The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-01-27
WEAKENING Fight
AGAINST THE TREATY
The Senate Executive Session
Finds Opposition Hopeless.
MeSSrS. Hear and Vest CriticiSe
President Mckinley.
His Failure to Produce the Paris
Commission Instructions De-
nnun..,.h Seriau.

The agreement reached in the Senate
TO take the vote on the Treaty of Peace
on the 9Th of February seems TO have
taken all the energy out of its opponents.
When the doors were closed yesterday
afternoon and the discussion was resumed
there was no repetition of the animated
discussion of yesterday. Yesterdays de-
bate was aimed not so much at the merits
or dement's of the Treaty as 10 talk
about the failure of the President 10 send
to the Senate the instructions given by
him TO his Peace Commissioners as pro-
yided for in the Hoar resolution, which
PASSED some time ago.
When the resolutions offered by Mr..
Hoar were passed, after somewhat heated
debate il was stated that the request
would never be complied with because OF
The fact that TO do so would not sub
serve the public interests. Since then the
President has paid no attention to the re-
guest OF the Senate. and not until today
was the Senate reminded of the fact that
the President had not seen fit to enlighten
the Senate on the subject of what instTuc-
lions he may or may not have given his
Commissioners.
The opponents Of the Treaty have all
along contended that the convention could
not be considered fully and fairy until
they were in possession OF all the infoTma-
ton that belonged to the President. inc
advocates of this idea in yesterdays exec
utiye session were Senators Vest, German
and Hoar. Messrs. Vest and Hoar were
especially bitter in their criticism OF the
President. and in their denunc-st ion OF
that policy which. as they expressed H.
sought to suppress information that should
he the common property OF the Srrate- II
the President had issued instru lions of
secret character TO the commissioners, ana
if the conditions had changed so that
change in the policy of the Administration
became necessary. Mr.. Eoar and Mr.. vest
asserted that il would certainly co no
harm for the whole Senate TO know of it.
especially in view of the fact that under
the provisions of the Constitution il be-
came the duty Of the Senate to ratify the
Treaty that was negotiated by tie Com
missioners appointed by the President.
Each of these gentlemen desired to know
how the Senate could give that advlce
provided for by the Constitution If it were
to be prevented from knowing the things
which led to conclusions that had been
reached at Paris.
The President was manifestly asking the
Senate to do that which he was himself IN
willing to do. The President did not ap-
pear to be willing TO give the Senate tuIl
and complete information. He asked them
to place their faith in him and proceed
in the belief that what he was doing was
right Under ordinary circumstances 1t
was said the Senate might be willing TO do
this, but when the President refused TO
take the Senate into his confidence the
Senate might well be pardonsd for declin-
ing TO believe that all the President asked
was for the best interests of the coun-
try.
Mr. Spooner was the chief spokesman in
defence of the Administration. He did
F,,, to t,l
the withheld instructions were, but only
exasperated the opposition the more by
asserting that the President was not re-
quired to transmit the instructions TO the
Senate; that as a matter OF fact, the terms
of the resolution were not mandatory and
only asked him 10 respond if not incom-
patible with the public interest.
The mere fact that the President had not
responded should. Mr.. Spooner said, be ac-
cepted as an evidence that the President
believes that it would not be conducive to
the public interests to comply with the res
olutions.
Mr. Spooner declared he was willing TO
accept the judgment of the President in
this matter. II was well-known fact
that matters which ought never TO have
reached the public We're given publicity
when laid before the Senate in confidence,
and II was. he had no doubt, entirely be-
cause Of the Presidents desire not to COM
plicate the situation that he had failed TO
comply with the request made by the Sen
ate.
Mr.. Spooner also asserted that it made
little difference what these instructions
We're. The Senate was confronted with
the result Of the labors of the Commits
sion. That was what the Senate was
called upon to consider. Just how that re-
suit was accomplished was not, he be-
lieved, question of vital Importance. The
one great questiOn-in short. the only
Question-was, should the Treaty be rati-
fed? He did not believe the Senate was
lacking in information 10 guide it TO deal
inteIligently with the subject.
Mr.. Plat of Connecticut spoke for some
time and emphasized many Of the points
made by him in his speech a fortnight ago
in open session in reply to the Vest resolu-
tion.