The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-16
Spirit of the Press
President and Senate.
New York Herald.

Mixed up with the whole contention
| are two things which seem to be act.
| uating the Senate, and, Singularly
! enough, neither one has to do with
the fear that the Southern States viii
be called upon after arbitration to
pay the principal and interest of the
| ''carpet-bag" bonds. First, of course
| is the right which the Senate claims to
have voice ia the negotiation of al
| agreements with foreign governments
!, In connection with this comes in the
recent protocol with Santo Domingo
which was negotiated under the all
! thority of the State, department and
which was recalled and annulled af-
| ter the Senate had expressed it's opin-
| ion of 1t, and Senator Spooner hal
made his pointed remark about i'm
| parchment This voiced the feeling
| of the Senate on the question wheth-
| er or not the President and Secretary
of State had the right to do anything
of the sort in connection with foreign
affairs without the express sanction of
| the Senate.
| The other reason for the explosion
now being heard is an echo of the last
campaign. 1t was charged in Demo-
cratic speeches and platforms, and de-
tailed in Democratic textbooks thu
Mr.. Roosevelt was q man who would
like to be the whole government, who
had over-ridden the Senate and the
House, and who would constitute him
self dictator if he had the opportun-
ity. 1t is on record that nearly every
Republican senator during the last
campaign defended the President
against this accusation. They told their
audiences that the President was not
a man to try to expand his constitu-
tioual powers. But it is now rapidly
getting on record that all these Re-
publican Senator's. now taking the
Democratic view, and by refusing to
ratify these treaties, as negotiated by
Secretary Hay after consultation with
the Committee on Foreign Relations,
are preparing to vote want Of conf
dence in the very president whose
self-restraint they commended on TIE
stump.
It is also a singular fact that, while
the members OF the Committee on For
eign Relations make no attempt 10
defend themselves against the charge
made against them on authority in the
Herald this morning that they are act.
ing in bad faith, because most Cf 1l.em
approved the treaties before they were
negotiated by Secretary Hay, they are
practically all standing out against
the state Department and in favo1
of upholding the prerogativeS of the
Senate. Thus when the Senate finally
came to vote on the treaties the vote
Was heavily i'll favor of the amcn,l-
ments.
This was so because the Senate be-
lieves that the time has come to clip
the presidential wings. Democrats
and Republicans We're united on this.
X also means that the President wiz
not be able to conduct any negCtia-
tione as to Santo Domingo or Vene-
zuela or any of the West Indian an
South and Central America ropubIicS
without first obtaining the sanction
aud support of the Senate. one of
the most surprising developments of
this Senatorial revolution is the atti-
tude of Senator Lodge of Massachu-
sets. Senator Lodge is the bosom
frierd of the President. He has rlCre
to do with appointments than any
other Senator, and he also gets more
favors than any other Sena-or. ,'et he
followed his vote IL the conmittee il
favor OF the amendment to the treaty
todly by burning his bridges behind
him ano in the secret session of The
Senate turning on his 'fr.Cnu, hhco-
dore :