The evening times., 1899-02-07
GENERAL IVA IASHINGTON
j lNEWS AND GOSSIP.

TT
Rntifcatioh of Treaty and Extra
session.-fhe~ ratification of the Peace
Treaty yesterday makes an extra session
of the Fifty sixth Congress next spring
less likelyftha it was before the Treaty
was acted on, but it does not render an
extra session impossible or even improba-
BILE. The leaders at both ends of the Capt.
tol will unquestionably strain every nerve
from this time on to the end of the present
Congress on March d. to dispose of all the
matters pending of Importance that are
particularly urgent. But there are such
radical differences between the two
houses on the army reorganization bill, the
Nicaragua Canal measure, and several 9TH
er bills Of almost equal Importance that 1t
will require the most heroic efforts to
bring about satisfactory compromises. All
things are possible in matters of legisla-
tion when the leaders are all working to
accomplish common purpose, such as to
prevent an extra session. All of the lead
ers, however, particularly those on the
Democratic side in the Senate, are not dis
posed, 1t is said, to assist in heading of
an extra session. According to their ideas
an extra session is just what is wanted.
They say that If the anti-expansion agita-
tion is permitted to take vacation until
next December the sacred cause will
be too dead to resurrect with car load
OF dynamite. For this reason, and the
general theory that an extra session near
ly always hurts the party in power, these
gentlemen will endeavor to block enough
important legislation to render an extra
session unavoidable.
Mr.. Bryan" said a Senator today "an-
nounces that the fight against expansion
mas only just begun; that the opponents of
expansion will now rally together and
make grand charge all along the line |
confess that | do not see ii in that light
Ii we had defeated or prevented the rati-
fcation of the Peace Treaty yesterday we
would have been in a position to continue
the light with some hope of success. Our
only chance to make successful stand,
| however. lies in an extra session. II the
matter gees over until next winter the ex-
| pansion idea will have become so firmly
| fixed in the public mind that ii will be ut
terly impossible to dislodge it. What We
| must do now is to force the Administra-
/ tion to show its hand and disclose its poll
| cy as soon as possible The passage OF tee
| McEnery resolution will not amount to
| anything. Under it we could retain control
and possession of the Philippines forever
| without rendering ourselves liable to the
charge OF bad faith The question that con-
| fronts the anti-eXpansionists today is
| How can we force an extra session of the
| Fifty-sixth Congress- -
Views of Hon. Mark Smith-Mark
| Smith, Delegate in Congress from Ari-
| zona and a native of the Blue Grass State
of Kentucky. was violently opposed to the
| ratification of the Peace Treaty. IF had
been member of the Senate" he said Il
| should have voted against the Treaty. not
Withstanding the shedding of blood OF
American soldiers at Manila on Saturday
| and Sunday. We do not want the Philip
| pines. in my opinion. They will prove TO
! be white elephant on our hands. How
| ever, the moment We pay over the 500 O00.-
| 900 to Spain | presume that the question
| OF the acquisition OF the Philippines will
| have been settled. There Is just enough
| Yankee in all of us TO want TO hold on 10
| everything that We pay money for. do
not think that it will be possible for any
| subsequent Administration to give up the
| islands.
! Il am willing to admit that the sensi-
ment of the country today Is in favor of
expansion. The people are taken with the
| idea without fully comprehending just
what it means Probably not one man in
| hundred knows where the Philippines are
| located Or anything about them The pos
session of the Philippines will prove to be
burden. but Cuba and Porte Rico are
| different. eovet Cuba. We need it and
we must have It. / would be in favor of
forcibly annexing Cuba without waiting
! TO obtain the consent of the governed. 1t
| will make two grand States, and we ought
TO have them right away. Am | inconsist-
| ent? Well, If | am l cannot help it,
Mr. Smith was not reelected to the Fifty
sixth Congress.
senator Quay's Fight.-The impress
sion prevails in Washington that Senator
Quay is steadily losing ground in his eff.
forts TO be reelected at Harrisburg His
followers are weakening considerably as is
evidenced by the fact that they are talking
quietly about compromise candidate. Nc
serious negotiations il is said have beer
opened between the Quay and anti-Quay
people looking TO the selection of a darl
horse, but the talk is in the air and the
prediction is made that it will take definite
and practical shape before many days
1T is said said a Pennsylvania today
that the plan of the Quay men is to stanC
pat until after his trial which begins or
the goth of this month. / think that tha
statement is largely a bluff. | do not be
lieye that Mr.. Quay intends to face a jury
II he can help it. The chances are in M,
opinion that an arrangement to this effec
will be made: Quay will withdraw from
the Senatorial race and the indictment:
against him will be quashed.