The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-04
THOSE TREATY RESOLUTIONS.
They Cause Much Talk in senate's
Executive Sessions.

SS9SAOhNs
Washington. Feb. S.-The controversy in
the Senate over the vote upon the va
rious resolutions interpretive of the peace
treaty, took an acute turn late to-day
The opposition to a vote first came from
the friends of the treaty who held to
the theory that it can be ratified without
compromise. Those who apparently were
then willing that a vote should be taken,
to-day held an opposite view and abso-
lutely refused to agree for time for
taking a vote.
The contest took place in the executive
session, which did not occur until 5I5
ocock. The next hour and quarter was
spent in a vain endeavor on the one side
to get an agreement to date Cor a vote
upon the resolutions, and upon the other
In more successful effort 90 bring the
days session to a close without allowing
anything TO be accomplished in that direc-
ton.
The gallery doors had no sooner been
locked than Senator Davis who had taken
his position at Frye's seat, Immediately
in front of the chair, preferred the request
of the treaty supporters for unanimous
consent, naming tomorrow as the day for
a vote. He said that the desire on his
side of the chamber was that there should
be no opposition to vote upon all the reso-
lutions of a declaratory nature, all of
which had been offered by senators who
were opposed to the treaty without mod
ification.
Too Late, Says German.
The opposition We're prepared for the
request, but it did not fail to create some
excitement simultaneously objection was
made from three or four sources, bat as
if by common consent, to Senator Corr
man was left the task Of making the
| principal statement of the reason for the
| opposition. His main objection was based
on the brief fine that must intervene be-
| tween the time of taking the vote on the
resolutions and the time fixed for voting
on the treaty, 8 o'clock next Monday. An
essential part of the demand of those who
desired modification OF the expression on
| the treaty was that the House, as well
as the Senate, must act upon the resou-
| tions. Manifestly, it was too late to Sc
cure a vote by the House, even if the
action of the Senate should be favorable.
! Hence the absurdity OF the proposition He
for one would object, and he had no douot
Senators Cockrell and Bacon also avow-
ed their opposition to agreeipg to fix a
| time for a vote, placing ttalr opposition
on grounds practically the same as those
! of Mr.. German. Each was inclined to
charge bad faith. Senator Cockrell gave
notice that he would resist any effort for
a vote upon the resolution up to 8 o'clock
! Monday, when the vote on the treaty must
| be taken.
Tho friapde Of tho traafxr declared that
they were acting in perfect good faith.
Charged Them with Fear.
They charge that the opposition were
afraid to allow an opportunity to vote on
the resolutions, because of their appre-
henslon that some of the resolutions would
| be agreed to and the chances of the rati-
| fication of the treaty thus improved This
| meant, as they regarded 1t, that they did
not want any treaty ratified. The object
ors stood firm, however, to the last, refus-
| ing to yield.
These objections were, of course, effec-
| tive, and the treaty supporters turned their
| attention to longer daily sessions of the
| Senate with the hope of exhaustng de-
! bate and thus forcing action on the reso-
| lutions without unanimous consent being
| given.
Senator Davis, therefore. moved that the
| Senate take a recess until 10 O'Clock to-
| morrow. lie was met with motion Dy
Senator German to adjourn, and on this
motion the yeas and nays were ordered.
Mr.. Davis and his co-workers resisted the
adjournment motion. and it was defeated,
but by a margin of only one vote the
balloting resulting "a ayes and 25 nays
Not n Test Vote.
A vote was Immediately ordered on the
motion for a recess until 10 O'clock to-
morrow morning. On this motion a num-
| Der of the members of the opposition re-
Trained fromfvoting, and the roll call de-
veloped the absence of a quorum. The
| hands of the Senate clock then indicated
| $3.50 o'clock. None of the senators had
! had their dinners. Hence Senator Davis
| himself moved an adjournment, which
motion was carried without a division.
| The vote on adjournment was not con-
sidered in any sense test, as many of
the senators, and especially of the support
ers of the treaty had left the chamber
| before the ballot was taken
| The opponents claim thirty-three votes,
which they say cannot be shaken, while
| the leaders of the affirmative side claim TO
! have won over two of these thirty-three
| to-day aud to have a fair promise of
| getting others. The supporters Of the
treaty stin count confidently upon having
| the requisite number of votes when the
| time comes, even though no modifying res
olution be adopted.