Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-26
RATIFIED BY SENATE
APPROVAL OF THE SANTo DOMIN-
90 TREATY.
Three Hours Spent by the Democrats
in Opposition to the
Convention.

| SOuVSuClOus
| The Senate at 1876 last night, in execu-
tive session, ratified the Santo Domingo
treaty, which provides for the assistance
| of the United States in the collection and
application of the customs revenues Of the
Dominican republic. The treaty was taken
up at session beginning at s:15 o'clock,
and the entire time was devoted to opposi-
ton by democrats to the convention. The
| vote was 43 to 10, which is one more than
| the two-thirds required.
| Senators Bacon, Daniel, Carmack, Gull
berson and Newlands criticised the policy
| involved as extremely unwise and as
creating a precedent that may prove dan
gerous to this country. Senator Bacon
closed long argument by saying that he
was weary Of the whole subject and glad
| to get rid Of it. He declared that the
| President for two years had violated law
/ in that he had carried into effect, without
| authority of treaty, relations with a for
| could not be enjoyed without sanction of
| the Senate.
! Senator Carmack opposed the ratification,
but said that if favorable action was not
| had on the treaty the President would 20
| ahead with it anyway, and the Senate
| might as well take the action that would
| Save his face
Other democratic senators asserted that
| the President negotiated treaties with for
| eign countries which never have been sent
| to the Senate, and Mr.. Bacon mentioned
| among these one with Cuba concerning
| Guantanamo. Senator Clark of Arkansas
| and Senator Patterson made speeches in
favor of ratification, and these democrats
We're the only ones of that party who
voted for the convention.
Senator Bacon's Opposition.
The ratification of the treaty followed
a debate in executive session, during which
Mr.. Bacon of Georgia condemned the pend
| ing treaty as worse than that negotiated
| in 1903, the one supplanted by the pending
one. The 1895 treaty authorized the United
States to examine into the debts and pay
what was justly due.
The pending treaty, said Mr.. Bacon, pro-
vides for the scaling down of the Domini-
can debts to about so per cent of their
face value, with the exception of the claim
of the Santo Domingo Improvement Com
pany, controlled by American capitalists
which is to receive about 80 per cent of
| the face value. These capitalists, said Mr.
Bacon, have used this government as a
cats paw. He expressed the belief that
large part Of the debts were fraudulent
and that in providing for the payment
without opportunity to. adjust the claims
the United States is aiding graft and
participating in placing an unjust burden
on the republic.
Under the form Of settlement Mr.. Bacon
thought there was an excellent opportunity
for manipulation by men skllful in such
| transactions.
The sale of per cent bonds to the
amount of $20,OOOOOO, payable in fifty
years, which is a part of the plan of settle
ment provided by the treaty, Mr.. Bacon
said, makes the United States responsible
| for the collection of the revenues for fifty
years, and has the effect of establishing
| protectorate over the republic. He as
| serted that this government has no right
| under the Constitution to create a protec-
torate by treaty, and he was even doubt
| full If 1t could do SO under an act of Con-
gress. A protectorate over Santo Domingo
| he declared, means that eventually 1t would
| have to be extended over Haiti, and he
| expressed the opinion that If the United
| States sends its authorized agents into the
| islands it never will withdraw them. 1T
means annexation and nothing else" he
said.
The worst feature, Mr.. Bacon said, was
| the precedent it establishes. He believed it
would be the ground for similar proceed
ings in relation to other West Indian is
lands and that it would extend to take in
practically all of the Central American
states.
"All Of these countries" he said, "have
debts they would like to settle in this
manner"
Mr.. Bacon suggested that the Senate
ed the former treaty by inserting a new
article which declared that the United
States should not be responsible for any
act of omission or commission in adjusting
the Dominican debt, and that the treaty
should not be regarded as a precedent. The
present treaty, Mr.. Bacon said, carefully
eliminates this provision, which, he thought,
was done with the idea that the United
States might take over the island. Mr..
Bacon said the situation today was not
unlike that Of thirty-five years ago, when
President Grant made an effort to have
Santo Domingo annexed, and was defeated
in this attempt by Charles Summer.
The only amendments adopted were those
agreed upon by the Senate committee on
foreign relations. The vote follows:
How the Senate Voted.
For-Allee, Ankeny, Beveridge Burkett,
Burnham, Burrows Carter, Clapp, Clark Of
Wyoming, Clarke of Arkansas, Crane, Gull
lom, Curtis, Depew, Dick, Flint, Foraker.
Fulton, Gallinger. Kean, Kittredge, Knox.
Lodge, Long, McCumber. Willard, Mulkey,
Gamble, Hale, Hemenway, Hepburn, Nixon
Patterson. Penrose, Perkins. Piles, Scott,
Smoot, Spooner, Switzerland Warner.
Warren and Wetmore. Total, forty-three.
Against-Bacon, Berry, Blackburn. Car
mack. Clay. Culberson. Daniel, Dubois,
Frazier, Latimer, McCreary, Ma1lery,
Newlands, Overman, Pettus, Rayner, Sim
mons, Stone and Whyte. Total, nineteen.
The pairs were-Elkins and McEnery
with Bailey, Dryden and Dupont with Fos-
ter, Hopkins and Nelson with McLaurin,
Frye and Dolliver with Martin, Allison and
Aldrich with Morgan, La Toilette and
Bulkeley with Money. Platt and Proctor
with Taliaferro, Smith and Hansbrough
with Teller, Dillingham; and Brandegee with
Tillman; Senator Clark OF Montana not
voting and not paired
AS soon as the doors were closed Mr..
Lodge called up the treaty. Mr.. Bacon i'm
mediately moved that the doors be opened
and the treaty be considered In legislative
session, as the terms of the treaty had been
made public. but the motion was lost.
Mr.. Daniel and Mr.. Lodge had sharp
colloquy concerning the responsibility
placed upon the United States by the con-
vention. Mr.. Daniel contended that this
government would be obligated to prevent
political disorders in the island until all of
the terms OF treaty have been fulfilled. Mr..
Lodge did not think there was any danger
of this situation becoming embarrassing to
the United States. Other senators then
smoke In the order before named