The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1899-02-04
MAKING OF A TREATY
CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN COM.
MIsslONERS AND PRESIDENT

CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN CON.
MIssloNERs AND PRESIDENT
sent to the ssnate-First Suggestion for
Acquiring the Philippines came From
the Former Senator Gray Protested.
Hold Out to the Last Against the Pol.
10y Is Inconsistent and Uu-American.
spaniards From the First insisted ON
an Indemnity for the islands. ,,.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31.-The president
has sent to the senate correspondence
bearing upon the peace treaty. It in
cludes most of the letters and cable
grams from the commissioners to the
president and from the president to tho
commissioners, in the way of instrue-
tions in return. ~
In submitting the papers the presi-
dent sent a brief message saying that he
transmitted them in accordance with
the resolution. The reading consumed
The entire time of the executive session,
lasting from 2 to $3.50 p. m. except a
few minutes at the close. The princi-
pal interest among the senators at
tached to the presidents instructions to
insist upon the cession of the island of
Luzon and after that in the decision to
take the entire group of islands. This
latter development appeared from the
correspondence to be growth and the
suggestion was made by the commits
sioners to the president as the result Of
conferences at Paris after the arrival
there of the commissioners. In his dis
patch concerning Luzon, he said there
was but one alternative-the United
States
Must Either Take tho Island (,
and assume sovereignty or return 1t to
Spain, and of the two courses he pre-
ferred the former. Spain was generally
unwilling to cede the Philippine islands.
The commissioners, with the exception
of Senator Gray, urged that to take
Luzon and leave the other islands Of the
archipelago in the hands of the Span
iards would be to invite innumerable
complications with other nations and
especially with Europe and with Spain.
Much stress was laid upon the probsbil-
ity of future trouble with Spain. With
Luzon under American authority there
would soon be such vast improvement,
they wrote, that the other islanders
would soon grow more and more rebel
lious, and with Spain's oppressive meth
ods of government we would soon again
find that we had another Cuba at the
other door. Furthermore, there would
be constant filibustering and we should
Find Ourselves Spending Millions :
to preserve state of neutrality, just as
we did with Cuba prior to our declara-
tion of war, on account of that island.
General Merritt's testimony On this
point was cited and made the. reason
for much Of the argument in favor Of
taking the entire group. The president
does not appear to have at any time
given explicit instructions to consum..
mate the bargain by taking all the Phil
ippines, but rather, after hearing full,
explanation, to have left the matter to
the discretion of the commissioners,
The entire controversy was practically
over the Philippines and the question Of
assuming responsibility for the payment
of the Spanish bonds for which the
Cuban revenues were pledged. The
6paniards from the first .... :,
Insisted Upon an Indsmnity =
for the Philippines, and the correspond
ence shows that after the proposition to,
pay $50, 900, 900 was made the negotia-
tions proceeded much more smoothly
and were soon brought to close.
The American commissioners appear
to have been of one mind as to the wis
dom of taking over the whole Of the
Philippines, with the exception of Sem
ator Gray, who, Notwithstanding he
signed the treaty, held out to the last
against the policy of acquiring these
islands. In one noteworthy dispatch he
pleaded zealously against the policy as
unpatriotic, un-American and incon-
sistent with probity and good states
manship.
After O. brief debate the senate refused
to print the correspondence.
NEARLY GAME TO A'VoTE.