The Opelousas courier., 1903-01-31

European power can lntllllluate
and bully any South American re
public, and so long as it does no.
land troops and attempt the &C
QUESTION of territory the United
States cannot logically protest, al
least cannot do so without repu
dating the Roosevelt definition
of the Monroe Doctriue. Minister
Bowen is in Washington and is
doing all in his power to bring
about peaceful settlement OF
the difficulty, but is meeting with
grave obstacles which are giving
rise to serious suspicion as to tho
honesty of Germany's purpose.
That set of men known as the
leaders of the Republican party is
perpetrating in the United States
Senate one of the most outrage,
Gus filibusters in parliamentary
history. After a test vote by
which it was demonstrated that
seventeen Republican Senators
and practically all of the Demo
Gratis, constituting majority of
the Senate, desire to vote on the
| Statehood bill and vote affirma-
lively, the Senate leaders, Aid
rich, Hanna, Spooner, Allison,
Lodge, Hale, ct al, announced
that they will not permitthe ques-
ton to come to vote If their de-
termination necessitates the call
ing of an extra session to make
appropriations for the regular ex-
penses of the Government. They
are openly defying the will of the
majority and are setting them
selves up as oracles whose will
the Senate must obey.
Among the reasons which are
doubtless prompting the continu-
ance Of the Statehood blockade
by the Republican ring may be
cited desire to prevent anti
trust legislation which will prove
inimical to the interests which
have placed these men in the Sen
ate and the hope of preventing
the passage of the immigration
bill and other legislation in the
interests Of the whole people.
With a view to further compli-
eating the antitrust situation the
members of the Senate are now
preparing a number of antitrust
bills which it is we'll understood
are intended to head off the adj
ministration measure just report
ed to the House and likely to pass
with the help of Democratic votes
at an early date. When it gets to
the Senate, however, it will be met
with the argument that one clause
has been covered in the EIkins
bill, another in some other, and
so on, and it is the hope of the
Republican leaders to in this way
prevent all effective antitrust leg
islation, even supposing their fight
on the Statehood bill should not
prove sufficient to do so.
| The Secretary Of State finally
concluded terms with Colombia
and has sent to the Senate treaty
which seems to meet with genera
approval. Under the conditions
of the convention this country i:
to lease the required zone of lane
for 100 years with the privilege
Of renewal at the same rental a
pleasure. The annual rental
which is to begin five years afte1
the ratification of the treaty, is tx
be $3.50, 900, and the cash paymen
to be made as soon as the conven
ton is ratified by both Congresse
will be $10,000,000. This, will
the $40, 100000 which it is agreed
to pay the Panama Canal Com
pany, will make an immediat,
cash payment of $50, 100000. A
the end Of sixty years the entir
| property Of the Panama Railwa
J will revert to the United States
, All tonnage and other water due
: from the harbors of Panama an
7 Colon will be paid directly to tn
United States. During the con
struction of the canal martial lay
/ will prevail, and United State
= troops will police the district
: After that arrangements are to b
[ made for policing, ETC., by join
high commission, but it is pre-
/. vided that in no instance will
8 citizen of the United States b
tried by other than a court mair
y tanned by his own Government.
4 The Cuban treaty is still the el
{ ecutive business before the Senat
0 and Senator Cullom is watchiu
J. for an opportunity to secure a
: executive session of several hour
9 duration, when it is believed IL
r convention will be promptly rat
s fed. Several members of IL
}. Senate have expressed to yol
o correspondent their approval I
II the Colombian treaty, and it's IA
f ification is practically assured
y soon as the Cuban treaty is di
3 posed of.
It The Philippine Committee h
r amended the House bill loweril
1T the duty on Philippine import