The Portland daily press., 1899-01-28
SENATOR FRYE on TREATY
Maine Man Explains Proceedings Of
Commission.
SAYS PRESIDENT WILL SEND SEN
ATE PAPERS ASKED FOR.

He Declares That the Treaty Ought 90
Have Been Ratified Ten Days Ago I'm
which Case There Would Have
Been No Danger of Trouble with
Philippines.
Washington, January 27.-The Senate
continued the consideration Of the peace
treaty In executive session today, the
doors being closed for almost three hours.
Senator Frye, a member of the Pal Is
peace commission, and naturally a strong
.-iend Of the treaty. held the attention Of
9 Senate during the greater part of this
time. Construotively he occupied the
floor during the entire session, but he was
frequently interrupted by other Senators.
Most of these interruptions came In the
way of questions, but some of them took
the form of speeches. This was notably
he case with Senator Perry's Interrupt
tions He spoke for some time and in do.
ing so denounced the treaty in severe
terms. Senators Mason and Gallery asked
many questions.
Senator Frye devoted himself largely to
an explanation Of the proceedings Of the
commission. reading literally from the
record as already printed. but stopping as
he proceeded to explain the quotations
which he had made. He had not proceeded
great way in his exposition Of the sub
ject. when he was asked If the President
had not originally instructed the commits
sion to only insist upon securing coal
ing station In the Philippine group. To
this Mr.. Frye replied that he did not feel
at liberty to give his Interpretation Of the
Presidents Instructions, but 1t was not
necessary that he should do so, as the
President had. he said, determined to
comply partially. at least, withv the
Seuate's request for ths documents on
file bearing upon the negotiation of the
treaty and Mr.. Frye said he felt justified
in assuring tbs Senate that the papers
would be received not later than Monday.
MIR. srye devoted the principal portion
OF his speech outside OF the reading Of the
report to an explanation of why the
Philippine Archipelago was included In
the cession to the United States He was
asked why those islands were not placed
In the same clss SIS as Cuba, the sovereignty
over this island being merely relinquisned
while in the cased Of the Philippines IL
had been made over to this United States
and replied that the difference was made
because in the case Of Cuba the comIais-
sion was acting under Instructions from
Congress lie was reminded that the
Filipinos professed TO be fighting for free
dom Just as the Cubans were and that
they were still contending for their own
Independence.
One Senator reminded him of the repre-.
sentations of Aguinaldo's merican agert
A Agoncillo. and asked II he meant to force
the Filipino people to actual hostilities,
to which Mr. Frye retorted that 1t was
the opposition which was forcing con-
tinuanoe OF the state OF war and which
would be responsible for hostilities II they
should occur. As for himself. however.
he did not know the Filipinos in the
transaction. Tho treaty, he said, should
have been ratified ten Gays ago, and II 1t
had been all danger of war with the
people Of the Philippines would have been
averted.
Senator Mason asked whether the COM
missioners did not know when they made
the treaty and whether he did not know
now, that the natives of those islands
were then as now demanding their inde
pendenoe. In response MIR. Frye repeated
that the commission had dealt with spain
regarding the Filipinos as subjects OF that
country. Spain had lost in the conflict OF