The San Francisco call., 1898-01-15
MCKENNA'S CONFIRMATION
 IS DELAYED Action by the Senate Postponed for a
 Week. HOar Declares That the Charges Were Not
 Sustained. FiCht of the A. P. A, IUnOped
Fiqht of the A. P. A. Iqnored and the Question of Fitness
 Only Considered.
ALLEY AS AN DIRECTOR.
Demands Further Investigation Be- fore the Nominee Is Given a Seat
 on the Supreme Bench.
spec:al Dispatch to The Call.
Call Office, Riggs House,

Sait OIIlCc, ttlSSS House,
 Washington, Jan. fl
 Almost the entire four hours of the executive session of the Senate to-day were devoted to the indirect considera- ton of the nomination of Hon. Joseph McKenna, now Attorney General, to be Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. The discussion was the result of an effort on the part of Senator Allen (Pop.) of Nebraska to secure postponement for two weeks. In the ferring consideration until a week from to-day, on the condition that the Nebraska Senator should agree to al- low vote to be taken on that date. The Hawaiian treaty was not touched upon during the session.
 The debate upon MT. McKenna's nomination was precipitated by Sena- tor Hoar, chairman of the Committee ination in accordance with his notice of yesterday and asked for immediate action. In doing this Hoar spoke brief ly of the opposition to MT. McKenna, saying that the Judiciary Committee had investigated most of the charges made and had reached the conclusion that they were without foundation. He said that the greater number of charges had been made for the mem bers of the American Protective Asso- citation, and as they had been founded solely upon the fact that MT. McKenna was a Catholic in religion they had not been deemed worthy of serious consid- eration. Hoar dwelt at some length upon this point, excoriating any man who would attempt to inject a ques- tion of religion into a controversy over a mans fitness for office. He said that such an effort was entirely un- American and unpatriOtic and should not for a moment receive the consider ation of fair minded men.
 Senator White of California also spoke of the effort of the A. P. A. to interfere with the course of the Sen ate in giving proper attention to a question the determination of which should depend upon considerations of fitness and justice as between man and man rather than upon an appeal to bigotry, prejudice and false claim of patriotism He spoke of the A. P As as fools, who could not be properly characterized in the Senate. He had no patience, he said, with men who held the opinion that Catholics must necessarily consult the Pope or some ,f q, church in every important transaction of their lives, and added that he was convinced that the Senate would not be influenced for moment by such representations as an order of the character of the A. P. A. would make Mir. McKenna's confirmation should depend entirely upon different consid- erations. As for himself, while he did not contend that MT. McKenna was a giant in his legal attainments, still he believed him to be an honorable man, a competent lawyer and just turist. and he would support his con- firmation.
 It was here that Allen interposed an objection to immediate action. When his request for two weeks delay was met with refusal he took the floor and proceeded to give his reasons for the request. which were in the main that he wanted. and he thought the Senate should have more time for considera- tion than had been given to it. He called attention to the importance of the office to which MT. McKenna had been named, saying it was a place which he would occupy probably dur ing the remainder of his life. and that the Senate and the American public had a right to demand that the charges should be sifted to the bottom. He said as far as the opposition of the A P A. was concerned. it did not infiu- ence him in the least, and he agreed with all that had been said as to the impropriety of any interference in a matter of this character on account of the religious prejudices or predilections. There were still other charges which were, to his mind. far more serious, and to prove that such was the case he read at length from letters and news papers attacking MT. McKenna's record as an attorney and jurist on the ground of want of legal attainments.
 The greater part of Aliens speech was devoted to reading those docu- ments. He called special attention to an attack made by the bar of the Pa- cific Coast which, he said, was deserv- ing of more scrutiny than had been given it. He also stated that he had understood that the charge had been