The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-03-12

that both the treaties are dead, so far
as the present session is concernd. He
said
1T looks to me as though it would
be difficult for us to hold a quorum
here more than a week longer.
number of Republican senator's have
Informed me that they propose to pack
up and leave next week, and shall be
obliged to leave Washington myself
early in the following week.
so far as / am individually con-
cerned, 1 am reconciliable to the prob
able failure of these two treaties, as 1
am not in danger of being reprimand-
ed by the people OF my state, who are
not showing particular interest in the
canal question, since the Panama
scheme was injected into the contro-
versy."
Will shed no Tears,
Several other Republicans who are
bound by party ties to vote for the
Panama scheme whenever the roll is
called also declared that they had no
tears to shed if the teraty failed. These
same senators stated that there is a
growing sentiment on both sides of the
chamber that the Cuban treaty must,
according to the Constitution, be con-
sidered jointly by the House Of Rep
resentatives. In other words, the Re-
publicanS are lukewarm in their sup
port of both of the subjects which the
President called them in special ses-
sion TO consider
On the other hand the Democrats. I'M
der the skillful leadership of Senator
German, have suddenly developed a
spirit of harmony and party discipline
which simply startles their Republican
opponents. For several years past the
Republicans have made all their par
tsan calculations on the theory that
the Democratic minority, owing to a
lack of successful leadership, could be
scattered and rendered ineffective
whenever a great political emergency
arose. Now they are confronted with
a compact and apparently united or
ganization, and it is evident that if
there is any party capital to be made
at the special session of the Senate,
the Democrats propose to have their
share. During the past two days
Senator German has had a personal
conversation with every Democratic
member of the Senate. These con-
ferences have taken place in the Senate
chamber, in the cloak room, and in
the cafe and in the seclusion of the
Democratic conference room at the
Capitol, and the result is that there
Is an almost unanimous sentiment in
VI Vi cIu6ilNliS DOlH Oh ln6 treaties
before they are ratified.
Senator Lntimer on the Canal.
Senator Latimer of South Carolina
briefly summed up the Democratic sit
uation in the Senate when he said: eff
we are to have a canal, we shall insist
that 1t shall be an American canal,
owned, controlled and operated by the
United States government, and, if any
special privileges are to be granted in
connection with the canal, American
citizens shall have the advantage over
the representatives of other countries.
While we want a canal across the
isthmus, we do not wish to buy a law
suit and a possible war with France.
THE Panama Canal Company is sim
ply a corporation, and when we buy
the Panama canal. we buy the stock
holders, who comprise the Corporation.
Many OF these French stockholders
have not consented to the sale of the
Panama canal to the United States
government and they will have a right
to make their appeal to the French
government and demand restitution
from the United States. There is no
telling what complication will follow
until the pending treaty is amended so
that it will show beyond all doubt or
controversy that the United States
government is to have absolute control
of the canal.
AS to the Cuban treaty, 1 believe
that l voice the opinion of nearly ev-
cry Democratic Senator when L say
that the pending treaty should not be
ratified without the consent of the
House of Representatives 1t involves
the question of raising revenue which
the constitution declares belongs joint
ly to both branches of Congress-"
Republican leaders say any amend
ment of the pending treaties will prove
fatal and will require all the diplomat
ic work to be done over again, and
thus delay the commencement of the
canal