The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-12-20
Would Rather be Beaten Than !
See Panama Treaty Fail
il, the Senate 5. 585:
DEMOCRATS will
VOTE AGAINST I1'85
This Seems ITO Assure Defeat
Of Convention With New Re-
public Of Panama for the s2
Construction Of an ~;
Az. iIn INT ::r!; !; ami . ..l3.
Canal. ts5

s Fron' Our Regular Correspondent.)
wAsHINGToN,;D.C s Dec. II IL had
rather sec the Republican party lose
national campaign, than have the Senate
refuse to ratlfy the treaty with Panama.
by which the United States is given tho a
right to construct canal across tha \
.is,hmus', President Roosevelt Is said to-
have declared TO a caller at the Whit I
House to-day. 3%iG ~ s5g ssss5
strong likelihood Of the Democrats de-
floating the efforts to secure the ra tlfica-&
EtionsS OF the b treaty. ratification must
bc by two-thirds Of the Sena tie. AllowL$
Ing for all the Republican senators !. vot
ing for the treaty, and all the Democrats \
voting against 1T, there would DO only
fifty-seven votes for It, and sthirty-threoI
against 1t. HI &ii
MI is asserted on reliable authority to-@
night that Senator Hanna.fand four lot her
Republican senators have decl red their
Intention Of voting against the rat flea
Iton Of the Panama treaty VI 1t is said
that the 5psurreotlon was reported attic
White House, and was made the bjects
Of ~ long con ferens wi n,rlnp
callers to v see he sitent, Including.
Senator Lod Sc, his so 81 st1lai i,l the senss
ate. and Speaker Cannon. 5
] { tho report be correct, and there 10 j;
apparently little reason to doubt "A t.ss Il !
Is morally certain that the Democratic
Scuucus or the SENATE will declare agatns u
ratification and that the treaty will be I
defeat eds sGe t%s VI III ss iSs
There IS little doubt that Scna tor. Hoar@
will vote for the rati fication of the colt
lventon. though he brought OH the Pana-is
ma discussion BY his resolution cnl MS
on the President for all tho Information
In his hands, tending to show; the. rela ton Il
OF the representa- lives OF this COUNT ~ to-
the revolutionlsts. Ills speech in criti-S
cism Of Mr.. Roosevelt's course In the mat .$
trr was as severe as Mr.. German s.. tng
some respects, and Jared the Republica MS h
much more, for the reason that 1T came
from their own sido of the chamber. But, q
as In the case OF tho Philippine bllls,
Mr. Hoar will probably speak bitterly
against the policy Of the admins ira ton
But when q vote Is reached Will be found /
standing pat III support Of the adminlstra-s
ton t VI a IN ts sSSS;
ID The attitude OF the Democrats to-Ss
wards ratification cannot be defined ut Fl
this time One of the most distinguished
members of the minority In the Senate
said, In the course of a conversation Z
which had with him at the Capitol to-
day, that he was utterly unable 70 pre- re.
4 dict with anything like accuracy what
would he the policy o the Democrats aa Il
fixed by tho caucus. That the caucus a
will pass OH the question there is no &
room for doubt. The recent action Of VI
tho Democrats OF the Senate. making II
the vote OF two thirds OF the members
of tho caucus binding upon NJ. is great
factor In the case Of ratification, Ind $Sggs
makes 1t certain that the \ Republicans IA
will encounter united opposition when.
the ratiflcat on OF the treaty becomes
a subject OF discussion. II.
HOW WIND FLOWS. Y 3
There Is one fact that mnkes It spe-lat
c!ally difficult to forecast the action OF ga
tho caucus and the attitude the Demo,
Gratis will assume, That fact5is the un- VI
disputed one that the States of the South. ~
from which the great majority OF tn
Democratic senators come, want an LIST ~
milan canal more than they have wanted
anything from tho national government @
since they wanted to be rid OF military IN
rule. Soon after the revolution In Pan-
ANA n number Of the Democrats In tho ~
Senate said that II II treaty with Pan-. q
ANA, concedlng to us the right TO- cons IA
struct the canal. We're proposed for ratt-
f'cR ton. they should vote for IT., though
tel'evlng that this, government had acted
dishonorably towards Colombia In trefus-
Ing TO allow her to send troops into Pam
ANA to quell tho ALLEGED insurrectlon. t{
( Senator German received n number Il
OF kilograms and letters yesterday and v
last night from men prominent IN the
commercial and financial world In New
York, endorsing the speech which ha 81
made In the Senate Thursday, attacking
the President for his course in the Pan-
anna matter He and his Democratic cOl- Y
leagues think the letters are straws &
which unerrlngly show which way ris
wind is setting In influential quarters