The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-01
GRAY SPEAKS
FOR RATIFICATION
At First Opposed The Idea Of Philippine
Annexation.
LOGIC Of THE SITUATION
Vas Such as to Convince Him Of Its
ACCESSIBILITY.
SENATOR MONEY SPOKE IN REPLY
Declared the Policy of Expansion to be
Both Unconstitutional and Con-
trary to the Principles
of Americanism.
SENATOR MONEY SPOKE IN REPLY

Washington. January a.-Senators Gray
and Money occupied the entire executive
session of the senate today on the speeches
OF the peace treaty, Senator Gray advocat-
ing ratification and Senator Money oppos-
ing it,
Senator Gray was the third of the Paris
commissioners to speak, and while he gave
some attention to the published matter
bearing on the treaty, he did not go into
this in such detail as did Senators Frye
and Davis. He admitted that In the begin
ming of the negotiations he had been op-
posed to the acquisition of the Philippine
archipelago, and said that he freely and
frankly advised the president and his fell
low commissioners of his belief that it
would be unwise to attempt to shape its
destiny.
He had used his best endeavors to bring
them to accept his views, but had utterly
failed He had at last reached the concur
sion that he would either have to join with
the majority or see the treaty fail and the
war continue
Logic of the Situation
In the meantime he had been largely won
and by the logic of the situation, and he
had at last concluded to sign the conyen-
ton. Having taken his position, he was
here now to defend the treaty as wise
conclusion of a most delicate diplomatic
undertaking. Many complications had be-
set the commissioners in their work, and
while he would not retract what he had
said as to the undesirability of acquiring
distant territory matter of principle,
still there were times when a nation as an
individual might have to choose between
evils.
There was danger of many complications
of an international character in case the
United States should have elected TO pursue
a different policy. He reiterated that
ultimate conclusion to take the entire Phil
ippine group was that of the commission
ers rather than the president and also went
into the difficulties of getting the Spanish
commissioners to come to conclusion.
Senator Gray did not advocate permanent
occupancy of the eastern Islands, but said
that the duration of our exercises OF SOW
ereignty there should be settled in the fu-
ture and not at present.
k4zs No Time Limit Fixed
In reply to a question he said that he
would not attempt to fix a time-that this
only could be done as we had had an OPP
portunity to study the situation, to know
the people and learn their capacities. He
had every confidence In the American peo-
pie 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
island wisely and well while they controlled
them. They would give the islanders
fair start In civilization before leaving
them to shift for themselves.
Senator Money attacked the acquisition
of the islands as a law contrary to the
spirit of American institutions and I'M
constitutional. He says the government Of
the United States could not afford to put
itself in the attitude of Don Quixito in
a vain effort to care for and advance the
interests of every people in every land that
appeared according to our 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 to transfer the Philip
pines from Spanish vassalage to depen-
dence of the United States.
Should Have Independence
He did not consider that we were es-
pecially concerned as to the future of the
Filipinos and so far as he was concerned
he should leave them to work out their
own salvation. This would be far prefera-
BILE to assuming responsibility for them
and making them citizens Of the United
States, as they 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 do so
Senator Mason in a few words endorsed
Senator Moneys position that the Filipnos
would be made citizens by the ratification
of the treaty and Senator Teller, in a brief
rejoinder controverted this position, saying
that an act of congress would be necessary
to fix their status toward the body polite.
Senator Hoar also endorsed Senator Mon
eys position.