The record-union., 1899-02-01

w ASf1lNIION, JAN. OI.-oelldtOiS
Gray and Money occupied the entire
executive session of the Senate to-day
in speeches on the peace treaty, Sena-
tor Gray favoring ratification and Sen
ator Money opposing it.
Senator Gray admitted that in the
finding of the negotiations he had been
opposed to the acquisition Of the Phil
ippine archipelago, and said that he
had frankly advised the President and
his fellow Commissioners of his belief
that it would be unwise 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 conclusion that he
would either have to joint with the ma
jority or see the treaty fail and the war
continue In the meantime. he had
been largely won over by the argu-
ments Of his colleagues and the logic of
the situation, and he had at last con-
cluded to sign the convention.
Having taken his position, he was
here now to defend the treaty as a wise
conclusion of a most delicate dfplo-
matte undertaking. Many complica-
lions had beset the Commissioners in
their work, and while he would not re-
tract what he had heretofore said as
to the undesirability of acquiring dis
tant territory as a matter of principle,
still there were times when a nation,
as individual, might have to choose be-
tween evils. There was danger of many
complications of an international char
acter in case the United States should
have elected to pursue a different pol
icy.
He reiterated that the ultimate con-
clusion to take the entire Philippine
group was that of the Commissioners
rather than of the President, and also
went into the difficulties of getting the
Spanish Commissioners to come to a
conclusion.
Senator Gray did not advocate. per-
manent occupancy of the eastern ISL
ands, 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 of Mason, he
said that he would not attempt to fix
a time-that this only could be done
after We had had opportunity to study
the situation, to know the people and
learn their capacities. 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 a nation of the
world, but that they would manage the
affairs of the islands wisely and well
while they controlled them. They would
give the islanders fair start in civ
ilization before turning them loose to
shift for themselves.
Money attacked the acquisition of the
islands as contrary to the spirit of
American institutions and as unconsti-
tutional. He said the government of the
United States could not afford to put
itself in the attitude of a Don Quixote
in a vain effort to care for and adj
vance the interests of every people on
every land that appeared, according to
our standard of civilization, to- need our
help. He had been an advocate of in
PREVENTION in the case of Cuba. but
was willing to transfer the Philippines
from Spanish vassaaage to depend
ence of the United States.
He would not consider that we were
especially concerned as to the future of
the Philippines, and so far as he was
concerned, he would leave them to
work out their own salvation This
would be far preferable to assuming
responsibility for them and making
them citizens of the United States, as
they would inevitably come to be if the
treaty should be ratified. We had made
allies of them in the Spanish war by
the acts of our own agents, and in the
interest of fair dealing should let them
achieve their independence if they could
dc so.
Mason in a. few words Endorsed Mon
ey's position that the F'iiipinos would
be made citizens by the ratification of
the treaty, and Teller, in a brief re-
joinder, controverted this position, say
ing that an act of Congress would be
necessary to fix their status toward the
body polite.
Hoar also iny7orSad Monpv,e ,,or;t;on