New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-31
praCE TREATY DOCUMENTS.
.~ TO THE SENATE BY PRESIDENT
MKINLEN.

~,,-cT1oNs TO THE COMMISSIONERS IN
,s HOW THE DECISION TO TAKE ALL
rur PHILIPPINES WAS REACHED.
..,ns,on Ian 30-The President to-day
"a tho Senate the correspondence on HE IN
gate Department bearing on the fea'e
..ootv and il was read In the executive seSsio''
-. correspondence was sent II response 70 ''e
1h' 49,. Introduced by Senator Hoar. and in
-, most Of the letters and cable dispatches
e" 49,. commissioners 10 the President and
IT, che President to the Commissioners III the
-" .. instructions. The documents are numer-
"a' .nere were kilograms. letters and reports
~ olr,ost every day the Commissioners were
!" ,or,s one Of the first cable dispatches from
- presiden, instructed them TO demand the
1t ton ~ I.uzon Island only 81 the Philippines
y. told them that full sovereignty shond
- with IT, The reading Of the correspond
-scejvcd the closest attention from Sena-
~. In submitting the papers the Presiceht
bref message. saying that he SUBMITTED
-. ,n accordance with the resolution.
-, rAadinc consumed the entire executive
',or lasting from until $50, except few
,,ss If The close Much Of the matter Gov
". .be same ground as that already puohsheo'
-. a. was presented IN the form in when 'he
..ned,rcs were outlined from day to day ID
-, oohls correspondence between secretary
- &C me Presidents representative on the
,erd and Commissioner Day as the repre-
NC ~ the American Commissioners on the
other eo.o,s O.
The nr,ncipal interest among the Nena'ors al
- - the Presidents instructions 10 insist
.,a osssior Of the island Of Luzon. and aiter
~, ~ the decision 70 take the entire group OF
.d, mis- latter development APPEARED from
49, ,o,-sspondence 70 be g growth. and the sug-
-.,,,or was made by the Commissioners 10 'he
n-.stasn, &c the result OF occurrences IN Paris
.n.- their arrival there In his dispatch con
.n,,r ruzor the President said there was only
~. alternative The United States must e''he'
ale the island and assume sovereignty OF re-
,u-r q n Spain. and Of two courses he preferred
The former.
snain was from the first unwilling 20 ceoe any
q. the Phnippines. and she made especlaI u"
,ec,ou 70 letting so % Luzon alone Inc CoHl-
rn,ssjoners. with the exception OF senator gray
,~rsa that 10 take Luzon and leave the other
islands Of the archipelago IN the hanos OF the
Standards would be 10 invite innumerdoe Co''-
-i,..,i,,e win other nations Much stress was
lad on the probability OF future rouoie VII"
spaiu. With Luzon under American ADMINS
ration there would soon he such vast I'M
movement they wrote that the other islanders
r.ould soon grow more and more rehelhous ana
with SPANS oppressive methods Of govern
mont the United States would soon mo thaI j.
had another cuba at its doors Furthermore
there would be constant fibusterins' ana TINS
co,ntrv would be forced % spend millohs 10
nreserve a state Of neutrality. just as IN the
case NJ Cuba before the outbreak Of the war
Genera Merritt's testimony this point was
cited and was made the reason for much o. the
argument IN favor Of taking the entire group.
The President does not appear 10 have al any
time given explicit instructions 10 consummate
the bargain by taking all the Philippines out
rather after hearing full explanation 10 nave
left the matter 10 the discretion OF me Oo'''i's
sioners. -
The entire controversy was practically over
the Philippines and the question OF assuming
responsibility for the payment OF the spanish
bonds for which the Cuban revenues We're
pledged The SpaniaTds from the hfst lnslsteo
correspondence shows that after the proposition
~ paw $50 600 600 MADE the negotiations
proceeded much more smoothly, and were soon
brought 10 a close
The American Commissioners appear 20 have
been ~ ore mind as 10 the wisdom Of taking
over all the Philippines with the exception OF
senator GRAY. who, notwithstanding ne signed
the treaty held out 10 the last against the policy
~ acquiring these islands In one noiable as
patch ne pleaded zealously against the policy
as unpatriotic un-American and inconsistent
with probity and good craftsmanship.
After brief debate the Senate refused 70
print the correspondence.