New-York tribune., 1898-01-11
M OPEN HAWAIIAN DEBATE
.,,r SENATE WILL DISCUSS THE TREATY
IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
.-vr,xExr NEARLY UNANIMOUS AGAINST OPEN

,xo THE DOORS. but 40 FORMAL VOTE
rAKEx-THE DEBATE TO BEGIN TO-
pAY-ANNExArIoN,sTs SAY THEY
NEED ONLY ONE VOTE
,-..,,rg.on. Jan 1O-In accordance with his
'.sors notice Senator Davis. chairman Of the
rr...a Committee on Foreign Relations brought
y ,hs subject Of the ratification OF the Ha-
uor annexation treaty in the Senate to-day
w. -o.,on was made soon after the disposal
..o ro,,ire morning business. ard the
" -o,,aindcr Of the days session, except the
. ,,,en 10 the confirmation Of nominations
do,.o.ed 10 the consideration of the ques
49, GO 70 whethe- the treaty should he con-
- I, omen session or behind closed doors
IN executive session.
,,,er y debate Of almost two hours upon this
I,. o, informal vote was taken. the ayes and
20 NOT being demanded. The decision was
o,.-vbelningly against an open session.
THO rno,ian for open sessions was made by
c.no.or Gray. Of Delaware. who presented his
rn,sons in q speech Of atcut five minutes
,.rg,b urging that the question was one OF
rrb,,c concern, involving nc entanglng comph-
..,o,s with other nations. and one which it
vss therefore. eminontly proper should be con-
,,,s-ed before the public gaze. Senator Davis
rsnlied TO Mr.. Gray, contending fer the obserF-
,nce of precedent In this matter and oblecting
unite strenuously, though in calm and moderate
language. to the proposition that the Senate
should take the public into its confidence in con-
s,dering the treaty. He took issue with MI
GRAY on the proposition that there were no
general questions involved affecting our diplo-
matte relations with other countries. and pre-
d,o,ed that the discussion would take wide
range before its conclusion.
sneeches in favor Of the Gray resolution were
made BY Senators Caffery. White, Mason and
Morrill,. and in opposition by Senators Nor
gan Hoar. Spooner end others. Senator Nor
gan was the principal opponent OF the Gray
proposition He talked at length on the i'm
tortance Of Observing the Senate rules IN dls-
cussing this question. cOntending that, as the
Senate was acting only In an advisory capacity
10 the Executive. Il would be an act Of bad
faith for il to throw open the doors TO the pub
lie Er said that no one would think of ask
!ng the President and the Cabinet 20 take UP
treaty in the presence Of the general public. and
oontended tnat for this reason the obligation of
secrecy was greater upon the Senate than 1t
would be upon the executive branch OF the
Government.
Most Of the Senators who spoke in opposition
10 open sessions referred 10 the probability
that the action Of the European Powers. in
their evident purpose of partitioning the terri
tory II China, would form the basis Of much
Of the debate on the question OF tIaWallan an
nexation. All who referred TO this phase OF
the question manifested disposition TO regard
II as a delicate and complicated one, and one
which II We're better should be ventilated behind
closed doors. II was also minated that the
Monroe Doctrine would come in for fair snare
Of discussion before the close OF the debate,
and IL was asserted that this was a question
which cou.d be more freely discussed in execu-
uge t4n 3 h 4 4Ien ~ 5s SeSsoi. .so who ren,,sa
sarcastic vein II the folly Of attempting 10 keep
executive secrets within the control of the SEN
ate. lie made reply to Tho suggestion that the
control Of publicity in gard 10 treaties should
be left to the Executive. saving that the treaty
Itself had been made public as had also the
Presidents Message on the subject.
Senator Morrill, contenGed thar the question Of
annexation was one Cf much public interest, and
SAID that on this account the public should be
fully Informed Cf the reasons for and against
annexation. II spoke very briefly.
senator Mason took advantage Of the oppor-
tUnlty % MAKE "a speech directed sencia4N
against executive sessions. lie announced his
Intention OF supporting the motion for an open
session. and sad that he would take advantage
Of all such cpenings t. eN1TIlse ms rs lhmTn'e l. %
break down the senatorial rule FOR secret ses-
ticns lie seeertcd that the rule vas out Of date
out Of keeping WIKI the progressive tendency OF
the Zines moss grown and obsolete. ana argued
that IL should be abolished. IL. as many people
believed. the Senate vas out Of sympathy with
the public the requirement OF discussion OF so
many important questions in executive session
was. more than any other reason, responsible
for this condition # affairs. He hoped that
not only the Hawaiian Treaty. but all other
questions in which the public was interested.
would bo discussed in the presence OF the AIneri-
can public.
Senator Davis announced his purpose to call
up the treaty. again tomorrow and press Il as
rapidly as possible. He probably Will make
speech In general advocacy of the treaty at to-
nOrroWs session.
The annexatonsts now claim hfty-nine votes
for the treaty. lacking only one Of the number
needed 20 ratlry It, On the other hand, the oppo-
s!tion say that the friends OF ratification VIII
fall short from three to five votes