyiand's
Mo.iv S

WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 19.-When
the Senate ad journed at o'clock tonight,
after a secret session of seven and a half
hours, it was apparent to the mcst SAN
guine friends of the general treaty of arbi-
tration with Great Britain that no vote
could be secured at this session of the
Senate. The fact that motion to post
pone until March had been defeated by
vote of 81 to 20 afforded no satisfaction.
On the contrary it emphasized the fact
that those fighting the treaty intended
there should be affirmative action OF no
Kind. The debate proceeded in regular
order until o'clock. when the Senator'S,
tired of the discussion and weary in body.
left the chamber and proceeded to their
homes. For two hours longer there was
dreary succession of aye and no calls and
calls of the Senate for the purpose of Sc
curing quorum, which was no sooner
found to be present than 1t would disap-
pear. Filibustering was INDUCED IN with
the old-time Vigor, and when, after two
hours of this sort of thing, the call of the
Senate failed to establish the presence of
a quorum a motion to adjourn prevailed
and the treaty was left hanging in the air.
at the close of yesterdays session Sher-
man gave notice that he should to-day ask
the Senate to vote. The debate began as
soon as the doors were closed with consid-
erable energy on the part of the friends of
the treaty; but they soon wearied of
their struggle with the inevitable. Lodge
and Frye spoke briefly but with great
deal of spirit, urging that the vote be
taken this afternoon. Lodge said there
could be no doubt but that every Senator
had made up his mind how he should
vote, and any further delay would be
waste of time and an exhibition of q de-
sire to prevent action of any sort.
The speech of Senator Lodge was an ef-
fort to "shell the bushes" and it was sue
cessful in driving into the open the enc
mics of the treaty. He was confronted
with retort from Senators Teller and
Stewart to the effect that no vote could be
had. Teller then took the floor and spoke
for an hour against the treaty and against
present action.
Imme diately upon the closing of the
doors of the Senate the treaty was taken
up for consideration, and Nelson of Min
nesota made another speech urging that
action be postponed until the Senate con-
tion TO the press oil business on the Senate
calendar, and dwelt especially upon the
need for the passage OF some form OF
bankruptcy act.
Piatt of Connecticut again antagonized
postponement, believing that the best in
terestS of the country demanded immedi-
ate action. Mr.. Frye of Maine, who, as
| 5 ated yesterday, was inclined to think
postponement would be the proper course,
came out this morning In d short but spir-
tied speech advocating action by the Sem
ate to-day. Senator Stewart of Nevada
strongly urged pos ponement and was fol-
lowed by Senator Teller of Colorado in the
same vein. Teller. as a member of the
Committee on Appropriations, told his
colleagues that the Senate would have all
| it could do to pass remaining bills between
now and March 4.
The demand for an immediate vote was
| made almost as soon as the doors were
| closed by Senators Lodge and Frye, each
of whom spoke for five minutes. Teller
retorted promptly that no vote on the
| treaty itself should be taken, and the de-
| bate then begun indicates the intention OF
| the opponents to wear out the Senate un-
| til, by sheer exhaustion, 1t is willing to
| vote to postpone. The merits of the treaty
can be discussed in full on the motion to
postpone, and this was done.
In the course of his argument Mr.. Teller
| said that he was not prepared to say that
| ne SOOuIu HOG NOl0 LOT ln6 treaty. lie
| favored the principle OF arbitration, but
the treaty had been buugled and badly
| drawn and he believed there should be
ample time for consideration.
The more the treaty was discussed the
more became the objections that had been
| made to it
The Senate, Teller said, ought not to be
| called upon to vote upon so important
question at this late day In the session.
| The State Department had been four years
| in framing treaty which it believe to be
now perfect, but which the majority of
the Senate knew did not protect the in
| terests of the American people, Ii the
State Department with its men skilled in
diplomatic procedure had been four years
preparing a treaty why, Teller asked
would the administration and the country
be so insistent that the Senate should deal
finally with the subject in few weeks?
Daniel of Virginia addressed the Senate
for upward of two hours, and made a
powerful impression. He was against the
treaty, and advanced some of the strong
est arguments that have vet been heard
War was not a bad thing, Daniel said
when the nation that went to war had the
right on its side and was uphclding the
honor and Integrity OF Its people. The
United States was the only country that
Great Britain feared, and if she could put
us under bonds to keep the peace Great
Britain would go ahead with her policy of
aggression and agzrandizement and laugh
at any protest that we might make or
defy any position we might assume
against her oppression of the peoples of
the Western Hemisphere. The American
people were people of peace; the policy
OF the country for 120 years had been one
of peace.
1t had arbitrated its differences time
and again and was pledged to that prin-
ciple, but when it went into solemn
compact for that purpose with Great
Britain there should be an equality OF
terms. The United States had everything
to lose by the treaty and Great Britain
everything 10 gain. The Congress OF the
United States rad never dec ared war un-