Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1899-02-11
l'HB TREATY. .0F / BACB.
It Il. Ratified by the Senate by a
Bare Majority. T.
BAD, ONLY. ONE, VOTE, TO SPARE.
gsnators MoLaurin. McEnery and
Jonea Came to tho Aid OF tho ADJ
ministration Whom the Document
Reached tho Voting Stage.

Washington, Feb. 1.-THE treaty OF
peace negotiated between the commits
sIoners Of the United States and Spain
at Paris was yesterday ratified by; the
United States senate. the vote being ~
ayes to q nays. or one vote more than
the two-thirds majority necessary to
secure senatorial concurrence In
treaty document. The vote was taken
In executive session. and until the in
junction of secrecy was raised the re-
suit was supposed to be private, but
the vice president had no more than
announced the figures before senators
rushed out of every door leading from
the senate chamber. declaring that the
treaty had been ratified.
No vote has been taken in the sem
ate since that on the repeal of the pur-
chasing clause OF the Sherman law that
has been followed with as close atten-
ton as the vote of yesterday. The anx-
iety was due not alone to the magni-
tude Of the question at issue, but TO the
uncertainty which attended the. matter
UP to the last moment. Only the select
few knew how Senators McEnery Of
Louisiana and Jones OF Nevada would
vote half an hour before their votes
were cast, and not even these knew
when the bell rang for the executive
session.
In. advance OF the voting speeches
were made BIZ Senators Ross. Money
and. Fairbanks. Senator Stewart. who
had Just arrived from his successful
campaign in Nevada for reelection,
announced informally during this. Pc
Rod OF the session that during hisentlre
trip across the continent he had not
encountered one man who was opposed
to the ratification Of the treaty.
Promptly at 3 o'clock the vice presi-
dent interrupted Senator Money, who
was then speaking, to announce thar
the hour had arrived for vote. But
one amendment was offered. that pre-
pared by Senator Vest placing the
Philippines on the same footing as
Cuba in the treaty. In the temporary
absence OF Mr. Vest 1t was. presented
by Mr.. German and promptly defeated.
The vote was announced and pages
were sent scurrylng through the cor
ridors to announce to the few senators
who were not in their seats that the
eliminating event had arrived. The
call proceeded quietly until the name OF
Senator McLaurin was announced. He
created the first stir by speech In
explanation of his vote for the treaty.
This was the initial break in the ranks
Of the opposition. Mr.. McLaurin made
brief statement IN explanation OF his
change Of position. giving the open
hostilities in Manila as the reason for
1t. '.I am, as have been from the
first" he said. "Irrevocably opposed to
the expansion Of our territory and
should have voted against ratification
but for the news. that has come to us
over the cable In the past two days.
The announcement brought some Of
the opposition to his side with remon-
strances, but he replied to them that
he could no longer see his way clear to
cast his vote against the treaty.
Continuing his remarks to the SEN
ate, Mr. McLaurin said he was not will
ing to embarras this government at so
critical time. II after the ratification
the administration should fail to pur-
que the proper course towards the ISL
ands the fault would be that Of the
government, and not his.
He had hardly concluded when Sem
ator McEnery approached him with a
word of congratulation, saying that he
had decided upon the same course.
Mr.. Jones. of Nevada, did not vote
In the first roll call. but came in from
the cloak room before the vote was an
nounced and by unanimous consent
made a brief and feeling speech. He
said that he was against expansion,
and il he thought the ratification of the
treaty meant expansion he would not
vote for it, The events in Manila dur
ing the past two or three days. In his
Judgment. were likely to do more to
discourage expansion than anything
that had happened.
After the ratification Of the treaty
the senate in open session took up a
joint resolution offered by Mr.. McEn-
cry, Of Louisiana. declaring a policy
for the Philippines. and an effort was
made to adopt it. but the debate &C.
cupied so much time that the resolution
went over.
During the debate Mr.. Hoar moved
an amendment to the McEnery resoIu-
ton that whatever government is es-
tablshed in the Philippines shall be
with the consent of the governed. The
amendment was defeated.