Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1905-03-17

call the summer meetings OF the Sen
ate committee on Interstate Commerce
iunket, although it is announced
that if the committee finds Washing
t IN too warm for comfort" it will r, =
pair to some pretty sea side resort 10
finish its work, at Government expens Q
OF course.
The sudden death of Senator Viii
liam B. Bate, of Tennessee. as the re
suit of cold contracted on Inaugural.
tion day, has afforded one more warn
ing against holding the presidential
Inauguration at so inclenlenta season.
Senator Bate became chilled on the
inaugural stand. there being fierce
North wind blowing across the front
of the Capitol, pneumonia folio wed and
although be attended the session of
the Senate on Monday, on Thursday
he breathed his last. Democrats in
Washington were much pleased at the
courtesy shown the late Senator from
Tennessee. by the President, who, with
his cabinet, attended the funeral SER
vices of the old Confederate General
and Southern statesman. The Presi-
dent is very busy these days. host of
callers coming to the White House
each day, but he broke all engagements
to show honor to tie deceased Senator
from Tennessee.
The Senate is still debating the San
Domingo treaty, but will probable con-
clude the argument next week. In
fact it is freely predicted that it will
be impossible to hold a quorum in
Washington after March II. 1t is
probable that the protocol will be
ratified after having been very mate
rally amended. 1t would be impossi-
BILE to ratify it with Republican votes
alone and in order. to secure sufficient
number of Democratic votes it will be
necessary to materially modify the
convention. The treaty has been re-
ported from the committee On Foreign
Relations after being radi cally revised.
All reference to the Monroe Doctrine
has been stricken out, more explicit
provision for the adjudication of claims
against SantO domingo has been made.
1t has been made evident that the I'm
ted States is taking the proposed course
only because Santo Domingo has re-
quested it and not to insure the pay
ment of foreign creditors. In fact.
the changes already made are such as
to lead some Democrats to believe that
they can, with propriety, support the
agreement without establishing dan
ger0us precedent or extending, beyond
the dictates of caution and common
sense, the Monroe Doctrine.
The President continues to assure his
callers that be proposes to present
strong arguments in favor of same re-
vision of the existing tariff schedules
in his message to Congress next gu.
tumn. The Senate committee on FL
nance has already made provision
whereby it can hold hearings during
the summer months and thus be in a
position to deal with the subject intel
ligently and expeditiously, when Con-
gress meets. The House, however, re-
mains under the complete domination
of Speaker Cannon and has made no
provision for tariff work during the re
cess while leading members of the low.
er chamber assert that the speaker will
"allow no tariff tinkering" next win.
ter. There are good many Republic
can members Of the House who fear
that If the Speaker adheres to this po-
sitiOn all next winter it will mean a
Democratic majority in the following
House, but it seems incredibl that the
Speaker can continue to resist the in
sistence of the President and the con-
yictions Of large majority of the
American people much longer.
Criticism of the report on the Beef
Trust, made to Congress by Commits
sloner of Corporations Garfield. has
brought out the fact that the sensa
tional portions of the report were sup
pressed. it being claimed that for the
Government to have made public these
portions would have hampered the eff
forts of the Department of Justice in
it's criminal prosecutions of the big
packers OF course if the criminal
prosecutions fail, the public will ex-
pect the entire report in order that it
may judge of the strength of the fed
eral case.