The herald., 1897-02-20
THE F|fTY-FOUPTH CONGRESS
Senators Still Meet in Secret
Session
TREATY OF ARBITRATION
Continues to Furnish the Material for
InterminabIe Debate
Sherman Is Persistent, but Efforts TO Secure
Vote Prove Futile In the
House and Committee
Press Special Wire


given to the arbitration treaty in exec
utive session.
In the open session the conference re-
port on the bill fixing the pension of the
widow of the late Gen. Stoneman at $50
per month was agreed to. bill was
passed removing the political disabili-
ties of Col. William Simms.
Mr. Hoar of sachusetts introduced
his customary resolution, which was
agreed to, providing that on Monday
next, that being Washington's birthday,
Washington's farewell address be read
tonthe senate by Mr.. Daniel of Virginia,
and that the business of the senate shall
proceed thereafter.
House bill was passed for a bridge
over the Monongahela river from Nc
Keesport to the township of Miffiin, AL
legheny county, Pa; also senate bill
setting apart part of the public ground
in Washington for memorial purposes
under the auspices of the National So
ciety of the Daughters of the American
Revolution.
AT 1890, on motiobof Mr.. Sherman the
senate went into executive session.
IN SECRET SESSION
The senate adjourned a :03 O'CLOCK
tonight, after having spent almost eight
hours in continuous executive session
on the arbitration treaty. No result
was accomplished beyond voting down
the motion made yesterday by Senator
Nelson to postpone further consideration
of the treaty till March 9Th.
Senator Sherman made repeated ef-
forts during the day to secure vote
on ratification or to get the senate to
fix the day and hour when it would agree
to vote upon the treaty. He was defeated
in both purposes and when the senate
at last adjourned because of the absence
of a quorum, he did not say whether he
would make another effort tomorrow or
again this session to secure further con-
sideration. But it if' generally supposed
that he will renew the motion for an ex-
ecutive session tomorrow The feeling
through the senate among the friends as
we'll as the oppDnents of the treaty is
that any effort to Secure vote will be
futile.
The advocates of postponement were
somewhat disappointed in the size of
the majority developed against them on
the vote on Mr.. Nelson's motion, but they
say that the vote indicated no more for
the treaty than against it, as several
senators who oppose ratification voted
against postponempnt on the theory that
it could be defeated by direct vote a.t
this time. Senator Sherman also raj
lied many of the friends of the treaty who
had heretofore advised postponeent, in
GLIDING Senators Allison and Frye, both
of whom had given it as their opinion
yesterday that it would be wise to defer
further consideration until next session.
The greater part of the days session
was consumed by Senators Teller and
Daniel in opposition to the vote. Speeches
in favor of the treaty and fcr vote at
III h--S Sx.v,i T Il
Frye and Lindsay. The vote on the
motion to postpone was taken at 6
o'clock and resulted in the negative, 20
to 30. After this voee there was no quo
rum and the time was spent in a vain eff
fort to secure one.
Secretary Sherman was prompt in
making good his promise to friends of
the arbitration treaty to ask the senate
to go into executive session today for
the purpose of considering the treaty
with the hope of concluding its consid-
Grafton before the day of adjournment.
Senator Nelson made an earnest appeal
for the adoption of his motion to post
pone the treaty until the 5th of March.
He said he spoke as a friend of the
treaty, but was convinced from what he
had seen and heard that final action was
out of the question at the present ses-
sion. He admitted that his special in
terest was to give time for the consdera-
age of which he said there was a crying
demand from all parts of the country.
Teller and Stewart supported the mo-
tion to postpone iyl brief speeches Plat
urged prompt action. He said that
while the treaty was new the subject OF
arbitration was old, and the country
was fully prepare to accept with favor
the senates ratification of the present
document
Senator Lodge followed Mr.. Plat in
minutes speech, in which he ap-
psGled to the advocates of postpone
ment to withdraw their opposition to a
vote on ratification, and receiving no
favorable response, put the question di-
rect whether they meant to permit
vote.
To this inquiry Senator Teller re-
sponded, saying that there was no inten-
tion on the part of the advocates Of
postponement to permit an Immediate
vote He did not think vote could be
secured today, for he did not consider
ject sufficiently to bring out all the
points of the treaty. He thereupOn
proceeded to make speech on the mer-
its of he treaty: He dwelt upon the
fact that there had not been sufficient
time for senators to give the subject the
attention its importance demanded, and
said he would not consent to a vote until
he had opportunity to point out what he
conceived to be the defects of the docu-
ment.
In view of this occurrence and others
equally significant it became evident to
the supporters of the treaty by o'clock
that if they secured vote at all today
1t would not be until late, and that the
chances We're against vote at any hour
of the day. Senator Teller was very
vigorous in his opposition to the treaty.
He reiterated the points made in his
statement published last Monday. Be
sides, he added, the more the treaty was
discussed the more necessary it became
to postpone in order to give proper con-
sideration to such a "bungling docu-
ment." No one, he declared. could tell
what it meant nor could construe its
provisions. He would not say that he
could support the treaty, but in its pres
ent form and on account of the lack of
consideration he certainly should vote
against it. Moreover, it was well
known that two-thirds majority Of the
senate was not in favor of the treaty.
Senator Daniel of Virginia made a
strong speech against the document
He was opposed to ii on several grounds
He declared that under it the United
States bound itself with shackles. IT
love the blood of the Revolution" de-
clared the senator. WAR is often good
thing. Revolution is often progress. The
senate has never declared war unjustl-
fably. For twenty years this country
has made record of peace. The United