Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-02-01
Senators Gray and Money Made
Talks.
IS in FAVOR OF IT
While the Latter Made an Argument
Against the Taking of the
Philippines

washington, Jan. 31.-Senators Gray
and Money occupied the entire execu-
tive session of the senate today in
speeches on the peace treaty, Senator
Gray favoring ratification and Senator
Money opposing it. Senator Gray was
the third of the Paris commissioners to
speak and While he gave some attention
to the published matters upon the
treaty, he did not go into this with
such detall as Senators Frye and Davis.
he admitted that in the hiding of the
negotiations he had been opposed to the
acquisition of the Philippine archipelago,
and said that he had freely and frankly
ADVISED the president and his fellow COM
mlssloners of his belief that it would be
unWlse to attempt to shape it's destiny.
he had used his best endeavors to bring
them to accept his views, but had utterly
failed. He had at last reached the con-
cluslon that he would either have to Join
with them or see the war continue.
In the meantime he had been largely
won over by the arguments of his col
leagues and by the logic of the situation,
and he had at last concluded to sign the
convention. Having taken his position
he was here now to defend the treaty as
a wise conclusion of a most delicate
diplomatic undertaking. Many complica-
tons had beset the commissioners in
their work, and while he would not re-
tract what he had heretofore said as to
the un~desirability Of acquiring distant
territory as a matter of principle, still
thnra -orn ti,,oA- ,-t-.
individual. might have to choose between
evils. There was danger of many COM
plications of an international character
in case the United States should have
elected TO pursue a different policy. He
reiterated that the ultimate conclusion
to take the entire Philippine group was
that of the commissioners rather than of
the president, and also went into the
o~lihcultles OF getting the Spanish COM
mlSSloners to come to a conclusion.
Senator Gray did not advocate per-
manent occupation of the eastern islands,
but said that the duration of our exercise
Of sovereignty there should be settled in
the future and not at present. In reply
TO a question by Senator Mason, he said
that he would not attempt to fix q time
that this only could be done after We a
an opportunity to study the situation, to
know the people and learn their capacity.
He had every confidence in the American
people and he believed that they would
not only give the natives their freedom
when they had shown a capacity for
taking care Of themselves as q nation
OF the world, but they would manage the
affairs of the islands wisely and we'll
while they controlled them. They would
give the islanders a fair start in civiliza-
ton before turning them loose to shift
for themselves.
Senator Money attacked the acquisition
of the islands as contrary to the spirit
of American institutions and as uncon-
stitutional. He said that the government
of the United States could not afford to
put itself in an attitude of a Don QuiXote
in a vain effort to care for and advance
the interests of every people in every
land that appeared, according to oul
standards of civilization, to need our help
He had been an advocate of intervention
in the case of Cuba, but from this fact
it did not follow that he was willing t.
transfer the Philippines from Spanish
VaSalage to a dependency of the United
States. He did not consider that we
We're concerned as to the future of tht
Philippines and, so far as he was con,
cerned, he would leave them to worl
out their own salvation. This would
be far more preferable to assuming re.
HppiiolDlH'S " 'ileill anu iildhllS lHtii
citizens Of the United States, as they
would inevitably come to be if thu
treaty should be ratified. We had made
allies of them during the Spanish wa,
and in the interest of fair dealing should
let them acquire independence if they
could do SO.
Senator Mason, in a few words, en-
dorsed Senator Moneys position tina
the Filipinos would be made citizens by
the ratification of the treaty and Sen
ator Teller, in Il brief rcjOinder, contro'
verted this position, saying that an ac
of congress would be necessary to fly
their status toward the body polite. Sen
ator Hoar also endorsed Senator Money: