The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1899-02-02
D0IHCS OF CONGRESS.
Abstract Of the Important Proceed
- ings.

| session. go
The session opened with strong ap-
peal by Senator Berry to open the doors
| and allow the world to listen to the deba Il
| on the subject. He sud he desired ar
opportunity to reply to some OF the
speeches which had been made on the
treaty in open session, but that so long
as the treaty was considered executive
business he did not feel so free rs Others
seemed to be to discuss it openly. The
resolution was finally disposed Of in the
negative without roll-call and BY very
large vote.
Senators German and Vest. both o
whom oppose ratificati ton. urged the i'm
| portance of getting vote at no very dis
| tant day. - 80
Senator Davis replied that the question
of fixing day for a vote had not been
considered by the Committee on Foreign
Relations and that he would not feel JUST
fed in assuming such responsibility
upon his own authority, unsupported by
| the action of his Committee. He prom
ised to bring the matter to the attention
of the Committee at its next session.
Mr. Hoar defended the course of the op-
position. Disagreeable as it was, he said
| 10 arouse the i'll will of his brother Sen
| ators, that condition was preferable to
| plunging the country into position that
| might be of untold consequence TO the
| whole Nation.
Mr. Teller replied to Mr. Hoar, saying
the opposition were responsible for the
| con ntinuatiop of tho state Of war. He
pointed out various probable results in the
| way of the loss of prestige and power in
case the United States should fail to take
| advantage Of the opportunity now afforded
10 assert its Iri shtfui place as one of the
nations of the world of commanding and
permanent Influence.
| Senator Lodge, 4 Massachusetts,, who
| is one Of the most pronounced OF ex-
| panSionists, :, addressed the Senate in
| open session in favor Of ratifying the
peace treaty,
| Senator Lodge made an elaborate argu
| ment to sustiiHflis contention that the
| United States has the undOubted power.
| which IL haslfreaurntly exercised. to &C
luire territory and TO hold and govern It..
| Let us look at the two alterna tives.
| Suppose we ratify the treaty. The Philip
pine Islands pass from the possession of
Spain into our possession without com
mitting us to any policy. believe we can
be trusted as ipeop e to deal honestly
and justly yewith gftre island s'and their in
hHbitants tn us given to our care. ~
Suppose wessreiect the eaty;l what
follOws' Let us look at it practically
We continue the state Of war. and every
sensible man in the country, every busi..
ness interest desires the rec sta blishme n t
of peace in law as well as iHfact. AT the
same time we repudiate the President and
his action before the whole world, and the
population of the President in such a
matter this is. TO my mind, the humili-
alton Of the United States in the eyes of
civilized mankind, and brands US as
people incapable Of great affairs or of TAX
ing rank where we belong, as one of the
greatest of the great world powers"
In the House the debate on the Army
reorganiza tinn bill began. 1t was agreed
that the final vote on the bill should be
taken mot later than o'clock" on Tues
day next.
rhe House went into Committee of the
Whole AIR. Payne in the chair and took
up the bill under the agreement for IS
hours general debate. with night ses-
sions.
Mr.. Hull opened the debate in advocacy
Of the bill in brief speech. He said
that with the territory gained from Spain,
for which we were responsible and the
responsibility for which we could not
shirk the increase IF the Army became
a necessity While the bill fixed no ma XII
mum strength for the entire Army under
the reorganization it would permit of
strength of 10000 men. The bill could
be amenhed if desirable so as to provide
minimum in the discretion of tbe Presi-
dent Of so. 900.
Mr. Hay va. d. replied to Mr.. Hull
He said
There can only be two excuses given
for this legislation. First, our relations to
the foreign territory which we have &C
quired from Spain; and, second, the de-
termination Of the Executive to enter
upon an imperial policy. The General of
United States, $4,000 abroad, 5000 in
Porto Rico, 10000 in Cuba, Is 900 in the
Philippines and 5000 in Hawaii" He
declared that much less force was needed
in each place.
From the foundation Of tho Govern
ment this country has depended, in every
c- the yOlllntcor Snl6ipFa nf tho
ilepublic. The volunteer sOldiery Of the
country can perform the same duties Just
AS we'll as can raw recruits in the Regular
Army; it will cost no more TO recruit
equip and drill them than it will cost TO
recruit. equip and drill the proposed stand
ing army And when the services shall
have been performed the volunteers can
be mustered out Of the service and mil
lions Of dollars will be saved to the tax
payers of the country: and tho dangerous
and untried experiment Of raising a large
standing army wilbnOt have been tried.
Let us then build a strong Navy
and avoid the dangerous experiment of a
great standing army."
Mr.. McClellap Y, D. spoke in sup
port of the bill. Tho Army. he said,
should be reofganized. He had no de-
sire to re efiect bn any officials in the war
establishment < bus we ought to take to
heart the lessons N the,iate war II the
result of the Congressional elections had
been different. it might have been pos
sible to have honestly investigated the
war, to have separated the goats from the
sheep and have pdnished the guilty. But
no good couldacont6 now of washing our
dirty linen in public. Congress would not
permit us to iGvessigate. much less prove
the facts. The h0rTOrs and the scandals
of the war, hes declared, we're due to the
system. not the men.
In tho Senate on Wednesday It was
decided to vote on tho peace treaty on
Feb. 8.
A large part of the time of tho regular
executive session was consumed by Sem
atOr Davis in making presents ton Of
the history of the Paris conference.
In tho House. Mr.. Johnson ind, r.
made a bitter attack upon the Admins
tration's policy Of expansion In a speech
on the bill for the increase and reOrgani-
"a ton of the Regular Army.
The Filipinos might not be as capable
as we for self government. said Mr.. john
son, but they were capable of constituting
a Government according TO their own
ideaa ,r.st TFf. t-r