The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-11-17
DEMOCRATS :. VA TANGLE
 Canal Question Finds Them at Odds.
 NOTHING DONE AT CAUCUS
 No Two Seem to Be of the Same Mind. Carmack Has Resolution Forcing the Beginning of Negotiations With Costa Rica ana Nicaragua for Rights of Way.

Washington, Nov ls.-The Democratic members of the Senate caucused to-day from 1:30 until 5 o'clock. but were un. able to get together on a program as to canal legislation. Four distinct propo- sitions were submitted in the way of resolutions and many other suggestions were made informally, but no agreement could be reached, and the caucus ad- journed to meet again on call of Sena- tor German, chairman. Several senators in leaving the caucus bitterly complain ed of the lack of harmony which pre- vailed and compared the Democratic po- sition with the attitude of the Republi- cans. who they said, with twice as many representatives. had not a straggler while hardly two Democrats were of the same opinion.
 Senator German said of the caucus: 'It was our first pow WOW in which we all talked and we will do our thinking after ward.'
 Carmack's Resolution.
 The resolution which was discussed al great length was offered by Senator Car mack of Tennessee. It declared the sem tinent of the Democrats to be that the present canal law should be put Into operation by the President. The resolu- ton declared the Spooner act to be the present law" governing the authorita- tive course of the United States in re- gard to the building of canal and held that under that act the President should proceed to the building of the canal on the Nicaragua and Costa Rica route. It asserted that the reasonable time for the acquiring of the Panama route lapsed at the death of the Hay-Herran treaty and that the President conse- quently was left with no alternative bui fO NiIflA the khA ~y- isthmian route.
 In support of this resolution speeches were made by Senators Carmack. Dubois Teller, Blackburn, Patterson and others The speeches were interrupted by Sena. tors differing from the proposition. Ths principal arguments were made by Sen. ators Bacon. Clay and Cockrell. It was apparent at the outset that motion oi suoh radical character could not harmon ize the minority.
 Censure for the President for his al. legged assistance of the Panama revolt but pIedging support if a canal treaty were negotiated with the new republic was the purport of a resolution offered by Senator Bacon as c substitute for the Carmack plan This opposite extreme met immediate rejection. It was at thai point that some of the senators with drew from the caucus
 Compromises Suggested.
 Then compromise plans were suggest ed. The first was offered by Senator New lands who proposed that the steering committee be authorized to hold a con ference with committee of Democratic members of the House to be appointed by Representative John Sharp Williams the House minority leader, for the pur- pose of preparing some party policy on all matters which will come before the Senate in the extraordinary session. This resolution was antagonized on the ground that the Democrats of the House al- ready have adopted their program in re- lation to the Cuban reciprocity enabling act. and that any opinion the House may have on the canal treaty could not affect the position of the Senate
 A proposal to authorize Senator Cor man to appoint a committee of five to devise a program on which there would be at least a fighting chance of united action. was made. and for a time it ap- peared that a solution of the differences had been reached. Several senators left the caucus under the impression that this course would be adopted, but objection was raised by those Democrats who had supported Senator Carmack's resolution and the caucus then adjourned.
 It was said tonight by a leading mem- Der of the Senate steering committee that the minority party in all probability will meet the question of canal legisla- ton without organization of any kind and will act according to its individual opinions.