The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1905-02-21

THERE is a dlSpOSitl VA the part
Of the Democrats. anessa Democratic
press, to make it appear that the Sen
ate has broken with President Roose-
velt, and the disruption of the party
is imminent. This is a FALSE impfes-
sion. The Senators. feel that they
were right in taking the stand they
did. The idea that they desired, or
were even willing, to make an issue
with the President,is preposterous at
least fnthe case of most OF them. Take
for example some close friends and
hearty admirers of the President as
Senators Lodge, Foraker, Kean and
Dryden, both of the latter Senators
from New Jersey and both having very
dissertations with him. Messrs. Kean
and Dryden voted for the change.
Senator Dryden in an interview with
the Washington correspondent of the
Newark News made statement CON
corning this matter which is as inter-
esting as it was plainly sincere. He
said:
1T should be made perfectly clear
that the action Of the Senate upon
the proposed arbitration treaty evinceS
no hostility to the principle Of arbitra-
tiOn and especially none to the Presi-
dent, The.P President submitted for the
advice and consent Of the Senate nine
arbitration conventions with nine diff
ferent nations. Article l, provided for
referring to the permanent Court Of
Arbitration. established at The Hague,
differences of a legal nature, or relat-
ing to the Interpretation Of treaties
existing between the high contracting
parties, which it may not have been
possible to have settled by diplomacy ;
provided, nevertheless, that they do
not affect the vital interests, the indie
pendence or the honor of the high con
tracing parties and do not concern the
interests OF third parties. 1t will be
observed that this prOyiSO employs on
ly general terms OF wide meaning, and
opens up. possibilities OF important
misunderstanding. Who is to de-
termine, in. case of dispute, whether
an issue raised comes within the scope
and meaning OF these general phrases.
In The View OF an overwhelming ma
lOrity OF the Senate, the Constitution
places upon. that body the distinct and
sacred obligation Of being a party to
such determination. Now, in Article
ii, of he.prOp0sed treaty, it was pro-
ylded that before appealing TO the
permanent Court of Arbitration, a
special agreement should be entered
into by the high contracting parties,
clearly defining the matters in dis
pute.l The word agreement as thus
used is not a. constitutional word in
the association in, which it here EN-
ployed. Its meaning was doubtful and
it was likely to give rise to serious
MISUNDERSTANDING and diSagreefnentS
in the efuturegF'f 1t was therefore pro-
posed to amend tile convention as sub
mitted~t by substituting the word
treatyNs for tile word agreement
thus employing the very word which
the Constitution itself uses, and about
the meaning of which there can be no
possible doubt. By this change, any
treaty or treaties that might be me-
gOtaated between our Government and
Foreign Governments would have to
be submitted to the Senate for its con-
sent and agreement, as required by the
Constitution. If there was any doubt
as to the Interpretation which the ex-
ecute branch Of the Government put
upon the word agreement as used
in the convention, that doubt was
wholly removed after the receipt of
the Presidents letter addressed to
Senator Cqllom.n