Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1900-12-14
ELKINS HITS TREATY.
Short of What the People Will
Want.
DAVIS AMENDMENT TOO WEAK.
II United states Builds Canal, lie Pre-
dieted American People wiz Hesire
Fun Control Offers an Amendment.
Davis Amendment Adopted.

Washington. Dec II. II accord
nnce with previous agr enent the
senate, in executive session. to5k a
vote on the Amendment to the Hay
Pauneefot treaty, authorizing the
United Stat TO decSid its interests
In the canal.. The vote WAS taken
by yeas aaa nays, % votes being
cast in favor of til amendment, and
II against it. The negative votes
were rs follows:
Baird. Beverage, Frye, Foster,
Hansbrough. Lindsay Mason, Nc
Cumber, McF'nery, Mcbride. Nor
gan Nom y, Stewart, Tillman, Vel
lington, Wolcott ana Galhnger
After the amendment offered by
the committee was passed upon va
rious other amendments r ceiyed the
attention of the senate for Il brief
time, but none of them was acted
upon.
The following is the Davis am nd
ment adopted:
Insernt at the end of section , of
article 2 the following:
1T is agreed, however. that none
of the Immediately foregoing eondi-
tons and stipulations in sections
numbered !, 2, 3, and ) of this ar
ticle shall apply to measures which
the United States may find it neces-
sary to take for securing by its own
forces the defense of the United
States and the maintenance Of pub
lie order"
After the committee amendment
had been adopted some of the other
senators took the floor to suggest
further amendments
The amendment which probably
attracted most attention was offered
by Senator Elkins, and is as follows:
Nothing in this treaty shall be
construed to prevent the United
Stats from acquiring sufficient Sc
curity and sovereignty, or to prevent
it from building, operating, maintain
ing, controlling and defending the
said canal referring to the proposed
Nicaraguan canal or for any other
purpose that the United States may
deem for its best interests"
Senator Lodge. in charge of the
bill. was not slow to recognize the
futility Of trying to secure further
consideration for the treaty as amend
were all submitted he moved an ad-
journment until today, which motion
prevailed.
Previous to taking the vote on the
committee amendments Senator Elk
ms made Il speech advocating radical
alteration of the treaty. He am
nounced himself as favorable to the
committee amendment, but said that
80. Ia inn ,Nf
go far enough to meet the wishes Of
the American people He believed,
he said. that If the canal was to be
constructed by the government of the
United Stat the people would de-
mand complete and absolute control
over the canal itself, and also the
right to exercise their own judgment,
as nation, not only in acquiring
property in connection with the canal,
but. If need be, in securing sover-
eighty over it. He contended that to
pursue this course involved no vio-
lation of international rights, and in
defense of this position said the
United States had made an offensive
and fensive treaty with France in
1893 and soon afterwards had repud-
lated that obligation. He also cited
OIIef pFPceueHlS anu dutHoF1lleS,
some of them being from English
sources. in support Of this position.
He argued, in short. that changed
conditions warrant a change in con-
duct and in position. The speech
was listened to with much interest.
and at its conclusion motion was
made to have it made public OBJ
lection. however, was raised. and the
order was not made.
After the senate adjourned the Re
publican committee on order of bust
ness held Il session to decide upon
the future line of action with refer.
ence to the treaty as amended. At
ter this committee had concluded it's
conference Senator Lodge. who was
with the committee, stat d that the
senate would proceed with the treaty
and that he would continue his eff
forts to have it ratified.