St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-12-07
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Very Full Attendance at the Opening
of Congress.
Treaty with Spain VIII Be Ratified by Senate
Catholic Churches and Our New Possessions
Letters to President, etc.
From Our Regular Correspondent.


Letters to President. etc.
From Our Regular Correspondent.
Congress convened Monday with
very full attendance in both branches,
and the galleries crowded not only with
the best people in political and social
life at the capital, but many visitors to
whom the sight was both novel and In
spring. The first day of the new session
was devoted to an interchange OF greet
ings, congratulations and expressions OF
good will, all political differences and
animosties being for the time forgotten.
In a day or two committees will begin
their labors Of maturing bills and then
the serious work of the session will be
inaugurated; party lines will be drawn
and the good cheer of the opening day
will disappear in the heat Of the political
contests and struggle for supremacy
This being a short session Of congress,
only IL weeks. including the holidays, 1t
will require skillful management to pass
necessary legislation by the Sd of March.
Opinions differ widely among senators
as to whether the treaty with Spain will
be definitely disposed of during the pres
ent congress, or whether it will not lead
TO such acrimonious opposition as to
cause postponement to the extra ses-
sion of the senate, which will undoubtedly
be called by the president to meet soon
after the termination Of the present con-
gress on the Sd of March. While a very
large majority of senators are either out
spoken in support of the policy of terri
torial expansion. or emphatic In de-
claring their opposition thereto, goodly
number are disposed to be non-com-
initial and to withhold any expression
of their judgment until they can have
the text of the treaty and study its eff
feet. Although 1t requires two-thirds
vote of the senate to ratify the treaty,
1t Is the opinion of senators who are nat
urally conservative in their utterances
that while there will be a sharp and de-
termined opposition under the leader
ship of Senator Hoar, 1t will not be for
midable enough to endanger its ratifica
ton.
Quite a number of senators who are
enthusiastic in their advocacy of the
United States acquiring the Philippines
islands express regret that the president
felt impeled to pay 5000 900 therefor,
and criticise him for doing so. They
argue that the Philippines are ours by
right of conquest, and that Spain might
probably have been called upon not only
to relinqush her sovereignty over the
islands but to reimburse the United
States for the $3OO00O,OO0 expended in
conducting the war. They consider this
part of the treaty to be its weakest point,
and that it will be assailed more vigor-
ously even than the principle of terrific
rial expansion.
At this writing there are no indications
of party lines being drawn in the senate
when the treaty is submitted for consid-
Grafton, and such well-known Republi-
cans as Hoar of Massachusetts and Hale
IF Maine will be found standing with
Democratic senators against the treaty,
and tn. ablest man on the Democratic
side of the Chamber, Teller of Colorado,
Joining hands with Republican leaders In
upholding the hands OF President Nc
Kinley and earnestly chalnpionng the
cause of liberty in the eastern hemis-
phere and pleading for the absorption
of the Philippine islands as part of the
territory of the United States.
With but few exceptions the senators
who were opposed to the United States
e. xx,i+ In nd WI M II ,,a
never believed that Cuba should be free,
but remain in subsection to Spain, will
antagonize the treaty and do all they car
to encompass its rejection. The war does
not appear to have Modified them in any
degree, but to have intensified their feel
ings, although overwhelming public sen
timent has obliged them to shift theil
grounds Of objection.
They say frankly that they would
prefer all the territory captured from
Spain be returned to her rather thar
have the United States enter upon {
policy of territorial expansion. The.
are political pessimists and not optimists
and regret to see Spain humbled.
The dignitaries Of the Catholic churcl
are evincing much solicitude as to wha
their future relations to the United State
will be, as regards the public lands ano
other property set aside for their use by
the Spanish government In Porto Rico
Cuba and Philippine islands. Archbishop
Cbanelle of New Orleans having beer
designated by the pope as apostolic dele
gate to look after the interests of thu
church in this matter, has been in Wash
!,pton calling on members of the cabi
net, senators and other prominent Off
Gals, using all the arts of diplomacy t
ascertain the intentions of the admins
tration. and to create sentiment favor
able to allowing the Catholic church to re
tain all the property set aside by Spai
for its use, even though the title to sue
property is vested in Spain and is publ
in character. 1t is represented that til
public lands set aside by Spain for tn
church are valued at many millions {
dollars and the hierarchy desire that Il
change occur after the title passes to tn
United States.
It Is believed that this will be sourC
of contention and that trouble will ari'
before 1t can be settled to the satisfa'
ton of all. Archbishop Chapelle is
close observer of public opinion, and
too shrewd to advance any claim for
continuation of exclusive church pri'
ileges hitherto enjoyed when Porto Ric
Cuba and the Philippine Islands pass
the United States, but he does hope
secure to the church all the lands al
property accorded them by the SPANS
government, even though the title new
nassed According to statements ma