The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-02-15
New Administration to He Confronted
with Scheme to Set Aside
CIaytOn-BuIwer Treaty.
SENATOR TELLER EXPLAINS
PRESENT SESSION TOO SHORT To
CONSIDER THE AGREEMENT.
Amendments that Must BE Made
Looking to Protection for Amer
lea in Nicaragua Canal.
special to the Indianapolis Journal.


feat of the arbitration treaty there turks
project for u revival of the treaty pending
! when Cleveland went into the White House
the first time and which he withdrew at
| once-a treaty which established a United
States protectorate over the route of the
| Nicaragua canal and paved the way TO uhe
immediate digging of the great commercial
| way under government control. The
| proposition goes further than that did and
| formally will declare the abrogation of the
| Clayton Bulwer treaty. There is more TO
the programme than jingo talk, and it is sa
to have already found favor with the Pres
| ident-elect The construction OF the Mica
| ragua canal as a distinctly American en-
| terprise has long been the demand of mil
| lions of citizens, and a move TO make the
canal thus fortified probably is very likely
to be the crowning feature of the incoming
| Administrations foreign policy"
Senator Teller was asked to-day to fur
| nish the press with a statement of the rea-
sons for asking postponement of the
| Anglo American arbitration treaty, and in
response prepared the following signed
ticle:
There has been good deal of criticism
| of the Senate because IL does not at once
| ratify the treaty OF arbitration between
| the United States and tIreat Britain by
| those who apparently forget that the ex-
| ecutlve department. mas been about four
by the Constitution of the United States
| the Senate Is made part or the treaty.
| making power. The fathers OF the Repuo-
| tic, jealous of executive power, were not
willing that the President should negotiate
| treaties alone, they provided Jnat the
| President snail have power by the advice
| and consent of the Senate TO make treaties.
| provided two-thIrcS or the senators present
| concur. The treaty, Jnen, is the act or the
President and the Senate. III is quite APP
| action OF the Senate should be a mere per-
fUnctory duty and that the requirement of
q two-tnirdS majority was inserted because
tke trainers OF the Constitution We're i'm
pressed with the Importance OF treaty max
ing.
which creates treaties, ii cannot rid Itself
of the responsibility of seeing that they
ore properly made. 1t is AS incumbent o..
us 10 give treaties due consideration as on
the executive to do We heard no COM
piaint OF the delay on the part of the
ecUtiye department. but nc sooner did the
treaty. reach the Senate than there was
demand for immediate action Dy the Sen
ate The Senate. being charged with this
duty OF advising in the construction of Il
treaty. cannot transfer that duty 10 the
president or any one else me Irlenos OF
the treaty in the Senate all admit that IL
must be amended and the committee on
| foreign relations has recommended certain
amendments which will without doubt. be
adopted But what viii be the condition OF
! the treaty if the friends of ii do rot agree
as TO the DurDort of the proposed amend
|
oontroverted question for consideration by
the arbiters must be acted on by the Sen
| ate and the House of Representa- tiVes be-
fore the question can go before the arbitra-
ton tribunal. If this view Is correct we
will be required TO make new treaty or
agreement on each question. as II arises.
and have the assent not of the Senate
alone but OF the House also. and instead
| of having removed causes of disagreement
and friction between the two governments
IL viii be found We have multiplied the
} causes of dispute and delayed the determin-
alton of controverted questions.
IF the treaty does not require action
: on the part of Congress. as some contend it
does not, then we are leaving the question
whether the subject of controversy shall
be arb.trated or not to the President alone.
1t is true we put limitations of an indefinite
( character on the executive in providing
that he must rot arbltratc a question 'af-
! feCting our foreign or domestic policy but
if the President thinks such submission
does not affect that policy he cannot be
he'd responsible for his ect if he makes a
.,'-takc
T WHY should we not make this treaty
: definite-exact? Why should we leave so
, important a question as to who has the
If we attempt TO submit a given question
TO arbitration through the agency of Con-
: il ought to have been submitted
through and by the President
we create friction not only among
our own people, but between this country
and Great Britain as we'll II the Presi-
dent assumes that he alone must determine
what subject of dispute must be submitted
and Congress assumes jurisdiction over the
; matter. then we have a home difficulty
and foreign one at the same time
The treaty is not capable Of self-execu-
ton and there must be legislation to carry
it into execution. Congress must fix the
term of the two arbitratOrS TO he appointed
on our part and also determine their com
pensation. This cannot be done at this ses-
sion of Congress The treaty ought 10 &c
over and be carefully examined by the com.
| nnittee that has already prepared sundry
| amendments and by the Senate when other
! matters are not pressing on that body.
II is almost impossible at this late period
! of the session to give q matter of this kline
, | that serious attention which il requires
| ! There can be no doubt that the great body
| arbitration. but the fact does not remove
the necessity of care in the preparation
| of a treaty to carry out that idea. If th'
\ | treaty is carelessly made and there is diff
\ | Guilty in determining what ought 10 be sub
, mitted a feeling. after the treaty
as to the fairness OF its operation. the peo
!. | pie will be prejudced against the principi'
| of arbitration. that instead of prorlotint
the cause of arbitration we may destrO!
| il by hasty action
Personally / decidedly in favor o
| arbitration OF all questions that can b'
: | arhitrated but this Is no reason why
| should Join in ratifying treaty that lack
/. | the greatest essentials of a treaty-certain
: | ty as To what IL means. There is no threa [
= | ened danger OF war confronting us w
I have no occasion for haste and nothing
| can be gained by premature action Whel
| the treaty is out i'm proper form. as | hop
| IN will be- 1T will be ratified ! regret tina
| the agreement has not been considered II
- open Senate. SO that the people could Sc
the defects in il. III. II. TELLER
|