The age-herald., 1898-12-14
ADMINS STRATION ASSURED
That There Will be No Trouble in &c.,
 curing Requisite Majority.
CAUCUS NOT A BAILEY VICTORY
Resolutions Adopted by the Democrats Were Prepared by Richardson and DeArmond, and Not Those
 Fathered by the Texan.
BY ARCHIBALD W. BUTT

BY ARCHIBALD ". BUTT
 Washington, December 13-(Special)- The treaty will hardly get before the sen ate before January, which will give two months for its ratification. The expansion ists, as those senator's are called who fa- vor ratifying the treaty at once, claim to have a two-thirds vote for the treaty, but it Is not altogether certain that they can muster that number at the present time.
 The administration seems reasonably as sured, however, that the treaty will be rat flied, and at this session. If there was any doubt as to its failure there would be more uneasiness on the surface. There will be a long discussion of it and it is not un- likely that a vote will not be had until the very end of the session, just before ad- journment.
 Congress so far has been quiet enough. It came in like lamb and from predictions it would seem that it would go out like a lion. It has accomplished a good deal so far-more than is usually accomplished the first two or three weeks before Christmas Some snags have been struck, such as the question raised in the senate whether the president has the right to name senators and members of congress on special com missions. The point is nicely taken and will lead eventually to a prohibition of the cus- tom. It is claimed that by this method the executive is directly influencing members of congress. Then Senator Vest has raised the point as to whether the government has the right to acquire any territory which it is not designed to accept ultimately as states.
 Division of Sentiment
 There is a division of sentiment among the best lawyers over this point, some, such men as Senator Lindsey and Senator Mor- gan hold that the government has tiiie. zig !!.t under the constitution to acquire territory without admitting the right of the acquired territory to become a state in time. This side is upheld by the fact that when the Louisiana purchase was made the senate amended the treaty as to provide espe- cially that the territory comprised in the purchase should in time acquire the rights of statehoods
 These resolutions, while they will bring about much discussion, will hardly effect the real business before the senate Dur ing the past week the presidents message which was unusually long, was read to the senate and the house and digested by the latter. The house is supposed to digest a message when 1t cuts 1t up and gets piece meal before the committees It took some labor for the speaker to separate the mes- sage into integral parts and get the prop CT portions before the proper committees, but he did it within forty-eght hours after 1t was sent to congress.
 So far the house has surpassed the senate in work actually accomplished. It has passed the anti-scalping bill and the ur- 1fa hi xuil promptness on the other appropriation bills which are under preparation now, and which are more advanced than these bills usually are at this time of the session.
 Nicaragua Canal Bill
 The friends of the Nicaraguan canal bill gained a signal victory when they forced the senate to recognize the bill to construct the canal as the unfinished business oelote the senate. A test vote was made on this question, which shows the measure to have an overu helming majority in the senate. On the whole, the work for the first week has been most satisfactory. The trouDie will arise as soon as an opening is pr sshted for the anti-expansionists to enter with their protests This will come when the army and navy bills come up and the treaty is laid before the senate. As stated on the opening day of the session, congress is more thoughtful than 1t has been in long time, and while the enemies of expansion cannot hope to ultlmately ueledt liie tHuSftile du- ministration has in view, still they may be able to keep down the army to 6O,0OO men and sober the sentiments of the people re- garding further acquisition of territory.
 Speaker Reed Is still silent and has in no way committed himself as to what he in- tends to do. He stands like great stone wall before the house. Those who think they know him best admit that they are perfectly at sea as to his intentions.
 sparring for Place
 The democrats are still sparring for place. The friends of MT. Bailey say the action of the caucus is a victory for their leader. The resolu tions which were finally accepted were those practically of Richardson and DeArmand and which nullifes to a great extent the resolutions which were offered originally by Bailey. Whereas Bailey's res- olutions bound every democrat by the ac- tion of the caucus, those of Richardson and DeArmond bound only those who should participate in the caucus
 Had Bailey's resolutions been adopted then every democrat who should vote con- trary to the views expressed in caucus would have been read out of the party. The resolutions actually adopted leave the matter just about where it was before.
 Bailey's resolutions were so completely disenbowled that many members who are opposed to Bailey voted for the resolutions as finally passed in order to put the un- happy caucus ghost to sleep. The whole question has bred only dlssension among the democrats, and its settlement has only left the party where it was before. After all, only sixty-two democrats, less than a quorum, voted for the resolutions, which shows the meaninglessness of the whole proceeding,