The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-02-15

arbitration. Not in years not. in fact since the last administration of Mir. Cleveland. has the Senate heard such plain talk. After hearing the letter read the Senate drew closer together in defense of its own prerogatIves. and 1t became absolutely certain that the treaties would be amended in the form decided upon by the Foreign .Rela> tions Committee. N
 Threats of the Senate.
 Mixed up with the whole contention are two things which seem to be act uating the Senate. and. siRgularly enough, neither one hes to do with the fear that the Southern States will pc called upon after arbitration tc pay the principal and interest of the "car. petbag" bonds.
 First. of course. is the right which the Senate claims to have a voice in the negotiation of all agreements with foreign governments. In connection with this comes in the recent proctocol with Santo Domingo. which was nego- tiated under the authority of the StatS Department and which was recalled and annulled after the Senate had ex- pressed its opinion of 1t and oenator Spooner had made his pointed remark about Impeachment"
 This voiced the feeling of the Senate on tn" question whether or not the President end Secretary of Stato 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. It was charged in Democratic speeches and platforms and detailed In Democratic text books that MT. Roosevelt was g man who would like to be the whole govern ment. who had overriddcn the Senate and the House. and who would consti+ tute himself dictator If he had the op- portunity.
 It is on record that nearly every re- publican Senator during the last cam paign defended the President against this accusation. They told their au- diences that the President was not man to try to expand his constitutional powers But 1t is now rapidly getting on record that all the Republican Sem ators are now taking the Democratic view, and by refusing to ratify these treaties, as negotiated by Secretary Hay, after consuItaIion with the Com mittee on Foreign Relations. are pre- pairing to vote want of confidence in the very President whose self-restraint they commended on the stump.
 It is also a singular fact that, while the members of the Committee on For eign Relations make no attempt to defend themselves against the charge made against them as authority in The Herald this mornling that they are acting in bad faith because most of them approved the treaties before they were negotiated by Secretary Hay, they are practically all standing out against the State Department and in favor of upholding the prerogdtives of the Senate. Thus when the Senate fin- ally came to a vote on the treaties the vote was heavily in favor of the amendments.
 To Cheek the President.
 This was so because the Senate be- lieves that the time has come to clip the Presidential wings. Democrats and Republicans were united on this. It also means that the President will not be able to conduct any negotia- tions as to Santo Domigo or Venezue- la or any of the West Indian and South and Central America republics without first obtaining the sanction and sup port of the Senate.
 One of the most surprising develop ments of this Senatorial revolution Is the attitude of Senator Lodge, of Mas BacnuBeLISs OSndIOI AOuBS iS AhS bosom friend of the President. He has more to do with the appointments than any other Senator and ne also gets more favoFs than any other Senator. Yet he followed his vote in the com mittee in favor of the amendment ts the treaty today by burning his bridges behind him and in the secret session of the Senate turning on his friend, Theodore"
 Senator Lodges speech came in the Senate after the Presidents letter was read. The doors of the Senate were closed for the consideration of Presi- dential business soon after noon. The secret session lasted until nearly two o'clock. when the Senate had to meet to consider the Swayne impeachment.
 After the reading of the Presidents letter the Senate plunged into a free discussion of it.
 Senator Lodge took the floor and said that no matter what the conten- tion might be as to the effect of the amendment he was compelled to stand with the committee amendment and in favor of upholding the Senatorial right to pass on all treaties and agreements with other countries He said he did this because he believed that the mak- CTS of legislation intended this as al safeguard to be thrown around such negotiations and 1t was a wise pro- vision of the legislation.
 Senator Lodge said the treaty in the form in which 1t went to the Senate was not wise and ne was ready to stand by the committee amendments. If the Senate agreed with the committee 1t ought to exercise its right and amend the treaties so that no claims could be arbitrated without being first sub mitted to the Senate for approval
 This speech of Senator Lodge, inti' mating that he thought the President and the Secretary of State were seek ing to exceed their constitutional rights. caused considerable surprise.
 Resent the Presidents Letter.
 As the debate proceeded it was ev- ident that the Senators did not relish the Presidents letter, which some were disposed to regard as a lecture and others as a threat, and that consider able feeling existed because the letter had been given to the press and spread broadcast over the country in advance of being read In the Senate.