The record-union., 1899-01-28
Taking Strong Greund for the Ratification
Of the Pending Peace Treaty.
A Resolution Offered by Sullivan
of Mississippi Declaring That
the Ratification Of the Treaty
Should Not Commit the Govern
ment to a Colonial Policy.

Senator Platt of New York.. on the gen.
eral subject of expansion. This was the
first speech Platt has delivered in the
Senate since his return to the body. lie
took strong ground for the ratification
Of the pending treaty of peace. A res
olution was offered by Sullivan of Mis-
stssippi, declaring that the ratification
of the treaty should not commit the
government to a colonial policy.
The pension appropriation bill, the
second of the general appropriation
measures, was passed after some de-
bate.
Hoar, at the opening of the session.
presented the resolutions adopted at a
meeting of certain citizens of Philadel-
phia, protesting against any aggressive
action against the present Government
In the Philippines. Spooner of Wiscon-
sin gave notice that he would on We'd
nesday next address the Senate on the
various resolutions respecting expan-
sion. and Rawlins of Utah gave like
notice for Thursday next.
Mason of Illinois asked unanimous
consent for vote on his resolution de-
claring it to be the policy of the United
States not to attempt to govern the
people of any other nation next Fri
day at 1 o'clock, and Hoar asked for
vote on his resolution declaring that the
Filipinos ought to be free and indie
pendent Carter of Montana, however,
objected. to both.
Carter understood he said, that the
resolutions pending in the Senate on
the expansion question had been pre-
sented as texts upon which Senators
would base remarks. He thought 1t
proper that the several resolutions lie
on the table until late in the session in
order that all who desired might sub
nit remarks upon them.
Showing evidence of annoyance, Hoar
said:
II desire to give notice that if we are
not to have vote on the question pre-
scented by this resolution, a question
which is immediate and practical, I
will keep my resolution or that of the
Senator from Illinois (Mason) before
the Senate during every morning hour
until we obtain vote upon them
Gallinger of New Hampshire intimat-
ed that Hoar would encounter some diff
ficulty in carrying out his plan to keep
the resolution before the Senate.
Carter said he viewed with regret
"the citation" of Hoar He thought it
would be conceded that the pending
resolutions presented no great or i'm
pie or Congress, as they were at best
expressions only of the Senate. He
pointed out the more important business
before the Senate and urged that its
time be not taken up with such mat
tiers.
The following resolution was offered
by Sullivan of Mississippi, who asked
that it lie on the table:
That the ratification of the pending
treaty with Spain shall in no wise de-
termine the policy to be pursued by the
United States in regard to the Philip
pines, nor shall 1t commit this Govern.
ment to a colonial policy nor is it in
tended to embarrass the establishment
OF stable Independent Government by
the people of those islands whenever
conditions make such proceedings hope
full of success and desirable results"
After some parliamentary sparring
Mason obtained the floor and spoke
briefly in advocacy of a vote on his ex-
pansion resolution He said there were
people in the Senate friendly to the
pending treaty who desired to give the
friends Of this resolution an opportunity
to express their views by their votes
Those who are friendly to my mo-
tion," said Mason, have not been de-
laying the treaty. If the friends of the
treaty think, by refusing to afford US
a chance to express ourselves and our
opinions they will gain time and
strength, they must consider the mat
ter carefully. If / cannot get a vote
on my resolution shall consider myself
most unfairly treated. We have never
delayed the treaty twenty-four hours
l am anxious to vote on 1t now, but I
am anxious to secure vote first on my
resolution
After waiting for nearly an hour for
an opportunity to speak, Plat of New
York was recognized for his announced
speech bearing upon the several expan-
sion resolutions which had been intro
duced. He spoke in a clear and re-
sonant voice. He was accorded the
closest attention by his colleagues on
both sides of the chamber and by a
large audience in the galleries He
said:
There has never been absent from
the floor of the Senate that class of in
tellect which has found in the Consti-
tuition Its warrant for opposing new
things. Nor is it new things only which
are so resolutely opposed in the name
of the fathers. It is the old things with
new faces as well. Here We have been
for a whole century annexing territory,
annexing with a club or with caress,
just as necessity demanded, and yet
Senators are discovering to one another
the most acute distress over what they
boldly ascribe as departure from
time honored traditions
Mr.. President, 1t was not the main
purpose Of the makers of the Consti-
tuition to point out a way in accordance
with which the problems Of govern
ment were to be solved. That purpose,
no doubt, was in their minds to some
extent, but to an extent which must
have had its boundaries defined in their
own experience Their main purpose
was to devise plan of government
and not to ordain policies. and where
they seemed to be ordaining policies,
where they departed from the main
xvoylx Of establishing the bodies which
together should form the Government
and Of distributing to each it's particu-
lar functions they were doing precisely
what every other Legislative assembly,
before their time and subsequently
thereto. has had to do-they were sat-
isfying popular prejudices and looking
forward to the day when their work
would be passed upon by minds less