The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-01-11
THE HAWAIIAN TREATY
Will Be Considered in Executive
Sessions of the Senate.
EFFORTS FOR OPEN SESSIONS.

Some Senators Wanted the Debate Ia
BE Open to the Public, But the
Proposition Was Overwhelm1ngly
Defeated when Brought to vote.
Washington, Jan. lin accordance
with his previous notice, Senator Da-
Wis, chairman of the senate committee
on foreign relations, brought up the
subject of the ratification Of the Ha-
waiian annexation treaty in the SEN
ate yesterday. His motion was made
soon after the disposal of the routine
morning business and the entire re-
mainder of the days session, except
the time given to the confirmation of
nominations, was devoted to the con-
sideration Of the question as to whether
the treaty should be considered in open
session or behind closed doors i'm execu-
tive session. After a debate of almost
two hours upon this point an informal
vote was TAKEN and the decision was
overwhelmingly against an open ses-
sion.
The motion for open sessions was
made by Senator Gray, of Delaware,
who presented his reasons in a speech
of about five minutes length, urging
concern, involving no entangling COM
plications with other nations and one
which it was therefore eminently proper
should be considered before the public
gaze.
Senator Davis replied to Mr.. Gray,
contending for the observance of pre-
cedent in this matter and objecting
quite strenuously to the proposition
that the senate should take the public
into it's confidence in considering the
treaty. He took issue with Mr.. Gray
on the proposition that there were no
general questions involved affecting
our diplomatic relations with other
countries, and predicted that the dis
cussion would take wide range before
its conclusion.
Speeches in favor of the Gray resolu-
ton were made by Senators Caffery,
White, Mason and Morrill, and in op-
position by Senators Morgan, Hoar,
Spooner and others. Senator Morgan
was the principal opponent of the Gray
proposition. He talked at length upon
the Importance of observing the SEN
ate rules in discussing this question.
He said that no one would think Of
asking the president and the cabinet
to take up the treaty in the presence
of the general public, and he contended
that for this reason the obligation of
secrecy was greater upon the senate
than it would be upon the executive
branch of the government.
Most of the senators who spoke in
opposition to open sessions referred to
the probability that the action of the
Euror, ! powers in their evil purpose
of partitioning the territory of China
would form the basis of much of the
debate on the question of Hawaiian
annexation. All who referred to this
phase of the question manifested q
disposition to regard it as a delicate
and complicated one.
Senator White was among those whC
replied to these statements. He spok,
spiritedly and in a sarcastic vein of tn
| folly of attempting to keep eXecutiV
secrets within the control of the sen
ate. He made reply to the suggestio
that the control of the publicity in re
gard to treaties should be left to tn
executive, saying that the treaty il
! self had been made public as had ais
the presidents message upon the sui
| iect. Senator Morrill, cOntended tina
the question of annexation was on
of much public interest, and said tina
on this account the public should b
fully informed of the reasons for an
against annexation. He spoke yer
briefly.
Senator Mason took advantage Of tn
opportunity to make a speech directe
| generally against executive sessions
He announced his intention to supper
! the motion for an open session, an,
said that he would take advantage %
| all such openings to exercise his in
/ nuence to break down the senatorta
rule for secret sessions. He asserted
| that the rule was out of date, out o.
| keeping with the progressive tendenC!
| of the times, moss grown and obsolete
and argued that it should be abolished
If, as many people believed the senate
was out of sympathy with the public
the requirement of the discussion of sc
many important questions in executive
session was, more than any other
reason, responsible for this condition OF
affairs.
The anneXationists now claim 59
votes for the treaty, lacking only one
of the number to ratify it. on the
other hand, the opposition say the rati-
fiers will fall short from three to five
votes.
had much the best of the debate in the
house yesterday so far as the number
of those engaged in it were concerned
Nine of the II speakers were of the OPP
position The friends of the law are
very anxious to shut off further debate
and in this win have the cooperation
Of Speaker Reed and the rules COM
mttee. Mr. Moody, who has charge OF
the bill, gave notice that he would test
the sense of the house today on a mo-
| ton to close debate. The opposition
Immediately sent word to all in THEN
ranks to be on hand, and they say they
will have no difficulty in defeating the
| motion.
Household Gods.
The ancient Greeks believed that the Penate,
were the gods who attended to the welfare and
] r al.