The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-12-27
Statesmen in Doubt as to the
Panama Canal Treaty.
DEMOCRATS HOLD WHIP HAND
ROOSEVELT MUST SHOW CLEAN
BILL OF HEALTH.
lspeelaI 30 - HeraId.l


able point Of vantage from which TO /
study and learn accurately the senu- /
ment Of the country and at this par
ticular time the leaders Of both parties
in congress want. TO have the most ac-
curate Information obtainable concern (
ing the popular feeling upon the ques-
tions which are in the forefront Of F.
political discussion. Consequently cen
atOTs and representatives have been /
urged by the party leaders to visit /
their states and districts and study the /
impression made upon the people by
what has taken place in. the short ,
time that congress has been in session.
Since the extra session met in Npvem- /
Der but one important piece of legisla- Z
tiOu has been aCcomplished-the act /
giving effect TO Cuban reciprocity This 4
legislation is not deemed Of vital inn
pOrtance. but adoption has cleared the /
way for the coming political battle
which viii hold sway I'm congress for
the remainder Of the session. Panama
occupies the center of the stage and
Ct Is likely to be the issue not only in
the congressional debates. but in the
coming presidential campaign. il rs
for this reason that the Republican and
Democratic leaders have sent home the
rank and file of their following. They
want a correct canvass made Of the
home feeling on the question before
continuing the tight for or against the
Proposition.
Democrats Have Advantage
The temporary truce afforded by the
holiday recess finds the Democrats ~
the senate holding marked advantage
In the Panama discussion AS an
nOunced by Senator Bailey the minor
tty VIII vote as a unit in obedience 20
caucus decisions. There are TO be no
more Whole House senators from the
To- 81 he mil p
ity now has it in its power to defeat
the Panama treaty. which must needs
have two-thirds of the vote or the sem
ate to ratify it. Tt does not have 70
furnish a text upon which to base OPP
position 10 the treaty. This was SUP
piled by the venerable Senator HOar
when he asked this question in the sen
ate: Whether our administration,
knowing or expecting beforehand that
a revolution was coming, so arranged
matters that the revolution, whether
Deaceable or forcibte, should be per-
mitted TO go on without Interruption
and only took measures TO stop the
republic of Colombia from preventing
it2" Democratic leaders i'm the senate
insist that the fate Of the Panama
treaty viii hang on the character Of
the reply TO Senator HOar,s questions.
If the administration cannot show a
clean bill Of health the minority VIII
not allow the treaty to pass the senate
LIn adopting this course they do not OPP
Fpose the building Of the canal not even
the Panama canal, and under the
adroit leadership Of German the ad-
vantage. which IL is admitted the party
now holds. viii be maintained.
Seniority in the Senate.
The question Of seniority IN the SEN
ate is one that is venerated by the
strictest form Of observance. In the
army and navy one officer may be pro-
NOTED over the heads Of his seniors
and there is no redress. but in the SEN
ate the assignment of a junior senator
10 a committee place higher in rank
than that given his senior would ere
ate a revolution that would almost
overturn the senate. Even in trfling
matters the seniority of senators is
recognized. If a dozen members are
on their feet at one time seeking to
present bills or resolutions or commit
tee reports during that fiction Of the
body, the morning hour" the presiding
officer recognizes them i'm the order of
their seniority as nearly as he is able
10 do So The president of the senate,
Senator Frye. has the rank Of every
one Of the eight-nine senators who sit
4 before him firmly fixed in his mind. and
q whenever he names a committee he
appoints in order of seniority. IL lis
perpleNing question TO determine in
many cases between two senators just
H
between several groups Of senators
now in the senate the relative rank Of
those composing the group, for the
term of service OF those composing il
is Identical. The senior of the entire
senate les Senator Allison. who entered
the senate March 4. 1873. and who has
served continuously since that time.
Senator COckrell is second, his term Of
continuous service having commenced
ln 1875. Senators Hoar and Morgan en-
tered the senate on the same day,
March 4. 1871 Just how 20 determine
which is the junior and which the SEN
for senator in this case perpleXes even
the presiding officer. To iS cOntended
that. as Senator HOar had service in
the house Of representative prior TO
entering the senate, he should be
deemed the senior Of Morgan. but this
rule is objected to, of course. by sem
ltOrs who have not had prior service
in the house. When a senator drops
out and afterwards comes back into
the senate his claims to seniority date
only 10 the time when his continuous
service begins Thus Warren OF WvO-
ming who is now number eighteen in
the seniority list would be number
twelve had he not been out of the SEM
ate for two years. Senator Mitchell
who rs number twenty mine on the list
would be on q parity with Senator Al
lisOn had he served continuously. for
ne came into the senate from Oregon
on March q. 1873. the same day on
which Allison entered from Iowa. SEN
ator Stewart. who is number eleven.
would have been number one, having
entered the senate Ia 1865. The wisdom
shown by certain states in retaining
their senators in Office is SHOWN by the
seniority list. Had Oregon retained
Mitchell continuously the state would
now hold the Craftsmanship Of the COM
mittee on appropriations the most in
nuential place i'm the senate. The
states which have retained their SEN
atoTs continuously hold the powerful
places I'm the senate. Maine holds ma
val affairs and commerce: Rhode ISL
land. finance and military affairs.
Massachusetts. judiciary and Philip
pines: Iowa appropriations; Illinois.
foreign relations.
No Ship Subsidy Bill
There viii be no ship subsidy legis-
Iation at this session Of congress. The
house committee on merchant marine
and fisheries. ut "a meeting held just
before the holiday recess. discussed in
formally the general subject of a ship
ping BILL as wen as the recommended
tions Of the president for the creation
OF a. commission. II now appears that
this exchange ofv Jews developed
sentiment adverse 10 amy legislation
this winter for The encouragement Of
the American merchant marine.
There are several reasons for this
0ffffudn Of a ma forffr- Of fhp commit