The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-02-24
WASHINGTON.
Legislative and Cen
eral Topics from
the Capital.
February Is. 1905,

AOASAOO W ANh wv
is the inscription which should
he emhlazoned on the doors of
the United States Senate. For
three weeks the Senate debated
the arbitration treaties submitted
by the President for ratification
and finally determined that the
treaties as wOrded, implied a vi
olation of the Constitution and
amended them in accordance with
the ideas of the constitutional
lawyers of the upper chamber,
despite the urgent insistence of
the President that the treaties
be approved without change.
Opinions differ as to the merits
of the controversy which in
vOlved question of cOnstitu.
tional law too abstruSe, perhaps
for the average citizen to decide,
but while the Senate was engaged
in removing the mote from the
Presidential eye it failed to see
l ut Ucdm III It's ON ii.
inadvertently, no doubt, but
not the less certainly. the Senate
itself perpetrated an unqueStion
able violation of the Constitution
when it adopted the Hanshor-
ough amendment To the Agricult-
ural appropriation bill, instruct
ing the Secretary of the Treas
ury not TO apply the drawback
provision of the Dingley Act to
flour made III whole or in part of
imported wheat. The House was
quick TO perceive the invasion
of its constitutional prerogative
of initiating revenue legislation,
a violation of the Constitution
Tar more obvious than that al
legged to be involved in the arbi
tration treaties, and the result
was that the Senate has been
obliged to recede from its POSI-
ton and strike from the Agri.
cultural bill the offending amend
ment before the House would
consent to consider it, at all.
When the Agricultural bill
reached he House the unconsti
tutionality of the Hansborough
amendment was Immediately
perceived and without bringing
the till up for consideration
resolution was proposed respect
fully calling the attention Of
the Senate to its violation
OF the prerugallve of the
House. " hen this resolution
reached the Senate its equity
was immediately appreciated and
Senator HansboIougb him Sc f
moved to strike from the bill the
offending amendment. This done,
the bill was again passed and
returned to tue House. all of
which goes To show that the best
constitutional lawyers may differ
regarding the exact meaning of
he Constitution and that tue
best intentioned may unwltiugly
violate even the clearest provis
ions of that venerable em bOdi-
ment known as the Constitution
of the United States.
The President has sent to the
Senate a remarkable message on
aafflrS in San Domingo aud
protocol. which at first glance,
meets with the approval of a
large num- her of the mem ers
OF the upper chamber. 1t is
almost too early to make pre-
dictions regarding the ultimate
fate of the treaty but it is obvi.
| GUS already that there will be
no division on party lines. The
President in his message points
out the advantages which must
accrue to the Southern, and
especially the Gulf States from
stability and prosperity in the
Dominican Republic and his
arguments appeals to Southern
Democrats with quite as much
force as to Northern Republicans.
The prOcotol, or treaty, provides
that the United States shall take
charge of the financial affairs of
San Domingo; collect at the
expense of that republic, all OF
her customs and duties and turn
over to the San DOMINICAN gov
eminent 40 per cent. of the gross
receipts for current expenses; ont
of the remaining 80 per cent. shall
be paid the expenses of collection,
and the remainder shall be de-
voted to the payment of San Do.
mingo's outstanding indebted
ness. The United States will also
adjudicate all uDliquidated in
debtedneSs and will exercise reas-
enable control over the tariff
schedules of the Republic until
its debts shall be paid.
In his message the President
reviews the long history of San
Domingo's "frenzied fl an en
which has produced a condition
of absolute uncertainty and de-
clares that this country cannot
logically maintain the Monroe
! Doctrine in its entirety without