The Washington times., 1905-03-14
DOMINICAN TREATY
HANGS IN BALANCE
Difficult to Count Quorum
in the Senate.
IT MAY NOT BE RATIFIED
Perfuncto1y ListIessness Characterizes
Attitude of the Chamber Toward
Action on Instrument.
IT MAY NOT BE RATIFIED

The Santo Domingo treaty's fate is
hanging In the balance, for more than
ona reason,
It took twelve minutes today to count
q quorum at the opening of the Senate,
and then the required forty-three votes
were obtained only with difficulty. With
vacancies due to failure to elect in Del
aware and Missouri, the death of Sen
ator Bate of Tennessee, the failure of
Governor La Toilette OF Wisconsin to
,. claim his seat, and the inability of
Senator Aldriefa. because OF absence
abroad, to take the oath on March !,
for hEs new term. leaves the present
voting membership of the Senate eighty
five At II minutes past II o'clock forty
four members had answered to their
names and a quorum was present
The Senate met an hour earlier than
usual to facilitate considera ton OF the
Dominican treaty. 1t is intended to
meet at Ii o'clock each day in order, IL
possible, to arrive at some conclusion
! nm the treaty before the end of the
| week.
May Foretell Defeat.
| Anart from the small attendance of
| Senators. with The chance that a quorum
cannot be held in the city, treaty con-
sideration by the Senate hes reached
point where changed conditions are just
as likely to dictate a new plan for tenn
| norarv settlement of the matters now
under discussion.
This plan comprises the defeat of the
| treaty by party vote and the appoint
ment of a commission to visit the island
for the purpose of discovering the true
status OF affairs and recommending TO
what extent the good offices of this
l.. |sS \ ia Z ta
terests of foreign creditors
Willing to Delay.
Taken all in all, listlessness has sue
ceeded the aggressiveness which char
| acterized the Senate when it went on
record so decisively several weeks ago
as determined to uphold its prerogative
of sharing in the treaty-Inaking power.
Senators are for the most part tired of
| the legislative whirl, which reached its
climax in the final hours Of the Fifty
eighth Congress, when the Statehood
bin received its quietus and the river
and harbor bin was put through. The
excitement of the regular session has
gone and Senators have little heart for
lingering over treaty in which many
| of them. even on the Republican size,
see only complications and dangers. with
no couzpensating advantages commen-
surate with the Responsibilities under-
! taken.
Wary of Danger.
/ The temper of Senators has been
shown quite conclusively In the amend
ments already introduced. In fact. a
daily amendment" has come to be d
| feature of the treaty consideration. Sen
ators do not want to think that by their
actions now Uncle Sam is going to have
his fingers burned drawing Europe's
chestnuts out of the fire.
Strengthening Treaty.
The Hale amendment limiting the life
of the treaty TO ten years has removed
some opposition on the Republican side
but 1t cannot be said to have Won oyel
any Democratic votes.
| Without three votes from the minority
! side the treaty has no chance of ratifica-
! tion Apart from the fact that these
| votes have not been landed, there are
| Republicans themselves who are not yet
satisfied with the treatys form, ever
though 1t has been much amended.
70 meet these views OF some Repubif
cams and all the Democrats, Senator
bacon has offered an amendment which
nrovitles that should the use of the
American army or navy be needed tt
maintain order in Santo Domingo dur
such occupation shall be refunded by
Santo Domingo
Article seven in the amended treaty il
also objected to by the Democrats anc
by a dozen or more Republicans. 1t de
clares that the United States, while
this treaty is being executed. may TAX,
such steps as it may deem proper TO pre-
serve order and facilitate the accom-
plishment of the purposes thereof.