The herald., 1898-12-09
TO FIGHT The TREATY
STERN AND STRONG OPPOSITION
Is PROMISED
A Two-Thirds Majority Is Practically
Hopeless-Hawaiian Question
Will Be Fully Debated

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3.-(Special Cor
respondenee to The Herald.) 1t grows
more and more probable day by day that
ar extra session of congress will prove ab
solutely necessary, despite the opposition
of President Mckinley and most Of the
Republican leaders to calling one. There
will certainly be an extra session OF the
senate unless some Republicans weaken in
their opposition to the treaty with Spain.
Senators Hoar, Hale and Morrii OF the
Republicans, and Senators White, Caffery,
Mallory and Pettigrew of the opposition can
be relied upon to fight the treaty desperate
ly, while nearly all the Democrats will op-
pose it more or less strongly. At ne present
time it seems clear that two-thirds ma
jority cannot be secured in its favor, and of
course so important document cannot be
permitted to go by default until next fall.
After the next senate shall have ratified it,
is it may be expected to do, with its large
Republican majority, the house must ap-
propriate the twenty millions. With MIR.
Reed in the chair, this can be hustled
through at railroad speed, but it will neces-
state calling session of the house to do 1t.
The belief is growing that the president
has realized this, and has given up the at
tempt to have the treaty ratified at the
coming session. There can he no other ex-
PLANTATION of the lackadaisical fashion in
which he is permitting his peace commits
sioners to be 'jollied" by the Spaniards in
Paris. The impression now prevails that
the treaty will not be signed before Christ
mas, will take another Two weeks to get
before congress, and two more in commit
tee. This will leave Only February for de.
bate 1t is true that senator's do not fill
buster-they only demand full discussion
Of the subjects before them. Full discus
sion" in this case will certainly take more
than a month When it is remembered that
the administration expected the commits
sioners to settle the treaty within two weeks
and they have already taken more thar
two months-Christma seems an early date
for them to complete the work.
Another thing that will take up ,irie u
the Hawaiian question. With the chairman
Of the foreign affairs committee in Paris
until after Christmas, little progress is like
ly to be made in this, and when he returns
all the time of the senate is likely to b'
occupied in settling it, to the exclusion o
the hopeless Spanish treaty.
Whether the extra session will do any
thing except attend to foreign affairs wher
it does meet is a question. The Republi
cans, of course, are quite willing to overlook
the pledges on which they took office anc
to stick to the policy of mastery inactivity
Of which Speaker Reed is so fine an expo
lnent. But the little group of radicals tina
froth at the mouth when silver and green
backs are mentioned is not likely to perm
this. They will insist that the G. 0. p. d'
something to settle the currency, and wher
any party tries to settle the currency it il
very likely to settle itself in the attempt
The Democrats tried to settle it in 1896 will
unfortunate results, and the chances ar
that the Republicans will suffer simla
fate. CRPTTENDEN MARRIOTT.