Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-12-30
AAS THE TREATY.
OUR PEACE COMMISSIONERS Ar
RIVE SAFELY AT HOME.
SOME COMMENTS BY MEMBERS
rarty Landed at New York and Started
ImmediateIy for Washington.
Judge Day In Canton.

Judge william r. Day, Senator 9.
X. Davis, senator George Gray SEN
ator w. p. Frye and Whitelaw Reid,
the United States commissioners to
arrange peace treaty with Spain,
reached New York Saturday on board
the steamer ST. Louis.
Holding that the rule governing
their diplomatic mission is still In
force, none Of the gentlemen named
would speak at length regarding the
work at Paris. They took the first
train to Washington, carrying the
treaty of peace with them. J Bassett
Z Moore, secretary and consul OF the
commission, and Arthur W. Ferguson,
( translator, were with the minis
sioners,
Mr.. Reid said he aud his fellow COM
missioners were very glad TO get back,
but they could not discuss the treaty.
I'VE are going to Washington by the
first train we can get" he said, "and
shall report Immediately to the presi-
dent. IL was understood among us
Z ttat we should say nothing about our
official business when we arrived.
When the treaty was signed 1t became
an official document, and 1t must be
left for the senate of the United States
and the president to decide what shall
be done with ii. !"
MIR. Reid would not discuss the pub
tic translation OF what purported to be
, the text OF the treaty, nor would be
say anything about Montero Rios re-
cent criticism of the examination,
Gas a,newspaper man, should like
TO talk, he said, "but as am pub
lie official, cannot.
Senator Gray, the only democrat on
the commission, was told OF W. j.
Bryan's recently declared attitude on
hequestion of expansion.
"Um, said the SENATOR 81 am not
on to Colonel Bryan's curves yet"
The senator admitted that he had
an opinion concerning the expansion
question
81 have no Doubt said he, "that
QlksrQniA sober, thoughtful opinion in
3Ssll.s coSl 49,, Ainst expansion there
Gust be. Tne treaty merely gives us
control OF the situation; we can do as
we please We can keep the Philip
pines or not, as may be determined in
the future.
Senator Frye said:
cat the opening Of the session in
~. a.. g. tel 70
get out of the United States. That we
refused to do. Then came squabble
about the Cuban debt. We were not
inclined to pay that, and after a hard
fight Of days and days our opponents
finally yielded to our claims and sign
ed the treaty, which / have no doubt
will be ratified by congress.
Treaty Delivered to President.
The commission arrived in Wash
ington Saturday night and immediate
ly delivered the treaty TO President
Mckinley
Judge Day Tn Canton.
Judge Day and Mrs. Day left Wash
ington Saturday night and reached
their Canton home in time to take
Christmas dinner with the family.
They arrived at 1915 o'clock Sunday
morning over the Pennsylvania road.
Judge Day, When asked as to his
plans for the future, said he expects to
remain in Canton and resume the prec-
tice OF law in the firm of which he was
m ember before entering the cabinet
of President Mckinley. The work Of
the commission ended when the treaty
was delivered to the president, and he
does not expect to visit Washington
again in connection with any duties of
that commission.
While he talked freely on many
matters connected with his work in
Paris, Judge Day did not feel at lib
erty to give an interview in detail on
the work Of the commission. He said
the talk Of 500, 900 compensation for
the commissioners, or Of any sum APP
proaching that amount, was ridiculous
and preposterous. The president fixes
the compensation Of the commission
ers. and none Of them, 1t is safe to say,
accepted the duties as q speculation.