The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-18
WILL WORK STEADILY
ON PANAMA CANAL
TREATY
Republican Senators Decide
to Perseyere Till a Vote on
the Treaty Is Reached
Intention Of Displacing
Statehood Bill Disclaimed.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 1.-THE
Republican senators held a caucus to-
day and decided to have the senate
continue consideration of the Panama
canal treaty tomorrow and on future
days until 1t shall be disposed of. This
result was reached after an hour and
| a halfs discussion of the legislative
| situation. The conclusion reached was
unanimous. The understanding is that
| the statehood bill does not lose its ad-
vantageous position in the order of
| business when the senate is in legiS-
| lative session. The Republican sup
| pOrters of the statehood bill agree not
| to antagOniZe d motion for an execu-
| tive session to consider the caIsll
| treaty, nor to make any objection to
| the prolOngation of such session to
any extent necessary to secure ratifi-
| cation.
The caucus was opened by a state
| ment by Senator Allison, chairman Of
the steering committee, giving it as the
conclusion of the committee that the
Panama treaty should be ratified before
the adjournment of the session. He
added that the steering committee, be-
| ing responsible for the order of bust
ness, should be followed when it
makes a suggestion as to the order in
| which questions should come before
| the senate.
Argument for Early Action.
Senator Cullom, in making the mo-
ton to consider the treaty, said that
the option Of the United States on the
righs and franchises of the Panama
canal treaty expires on the 4th of
next March. Other interests and 9TH
er nations might desire to control so
| important an enterprise so that it was
altogether possible that we would not
| be able to renew the option as so low
| a figure as $40,000,000, the price which
| this country has agreed to pay in case
| the bargain Is consummated. AS only
| two weeks of the session remain, and
there was determined though limited
| opposition to the treaty, 1t was neces-
| sary that no further time should be
| lost in getting down to serious work on
| the treaty.
Several friends of the statehood bill
| expressed the opinion that the chief
| purpose Of the motion was to sidetrack
| the statehood bill. Speeches based on
| this apprehension were made by SEN
ators Quay, Elkins, Gallinger and Fora
ker. They expressed their adherence
to the treaty, but thought that the
proper way to reach a vote was first
! to take vote on the statehood bill.
Pointer From Quay.
"By pursuing that course" said Sen
| ator Quay, you can get the only OBJ
stacle to consideration of the treaty out
| of the way and get 1t out of the way
| by legislative means He called at
| tention to the prolongation Of the de-
bate which he said all knew was far
| beyond the necessities and urged that
| a day should be named for a vote on
| the statehood proposition.
All the supporters of statehood spoke
in the same strain, charging deter
| mined opposition to the expression of
| the will of the majority and dissent
| ing from the opinion expressed by Sen
| ator AllSion that the steering comnnt.-
tee should determine the order of bust
ness. They also united in their opposi-
| ton to considering Senator Cullom's
| proposition as q motion. Republican
caucuses in the senate, they said, al
| ways are in the nature of conferences
and are not necessarily binding except
| as Republican senators may consider
| themselves under obligation to follow
the majority Of their party. They were
| going to the extent Of declaring they
would not be bound If the question
| should be pressed to a vote.
Perhaps an Important Precedent.
Replies were made by Senators
Hoar, Hanna, Lodge, Aldrich and 9TH
| ers, and much stress was laid on the
necessity Of securing the ratification
of the treaty and on the fact that
] there was no intention to displace the
| statehood bill as the unfinished legis-
| lative business Senator Hoar made an
| argument to prove that the executive
| business Of the senate occupies a diff
| ferent place from legislative business
| and that courtesies toward other ma.
| tons demands that treaties should
| have preferential consideration at the
| hands of the senate. This view was
accepted generally by senators and was
| the view acted on. Some of the sena-
| tors present afterwards commented on
| it as likely to form a new departure
| and an important precedent in the
| senate.
Senator Foraker stated that an emf
nent engineer officer had assured him
| that no fewer than four great European
| powers were looking with Jealous eyes
| on our movements on the isthmus and
would be glad to displace us there.
Meeting an Emergency.
| Tne state OF the Panama canal
| treaty in the senate was discussed at
I the cabinet meeting today. Some ap-
prehension is expected that the treaty
1 may not be ratified at the present ses-
sion owing to the opposition of Sen
ator Morgan. 1t is impossible, even If
the treaty should be ratified by the
senate at this session. to effect an ex-
| change of notifications until after the
| expiration Of the option, March 4. 1t
| is proposed, however. to enter into a
| contract with the Panama Canal COM
pany by the terms of which the amount
agreed upon shall be paid the country
| by this government by the exchange
| Of notifications between the United
| States and Colombia. That agreement
| will tide over the present emergency
and keep alive the option.