The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-02
THE STATUS or THE SiNTO
DOMINGO TREATY

WASHINGTON, March THUS far the
Senate as a body, ahd Senators as individ-
ualH. have been too busy TO give any special
attention to the pending Santo Domingo
treaty But there Is evidence that tho
gentlemen before whom the question will
probably come next week are far from in
different to IT, 1t turns NJ in conversation,
and has cropped out in discussion Of tho
Naval bill Two measures concerning IL,
the Bacon measure and the Morgan pro-
test. have already been filed Signs are not
wanting Of the imminence Of an energetic
and perhaps far-reaching contast.
The treaty, both as an eEunciation Of
national policy and in It's specific provisions,
will be subjected to a rigid scrutiny. Some
object TO any tying Of hands by pledge
to res pact the territorial integrity Of the
island The receivership will last for prob
ably ten years or more The mach OF
events might compel us to violate such u
pledge. and the violation Of national pledges
is not popular proceeding. Some ques-
ton the idea OF making the President OF
the United States The determining legisla-
tive factor in the establishment of tariff
rates in foreign country over which we
exercise neither sovereignty, jurisdiction
nor control
Some ask who or what IL meant by -the
Government Of the United States" in the
seventh article which provides that the
Government of the United States az the
request Of the Dominican Republic shall
grant the latter such other assistance as
the former may deem proper to restore the
credit, preserve the order, &c. Who or
what, also. is the Dominican Republic?
Is it Morales or some possible successor;
Or is it the Dominican President and his
Congress?
Some question the political response
blity Of the present Dominican Admits
tration and the method by which it i kept
in power Some, moreover, doubt the OK
pediency Of the general policy Of national
debt collecting.
Some think the wiser course would be to
assume temporary control of the entire
administration Of the island as well as of
It's finances, until it should give evidence OF
its ability to carry on such an institution
as that described by Mr. Mckinley in his
message Of April 1898. regarding Cuba "a
stable government capable of maintaining
order and observing It's international obliga-
tons, insuring peace and tranquility. and
the security Of its citizens as well as our
own They feel that such course may be-
come necessary under the operation Of the
treaty. and that such a step. minus the
treaty, would leave the United States free to
act. and would establish no precedent under
which the United States would be COM
PEELED to a similar course with other Latin
American republics.
The Washington Star says that the in
dicatons are that il the treaty il ratified
it will only be after long and earnest de-
bate. and in consequence Of an urgent APP
peal from the Executive To the long
and earnest debate there can be no possible
objection. To Executive appeal there is
much. The President has done his work
The Senate should be left 20 do it's part free
from Presidential influences beyond that
provided for in the third section OF the
Second Article of the Constitution He
may deluge the Senate as a body with urgent
messages; but in the present temper Of that
he may find it unsafe TO essay
too much OF direct personal dealing with I
some Of its members
There is no present sign that the treaty .
will go through with rush and IL may not /
even be possible 10 jam it through.