The Savannah morning news., 1903-11-17
DEMOCRATS DO NOT
AGREE ON THE CANAL.
Failed to Decide How to Face the
Panama Issue.

Washington, Nov. 1G.-Democratic
members of the Senate caucussed to-
day from 1870 until O'Clock, but were
unable to get together on a programme
as to canal legislation. Four distinct
propositions were submitted in the
form of resolutions, and many other
suggestions were made informally, but
no agreement could be reached, and
the caucus adjourned to meet again on
call of Senator German. chairman.
Senator German said of the caucus:
ut was our first pow WOW, in which
We all talked, and we did our thinking
afterward."
The resolution which was discussed
at greatest length was offered by Sem
ator Carmack of Tennessee. 1t de-
clared the sentiment of the Democrats
to be that the present canal law should
be put in operation by the President
The resolution declared the Spooner
act to be the present law governing
the authoritative course of the United
States in regard to the building of a
canal, and held that under that act
the President should proceed to the
building of the canal on the Nicaragua
and Costa Rica route. 1t asserted that
the reasonable time" for the acquiring
of the Panama route lapSed at the
death of the Hay-Herran treaty, and
that the President. consequently, was
left with no alternative but to build
the canal on the more northearly 18TH
milan route.
In support of this resolution speeches
were made by Senators Carmack, Tel
ler Blackburn, Patterson and others.
| The speeches were interrupted by SEN
ators differing with the proposition,
the principal arguments being made
by Senators Bacon. Clay and Cockrell.
1t was apparent at the outset that a
motion of such radical character could
not harmonic the minority.
Censure for the President for his al
legged assistance of the Panama re-
volt, but pledging support if a canal
| treaty were negotiated with the new
republic, was the purport of resolu-
ton offered by Senator Bacon as a
| substitute for the Carmack plan. This
| opposite extreme met immediate rejec-
ton. 1t was at this point that some
| of the senators withdrew from the
caucus.
Two compromise plans were sug-
| gested. The first was offered by Sen
ator Newlands, who proposed that the
| Steering Committee be authorized to
| of Democratic members of the House,
| to be appointed by Representative
| Williams, the House minority leader.
for the purpose of preparing some
party policy on all matters which will
come before the Senate in the extra
| ordinary session. This resolution was
| antagonized on the ground that the
| Democrats of the House already have
| adopted their programme in relation
| to the Cuban reciprocity enabling act,
and that any opinion the House may
| have on the canal treaty could not
| affect the position Of the Senate.
| A proposal to authorize Senator Cor
| man to appoint a committee of five to
| devise a programme on which there
would be at least fighting chance Of
| united action was made, and for a
| time it appeared that solution of the
| differences had been reached. Several
senators left the caucus under the i'm
| preston that this course would be
| adopted, but objection was raised by
| those Democrats who had supported
Senator Carmack's resolution, and the
| caucus then adjourned
1t was said tonight by a leading
member of the Senate Democratic
| Steering Committee that the minority
party in all probability will meet the
question of canal legislation without
| organization of any kind and will act
according to individual opinion.