Evening journal., 1897-02-15
TELLER ON THE TARIFF
The Colorado Senator Gives His
Reasons For Delay.
HBFAvoRs GENERAL ARBITRATION
The Measure In Question. lie Says, Is
Fauitily Constructed aud Ambiguous.
Defects and Omissions. He Insists. Re
quirc Careful Confederation.

qulre Careful Consideration.
wAsHINGToN, Feb. Ex-senator Teller |
was asked to furnish a statement of the /
reasons for seeking postponement Of the |
AnglO-Amerlcan arbitration treaty, and In |
response prepared the following article:
There has been good deal of criticism
Of the senate because it does not at once
rntify the treaty Of arbitration between the
United States and Great Britain by those
who apparently forget that the executive
department has been about four years ne
gotiating It,
BY the constitution Of the United States
the senate is made q part of the treaty
making power Tho fathers OF the repub-
lie, jealous Of executive power, were not
willing that the president should nego-
tiate treaties alone, so they provided that
the president shall have power, by the nd
vice and consent Of the senate, 60 mako
treaties, provided two-thirds of the sena-
tors present concur. The treaty then Is
The act of the president and the senate It
Is quite apparent that it was not intended
that the action Of the senate should be q
mere perfunctory duty and that the re-
quirement OF two-thirds majority was IN
serted because the trainers of the constitu-
lion were impressed with the importance
Of treaty making The senate being part
Of the power which creates treaties, it can
not rid itself of the responsibility OF seeing
that they are properly made. 1t is as in
oumbent upon us 20 give treaties due con-
sideration as upon the executive TO do so
We heard no complaint Of the delay on the
part of the executive department, but no
sooner did the treaty reach the senate than
there was a demand for immediate action
by the senate.
The senate being charged with this du-
ty of advising in the construction Of
treaty cannot transfer that duty 70 the
president or any one else.
Says Treaty should BE Amended.
The friends 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 bo the condition Of the treaty II
the friends of it do not agree as 70 the pur-
1 port Of the proposed amendments Some
of them assert that each controyerted ques-
ton for consideration by the arbitrators
must be acted on by the senate and the
house of representatives before the ques-
tion can go before the arbitration tribunal.
IL this view is correct, we will be required
TO make a new treaty or agreement on
each question as 1t arises and have the as
sent not Of the senate alone. but of the
house also, and instead Of having removed
the causes of disagreement and friction be-
tween the two governments it will be
found we have multiplied the causes Of
dispute and delayed the determination Of
contraverted 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 arbitrated or not
TO the president alone. 1t is true we put
limitations of an indefinite character ON
the executive In providing that he must
not arbitrate a question affecting our
foreign or domestic policy" but u the
president thinks such submission does not
affect that policy he cannot be held respon-
sible for his act II ne makes a mistake
Why should we not make this treaty
deilnite-exacts Why should we leave so
important question as 60 who has the
power of suSmission on our part in doubty
II we attempt to submit given question
to arbitration through the agency of con
gress, and Great Britain thinks it 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 rs we'll. If the
president assumes that he alone must de-
terminc what subject Of dispute must be
: submitted and congress assumes iurisdic-
tion of tho matter, then we have q home
difficulty and a foreign ono at tho samo
time.
Not Time Enough This Session.
The treaty is not capable Of self exccu-
tion, and there must be legislation TO car-
ry it into execution Congress must fix
the term of the two arbitrators TO be ap-
pointed on our part and also determine
their compensation This cannot 10 done
at this session Of congress
The treaty ought TO go over and be care
fully examined by the committee that has
already prepared sundry amendments and
by the senate when other matters are not
pressing on that body. Ia is almost impos-
sible at this late period Of the session "a
give matter Of this kind that serious at
tention which it requires. There can by no
doubt that the great body of tho people Of
the United States favor arbitration. but
that fact does not remove the necessity OF
care in the preparation OF n treaty to carry
out that idea II the treaty Is carclessly
made and there is difficulty in determin-
ing what ought TO he submitted, or if aft
or the treaty goes into effect doubt should
he aroused as to the fairness of its opera
tion, the people will be projudiccd against
! the principle of arbitration, 50 that in
! stead Of promoting the cause Of arbitration
we may destroy it by hasty action.
Personally l am decidedly in favor o
arbitration of all questions that can be ar
bitrated, but this is no reason why
should join i'm ratifying a treaty that lack
! the greatest essential of % treaty-coytiin
: ~ as b what it means. There is no threat
D encd danger Of war confronting us. W.
{ have no occasion for haste, and nothing
. ran ho gained hv premature action, Whei
2 toe treaty is put in proper form. as hop'
1 1t will be- IL will be ratified 1 regret tina
the agreement has not hcsn considered II
! open senate, so that the people could SCI
the defects I'm A.
Little Chance For the Treaty.
I WAgurNCTON Fob = When the sen