The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1902-06-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular correspondent.

structed by the Nicaragua route because
think that route the better. If it could
not be by Nicaragua however, ! gladly
accept the Panama. These were the
words of a man who had made long
and valiant fight for project he knew to
be good and for route which he believed
to be the better. He had been defeated
in the choice of route but the great end
he regarded as accomplished and he
knew how to accept the defeat of his
methods with the same bravery that had
characterized his prolonged fight for an
isthuian canal.
X.
By vote of az to "a the Senate adopted
the Spooner substitute for the Hepburn
Nicaraguan Canal bill. This substitute
authorizes the President TO purchase the
entire property of the Panama Canal Co.
after having satisfied himself of the valid
ity of the title and secured the necessary
concessions from the Columbian govern
ment. In case he is unable TO do this he
is to negotiate the proper treaties with
Nicaragua and Costa RIGA and commence
operations on that route. An amendment
to the substitute provides for the issuance
by the government Of per cent interest
bearing gold bonds to the amount Of
$I3o, DOC, 900 to cover the cost of the pro-
ject. The Senate measure is now i'll the
hands of a conference committee but it is
generally believed that the House will
eventually accept the Senate's substitute.
~
Following the receipt of the message
of the President, in which he so
strongly advocated Cuban reciprocity,
the republican members of the Senate
have held two conferences in all effort to
agree upon some measure Of relief to
Cuba but their deliberations have not
been productive of results, and now all
hope Of reciprocal tariff concessions to
Cuba at this session of Congress have
been abandoned by all but a few enthu
siasts. Mr.. Roosevelt asserts that, in as
much as he considers that the honor of
the nation is at stake, he will not abau-
don the fight. He expects to make an
extensive tour of the country next fall
and will present his views TO the people
in the hope that they will induce their
representatives to ratify treaty which,
i'll the mean time, he will probably nego-
tate, granting reciprocity to the new re-
public. There are rumors to the effect
that the President will call special ses-
sion of the Senate to ratify such treaty
before next December, possibly inlme.
diately after the adjournment of Congress
but have succeeded i'll obtaining no con.
frmation of the stories and doubt that a
special session will be called, at least until
after the fall elections.
~
If Mr.. Roosevelt attempts to effect by
means of treaty which will require only
the ratification of the Senate, what the
two Houses of Congress have refused to
grant, there will result bitter protest
from members of the House of Repre-
sentatives who declare that the Senate
has no power TO modify the tariff by
means of a treaty. Under the constitu-
ton all revenue ME asures must be initial
ed by the House and OH that ground the
members claim that revenue duties can.
not be modified by the executive and the
upper chamber to the exclusion of the
House. Such precedent said a
prominent republican member to me
recently, would mean that, were the
executive and the Senate to prove false 10
their trust, they could, without the House
being in position to prevent it, so mod
lily the tariff as to reduce the revenues of
the country by half to the infinite benefit
of, say, Great Britain. That it was the
intention of the trainers of the constitu-
ton to prevent such possibility. and pro-
vide that important laws must be the
product of three law making powers, the
Senate, the House and the Executive, no
intelligent American can deny. In the
instance l cite the three powers making
the law would be Executive, the seiate
and Great Britain, the latter taking the
place of the House as the third party to
the contract.
~
On Thursday the House took up the
Philippine bill, the debate on which will
last until next Thursday and possibly
longer, for the reason that the special
rule under which the House is working
provides that, in the event tllst any other
business which may come before the
House occupies more than one hour, the
time for the Philippine debate will be
extended for the same length of time
Therefore the vote is not looked for until
Friday. 1t now seems certain that the
House will pass the bill reported by its
committee on Insular Affairs and that
the differences between that measure and
the Senate bill will have to be fought ont
in conference. The House will make an
earnest effort to secure the acceptance of
its bill in place of the bill drawn by Sen
ator Lodge. The provision of the Senate
bill which provides for the continuance of
the silver standard in the islands is oh.
noxious to many republican members