Evening star., 1900-12-19

me LOnuOn lines cans upon the fTeSl-
dent TO exert his power and bring the
Senate around to his views on the Hay
Pauncefote treaty. 1t conceives him strong
enough to do his by virtue of the victory
at the polls in November This is a sin
gular misreading of that result. The Times
ought to know that the Hay-Pauncefote
treaty did not enter into the campaign at
all. Although III existence, and the subject
when referred 20 of some criticism, it was
for the time being wholly lost sight of in
the attention that was bestowed on the
silver question and the Philippine question.
Neither the President nor the Senate re-
ceived any instruction to those features
of the treaty which are now in contro
versy The President is no stronger, the
Senate no weaker. than before. We have
practically the same situation SO far as
the treaty is concerned that we should have
if no election had been held That is to
say the two branches of the treaty-making
power of this government have received no
mandate from the people at the polls as to
the precise terms In which the treaty
should be made to take final shape.
Let us suppose the President acting upon
the Times suggestion. Let suppose him
notifying the Senate that the treaty must
be ratified drawn What would inevi-
tahly be the result? \ sharp controversy
at once between the Executive and the Sem
ate which would involve the whole question
of the canal and almost certainly play
into the hands of both the enemies Of the
ca nal and of Eng and For of course the
Senate would r5sen- the attempted dicta-
ton, and delay a.aug the whole line would
follow. We s.,wl have then the defeat
of both the ueay and the canal bill at
this session. ana such Il complication Of
matters for the next Congress as would
ma e extremely hard shedding for the
friends nf The cana. then Not unlikely.
inQeed, the congressional campaign of 1862
! would be made te urn on the question of
the Monroe doctrine, with the President
and his friends put in tho false attitude of
trying to surrender that principle of pre-
dominant American influence on this side
of the water.
1t is absurd, indeed, for anybody, in this
country or abroad, 70 ignore the Senate in
this matter. It's light to speak is as great
as that cf the President himself And when
it speaks attention must be pail The Pres
ident could no more cCCrce the Senate han
the Senate could c1erce the President 1t
does not coerce him when it amends
treaty and returns it to him. 1t simply
ercises a right under The Constitution. And
if Lord Salisbury delays his response to the
amended treaty, raises new difficulties.
he will but play the game Of those people
in this country who are ardently figuring
OF bitter enlargement, If not war, be-
tween England and the United States.
Those who wish the Nicaragua canal to
be built and built speedily should convince
England, if she needs convincing of the
wise and sound policy of asserting prompt
ly 20 the amended treaty. Her interests
| lie in letting the United States have its way
| in respect to the canal and the Clayton
Bulwer treaty, and in thus laying the foun-
dation for reasonable claims TO friendly
| consideration by the republic in respect to
some other matter of greater Importance
to her II England delays in acting upon
| the amended treaty she will merely help
to play the game of the railroad opponents
of any iSthmian canal, who stir up contro-
versy between President and Senate, the
United States and England, and the Mica
ragua and Panama canals III order to de-
feat entirely the canal project.