The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-26
VOTE ON THE TREATY
Week From Monday Fixed BY the
Senate.
SENATOR DAVIS E E
--
FAVORS ANNEXATION FOR COM
MERCIAL PURPOSES.
Believes We Should Subjugate the
Filipinos In Order to Get a Slice
of China When the Partition Oc-
curs-Treaty Should Be Ratified
at Once.

Washington, Jan. 25.-The senate held
two executive sessions today, and al
each the peace treaty was the subject
under discussion. At the first an agree
ment was reached to vote on the treaty
next Monday week, and at the second
Senator Davis presented the American
commissioners reasons for the accept
ance of the treaty in the form in which
it was finally concluded. Those who
are familiar with the views of the pres
ident say that he had urged an early
vote, upon the ground that nothing is
to be lost and everything to be gained
by taking the vote. The final action, he
is confident, will be favorable.
In accordance with the terms Of the
agreement, the senate resumed it's work
in executive session at 2 o'clock and the
entire time of this session was con
sumed by Senator Davis in making a
presentation of the history of the Paris
conference. This presentation consisted
largely in the quotation of the various
presentations made on each side of the
controversy at Paris, and while the
speech was thus rendered somewhat
formal, it received the closest and most
careful attention. a map of the Philip
pines on a large scale adorned the rear
wall of the senate chamber, and while
it was often consulted by senator's, Mr..
Davis made but one reference to it as
such.
Speaking outside of the published
record, Senator Davis took occasion to
eulogize the Spanish commissioners in
high terms as men of exceptional
-ShreWdneSS and ability, saying the
Americans had found them armed at
all points, Jealous of Spain's honor Inc
interest and prepared at all simes to
defend her cause as long as there was
anything TO defend. He said the Amer
leans of the commission had been in
constant communication with the pres
ident While negotiating the convention;
that he was made acquainted with all
the commissions movements, and while
he admitted that there had been appar-
emily some division Of opinion among
publicists in the United States as TO the
policy of including the Philippines in
the agreement, there had been prac-
tically no other honorable way out of
the difficulty.
AS for himself Mr.. Davis was willing
from h start % extend our borders SO
as to include these islands, because he
believed their acquisition q most i'm
portant stride in the advancement of
the American nation, commercially and
otherwise. He, with others, was look
ing forward to the prospective partition
OF the vast Chinese empire among the
European nations, and he fOTesaW that
if the United States did not secure q
footing in the Orient, such as they now
have an opportunity to secure through
the terms of the treaty, they would be
most e~ffectually forever shut out from
this vast market. On this account there
every reason in the world why the
treaty should be ratified, and he con-
tended that few men who would study
the worldwide questions presented, as
the commissioners had been compelled
to study them, would doubt the ex-
pediency Of the movement. He also
touched upon the legal questions in
volved, contending ma there were
many presidents for the acquisitions,
that we as "a nation had a right to ac-
quire territory. and that there were no
constitutional barriers.
Mr.. Davis urged the Importance of
favorable action upon the treaty at the
present session of congress-. A failure
to ratify meant, he urged, continued
uncertainty, renewed announcement to
the insurgent F%iIipinos, possible on
fiict with them and a prolOnsation OF
the state CT war. with much of its ex-
pense, if not. with its horrors.