Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-21
FATE OF THE TREATY
What Leading Democrats Of
the Senate Say.
THEIR DEMAND STATED
ADMINISTRATION.
Must Show That It Was Not in Collu-
sion with Panama Insurgents
Before Recent Outbreak.
THEIR DEMAND STATED
Must Show That It Was Not in collu-

Democratic leaders in the Senate insist
that the fate of the Panama canal treaty
will hang in the balance until the informa
ton asked for by Senator Hoar in his reso-
luton of the 9th instant has been received
by them.
THE administration must have a clean
bill OF health.'' said prominent senator
of the minority today. MOT until 1t has
shown that it has not been in collision with
the men who brought about the revolution
at Panama will the minority senators look
with favor on the treaty and be willing to
allow it to pass the Senate"
Mr.. Buchanan's Nomination.
Following this line of action the nominal
ton of Minister Buchanan to represent the
United States at Panama was held UP in the
Senate in executive session Saturday after
noon on motion by Senator German that
the nomination be reconsidered. Minister
Buchanan had already received his COM
mission and had started for Panama, when
that motion was made. But the rules per-
mitted such a motion within two days from
the date of confirmation. 1t would have
been promptly voted down had 1t not been
Tor the fact that SO many senators of the
majority had left the city to spend the holi-
days at their homes that there was not a.
quorum.
The only result of this action will in the
Senate be to allow the motion to lie on the
table until January 4, when Congress will
reassemble, and when 1t will be called up
and be promptly voted down
The course of the democrats in respect
to that resolution, however, indicates their
purpose in respect to everything that re-
lates to the canal treaty and the recog-
milton of the republic of Panama They
propose to leave nothing undone that will
record their 70 ba
or Panama until the Senate has acted on
Senator Hoars resolution
Democratic leaders declare that the only
way in which the administration can show
itself to be gCiltleSS of any collision at
Panama is to have that resolution adopted
and to place the information 1t calls for
before the Senate.
What the Democrats Saw.
Democrats in the Senate are anxious TO
have 1t understood that In adopting this
course they do not oppose the building of a
canal not even the Panama canal under
the provisions Of the Spooner act They
state that If the treaty with Colombia had
been ratified by the congress of that renub-
lie they would have gotten in line ready for
the building of the waterway without oppo-
sftion That having failed. they still con-
tend that the President should have pro-
ceeded to negotiations with Nicaragua and
costa Rlca for canal by that route In az.
cordance with the provisions of the Spooner
act.
While that is the general attitude of the
democrats of the Senate, it Is recognized
that the only way they can be kept together
IN m awning IKE solid column against the
Panama canal treaty with the new republic
OF Panama is on the ground that the adj
ministratfon violated good faith with CO.
lomDia by conspiring with people at Pan
anna TO set up government there merely
as pretense and for the real purpose or
securing by that method what could NOT
have been attained through neeOtta tion
with Colombia =,
In the Senate on the line that has been fol-
lowed since Senator Hoar introduced his
resolution calling on the President for i'm
formation concerning all the essential facts
course followed by the administration 10
above criticism.
Senator Hoar's Resolution.
1t is well understood among republicans
that Senator Hoar's resolution in a modi-
fed form will be adopted soon after the
holidays. The opposition on the part of re-
publicans to the passage of that resolution
is not because they think the information
should be withheld from the Senate They
declare that the facts connected with
the recognition of Panama must be made
public They believe, however, that the
wording of Senator's Hoar's resolution is
l..
ing upon the President for information.
They propose to solve the problem before
the Senate by having that resolution sent to
the committee on foreign relations. That
committee will redraft it in such way that
the same purpose will be accomplished,
while the language will be modified so as to
bring 1t within the bounds of what Is re-
garded by them as a proper resolution.
BY this course the majority in the Senate
expect to take the wind out of the sails'
of the democrats. They are confident that
the President has done nothing that will
make him liable to criticism In relation to
affairs at Panama.
When the reply of the President has been
received republicans believe that democratic
opposition must of necessity be divided in
such way as to permit the ratification of
the canal treaty without delay and with
good majority. Otherwise they declare that
the democratic party will place itself In
the position of antagonism to q canal, which
course they do not expect them to take.
How the Senate Stands.
If 1t Is proposed to attempt to defeat the
treaty it will be necessary for the opposi-
ton to prevent five democrats from voting
for the treaty. That is. in case Senator
Hoar and Senator Hale of Maine. both of
whose votes are said to be in doubt, should
vote against the treaty. If they support
the treaty 1t will be necessary for the oppo-
sition to prevent three democrats from
going With the majority.
The republican membership of the Senate
Is f1fty-seven. The votes necessary for ratf-
ficatfon number sixty. II the republican
vote Is solid. and In addition there can be
obtained either of the Montana or Ken
lucky senators or Senator Cockrell and the
two Georgians or the two Florida senators
who are known TO be favorable to a canal
ratification can be accomplished.
The resolution which was adopted last
week In the remocratfc caucus pledgtnE the
minority as a whole to the support of
propositions agreed upon by two-thirds of
a caucus. contained the following proyiso:
Excepting when previous pledges have
been made by senators to their constituents
or instructions have been received from
their state legislatures or when a question
OF constitutional construction Is involved +"
There Is said to be no doubt that the
Georgia and Florida senators would repre-
sent the unanimous sentiment of their con-
stituencies In voting for the earliest com.