The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-01-29
DIVISION OF
 DEMOCRATS Lineup On Panama Canal Treaty. RATIFICATION IS CERlAN Nominal Leaders of Minority
 in opposition.
 
RATIFICATION IS CERlAN
Representative Bede of Minnesota .. Makes Hit in His Maiden Speech and Pays Compli-
 ment to South.
Advertiser Bureau,
COlOrad0 Building, Wa 0hinD.np Ian

Washing ,on, Jan. -S. Nobody nee doubts the Panama Canal treaty will be ratified, but there is much guessing as to just what the vote will show.
 The most optimistic forecast yet put forward by any advocate of the treaty makes seventeen Democratic Senators for the treaty, fifteen against 1t and one doubtful. It Is indeed an extraordinary situation which makes such prophecy at all plausible. when every DemocI at who has yet spoken in the Senate of the lsthmian complications has protested against the administratio's course, and nearly every one has declared himself in flat opposition to the treaty. In the discussion of recent development in the Senate, opposition to the treaty has con- stantly been alluded to as "The Demo- cratic position o.
 It is therefore, somewhat startling to hear 1t seriously asserted to put the prop osition paradoxically, that an actual ma jority of the Democratic Senators are out of harmony with their own party.
 An examination of the details of the canvass referred to shows the remarkable fact that with very few exceptions the leaders of the Democratic party in the Senate. the men whom a visitor at the Capitol asks his guide to point out to him from the gallery, whose pictures adorn
 
 words are quoted by those seeking the true political gospel of their party, are counted against the treaty.
 Leaders Against Treaty.
 Indeed, so strikingly does this fact ap- pear that if the Washington observer were asked off-hand to divide the Demo- crats into two equal groups according to their prominence, he would include in the class of leaders almost all the Senators a would take probably not more than three pr four from the group counted in support of the administrations policy.
 To put the case in another way, the Senators counted on by supporters of the treatY.&o vote with the majority in- position of spectators during most of the Senate's proceedings. CoclxreTl, Bacon and Clay are, of course, leaders. Tne others are Foster of Louisiana, McEnery Money, McLaurin, Simmons, McCreary, Larimore, Stone, Berry, Gibson, Nal lory. Taliferro, Clarke of Arkansas and Clarke of Montana.
 In that list. moreover, are all the Demo- cratic Senators whose service began ths year, except Overman and Newlands. 0verman is counted doubtful Against the treaty are conceded German, Bailey Teller. Culberson Dubois, Bate, Carmack, Blackburn, Martin. Daniel, Tillman, Pat. terson, Morgan, Pettus and Newlands.
 This canvass, representing, as it does, the most extreme view. should be consid- cred rather as an indication of what the treaty advocates claim than as a record of actual feeling in the Senate.
 Senator Stone, for instance, after his speech of this week. Is in a position to cast his vote either way in accordance with the additional information which the Senate may receive in executive session.
 Senator Clay has denied that he has yet made up his mind to speak or vote for the treaty, and a number of other Sena- tors say frankly that they will vote with their party associates If there should be an agreement, whichever way the de- cision may be.