The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-04
SUDDEN CHANGE OF TACTICS
DEMOCRATS NOW OPPOSED TO DE-
CLARATORY RESOLUTIONS.
Lively Executive SessiOn-speeehes by
Senators Money and Daniel Against
Retaining the Philippines.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Feb. "a startling
change in the treaty situation has occurred
as a result of developments IN the Senate
to-day, and a special session of Congress
viii probably have to be called to secure rat
ification. The threatened refusal of certain
staIwart Republican senators to be bound
by the tacit understanding whereby the
Sullivan or some similar resolution was to
be adopted to placate doubtful senators and
gain votes for the treaty gave opposition
leaders an excuse for openly antagonizing
the deal and organizing blockade to pre-
vent its going through. In consequence of
this move vote will not be reached on
any of these pacifcatory resolutions, and
the treaty will fall short of the necessary
two-thirds on Monday unless the scene
should again suddenly shift between now
and o'clock Monday afternoon, which from
present appearances is exceedingly doubtful.
Senator Jones, of Arkansas, Mr.. Gorman's
understudy, a Democratic floor leader, says
tonight that he has thirty-one votes pledged
against ratification with three more at his
command if needed and an additional three
more within reach. There is no question of
the honesty of the Jones statement, and its
correctness is generally admitted tonight.
The defeat, rather the fhold-up,' of the
treaty is therefore seemingly inevitable
The President has assured his friends in
the Senate that if ratification is defeated at
this session hs will call the Fffty-sxth Con-
gress in special session promptly on March
6. The Senate would then be overwhelming
~ Republican and the ratification of the
treaty would be certain. 1t is difficult there
fore to see just what Senator German and
those of his party who are acting with him
expect to gain by preventing ratification
now. Special sessions of Congress are not
popular either with Congress or the people,
and it will be made clear by the Repub-
Iican senators and the President that the re-
sponsibility for it rests with the Democrats.
Moreover, Senator German and those acting
with him will have to bear the odium of hav-
ing defeated treaty of peace and continu-
ing the country in state of war because
they were not permitted to dictate the terms
Of the treaty.
POLITICAL SUICIDE.
Senator German has achieved a parlia-
mentary success, but in doing so he has
committed political suicide. The people
do not care for these fine split-hair parlia-
mentary victories, which never accomplish
anything real or definite They want tangi-
BILE. palpable results of the kind that does
not demand an intimate knowledge of Cush-
ings manual to understand.
The failure to ratify the treaty will not
necessarily mean it's defeat, though that is
commonly the case. In this instance, if it
becomes apparent on next Monday in the
secret session, before the actual announce
ment of the vote on the question of the rati-
cation of the treaty that the necessary two
third vote has not been cast in its favor
reconsideration of the vote by which the
treaty was defeated viii be moved and car
ried. The treaty can then be withdrawn
from the Senate by the President, to be sub
mitted at the next session, or 1t can be per-
mitted to remain in the hands of the Senate.
which Is continuing body until the next
session.
in explaining the situation the Associated
Press reporter says the opposition to a vote
on the resolution Interpreting the treaty
first came from the friends of the treaty.
who held to the theory that it could be
ratified without compromise. Those who APP
parently We're then willing that a vote
should be taken, to-day held an opposite
view and absolutely refused to agree to a
time for taking vote. The contest oc-
CURED in the executive session, which did
not occur until 5:15 o'clock The next hour
and quarter was spent i'm a vain endeavor
on the one side to get an agreement to a
date for vote upon the resolutions and on
the other I'm a more successful effort To
bring the days session to a close without
allowing anything to be accomplished i'm
that direction.
The gallery doors had no sooner been
locked than Senator Davis, who had taken
his position at Senator Frye's seat, imme-
diately in front Of the chair, proffered the
request of the treaty supporters for unani-
nous consent, naming tomorrow as the day
for a vote lie said that the desire on his
side of the chamber was that there should
be an opportunity to vote upon all the reso-
lutions of a declaratory nature. all of which
had been offered by senators who were op-
posed to the frosty without a modification.
GORMANS OBJECTIONS.
The opposition We're prepared for the re-
quest, bat it did not fail 10 create some ex-
element Simultaneous objection was made
from three or four sources, but as if by
common consent to Senator German was left
the task Of making the principal statement
of the reasons for the opposition His main
objection was based on the brief time that
must intervene between the time of taking
the vote on the resolutions and the time
fixed for voting on the treaty-S O'Clock next
Monday. An essential part OF the demand
OF those who desired modification of the
expression In the treaty was that the House.
as well as the Senate, must act upon the
resolution. Manifestly it was too late TO
secure vote By the House, even if the ac-
tion Of the Senate should be favorable
Hence the absurdity Of the proposition. He
for one would object. and he had no doubt
that others would feel as he DID, So long
as there had been any possibility of securing
3 vote IN both houses Of Congress the mem-