Evening star., 1897-02-11
THE ARBITRATION TREATY
An Ex-Senators Views Of Its Chances for
Ratification.
Opportunities for Delay Afforded the
OppOsitiOn-A Reminfscence of the
San Domingo Treaty.

An ex-senator, whose experience and OBJ
servaticn entite his opinions to respect in
such matters, was asked by a representa-
tive of The Star today about the chances
for the ratification of the arbitration treaty.
II have no inside information" was the
reply, land 1 can only speak from general
report and from comparison of one thing
with another. The public does not fully
appreciate the difficulty in the way of a
treaty where senatorial opposition though
small at he start, Is determined and we'll
led. The friends of the treaty have not
only to furnish the two-thirdS vote neces-
sary to its ratification, but they must
maneuver to bring the debate to a close.
That is no light natter. There is no pre-
vious Ques tion in executive sessions of
the Senate any more than there is in open
sessions. If there are good takers in the
opposition and they are disposed to inn
prove their opportunity 1t is easily done.
The doors are locked. Everything is free
and informal. Senators may make them
selves comfortable. They do SO, and the
talk goes on.
The San Domingo Treaty.
II remember distinctly the fight over the
San Domingo treaty. That instrument had
great strength at the start. Ratification
seemed certain. Gen. Grant put his whole
soul and the whole power of his admins
tration into the contest. And, what was
of almost equal value to the treaty in the
Senate, its friends were under the ac-
tive leadership of Mr.. Conkling, whose
talents as a parlie n.entary leader were al
most as great as his talents as orator.
His relations with the President We're very
intimate, and knowing as he did how much
Gen. Grants heart was set on success, he
exerted himself to the utmost to win
was in favor Of the treaty, and so partici-
pated in all the conferences on the sub
ject. We we're all at the White House for
consultation more than once.
Persistency of the Opposition.
THE opposition. small at the start, was
led by Mr.. Sumner and Mr. SchurZ, both
orators and parlamentarians and both de-
termined to defend the treaty If possible.
l have always thought that If we could
have secured vote within a reasonable
time after the debate began we would have
won the fight. But that, try as We nigh.
and did, we could not do. The opposition
improved all of its opportunities for delay.
complications arose that were unexpected
at the start. the numbers against us grad
ualiy increased in size, until We were
brought to standstill A commission was
appointed to visit San Domingo and report
but even this did not help US. The opposi-
tlon continued, and in the end we were de-
Ieated. our strength was gradually re-
duced, and the treaty seemed to fade~awsy
StHh the same.
or course there is no comparison he
tween the opposition in that case and the
opposition in the present case except in the
opportunities presented. The San Domingo
treaty to those who opposed It was objec-
tlonable altogether. They didn't want any
part of 1t in any form. They denounced the
whole proposition. AS i understand the
present case, the broad principles of the
aIbltrat1on treaty are generally approved
Inc real contest Is over the terms in which
they should be reduced to legal FORM But
the Senates rules are the same now as
then. The doors are still closed when
tHese matters are taken up. and there
is the same opportunity for a resourcf-
ful talker who Is dead in earnest to
plant himself across the path and dispute
every inch Of the way. My opinion at the
start was that the treaty would be ratified
without material change. 1 feel now like
revising that Judgment. The contest opens
In a way that reminds me of old times