Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-12-21
NAY BEAT 1H[ TREATY
Long and Bitter Fight on the
Canal Treaty Proposition
Expected In Senate
THE DEMOCRATS AXE DIVIDED

Gorman's Ambition to Make Political
Capital and Embarrass the Admin
istration Has Swept All His Scruples
as to Methods and Welfare of Coun-
try Aside.
Washington, Dec. 21.-There is to be
a long and bitter fight over the Pan
ANA canal treaty when the senate re-
sumes its sessions after the holiday re-
cess. There is a possibility now that
the treaty may not be ratified at all,
altho the general impression is that
true the democrats are divided, put
1t is also true that the minority against
the treaty is so large and so threat
ening that under the peculiar rules Of
the senate they can prevent ratiiicatioH
for months to come and possibly carry
the treaty over until after the eleS-
one for the administration, because UNI
til the treaty is ratified the unitai
States will not be permitted to fortifv
the line of the canal or to do anything
more than to repel actual invasion by
Colombia. With the treaty unratified.
the United States must wait for IN
overt act by the armed forces of the
republic of Colombia. Under its cid
treaty this country has the right, and,
in fact, ii becomes it's duty. to main
tain neutrality on the isthmus and 10
preserve peaceable transportation IL
can go no further than that, howeVet.
so that during the entire time the
treaty may be pending in the United
States senate this country is bound
by the ordinary rules of International
law to remain on the defensive and i;
can not even fortify the isthmus 1t 8
bound to defend.
This means constant encouragement.
it is said. TO Colombians to precipitate
La clash. In fact, there is ground for
the belief that a little coterie of dem-
ocratic senators led by Mr.. German,
who Is candidate for the presidency
and who is entirely willing to sacr:-
flee the interests Of the nation to his
own political prospects. have deter
mined to hold up the treaty in the
expectation and belief that during de-
lay the Colombians will gather their
forces and precipitate some sort of Il
This will then be seized upon by dem
ocratic managers as a basis of attack
upon the administration on the theory
that it Us browbeating little Central
American republic. and that the Mesi-
dslt has mania for warfare which
should make him unfit for re-elec-
ton
German of Maryland. Senator Nor
gan of Alabama. Mr.. Daniel of Virginia,
and two or three other well known
democrats, are leading the attack on
the treaty, and they believe they can
beat 1t. owing to certain indications
of republican weakness.
There are ninety-nine members in
the United States senate. A treaty
can be ratified only by a two-thirds
vote. There are fifty-seven republic
cans in the senate. so that under the
most favorable circumstances three
democrats must vote with the admin
istration party to ratify the treaty.
Senator Hoar, of Massachusetts, as
founded his republican associates by
his bitter attack on the administration
and they feel that he cannot be de-
pended upon to support the presidents
policy. He is looked upon as an enc
my to Roosevelt just as he was an
enemy to Mckinley, and 1t Is believed
in the end that he will line up with
the opponents of the Panama canal
just as he lined up with the friends
of Aguinaldo Senator Hoar's associates
say while he bitterly opposed rela
tions Of the United States with the
new republic of Panama. he will, new
ertheless, vote for the treaty on the
constitutional ground that the new
republic is a de facto government and
ii had the right to make treaty, even
though ii had been called into eXis-
tence by the unfair aid of the United
States. In spite OF these declarations
by friends of the Massachusetts SEN
ator, republican leaders have crossed
him off their list and do not feel JUS
titled on counting on him. at least for
any preliminary votes.
Senator Hale. of Maine is alleged
and its Panama policy. although no
one is yet prepared to say he VIII not
actually vote for the treaty until the
time comes. There are one or two
other republican senators who are not
supposed to be entirely reliable. and 1t
is therefore admitted the republican
strength for the treaty may be cut
down TO fifty three or fifty-five votes.
This means that from five to seven
additional senators must be secured
from the democratic side to secure act
ual ratification of the treaty.
There are at least a dozen democrat
lie senators who are more or less out
spoken champions of the treaty. They
want the canal and their constituents
have made known their wishes in this
regard. AT the same time, although
these democrats might in the end vote
for ratification of the treaty, they are
more than likely to follow German as
matter OF party policy in postpon-