The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1907-02-05
FOR
HARMONY.
Mail Special to the AdvertIser.)

The Legislative dove of peace still scars
away into the distant blue. She es-
chews alike the White House and the
Capitol. Matters have reached the FIRST
shaking stage among the official occu-
pants OF both structures. 1t does not
necessarily signify that violence win
be done. Republicans during this adj
ministration has been accustomed to
wrenching personal and political ties
and then suddenly making up. But
the signs of hostilities, the animated
coming, the animated going, the rush.
ing to conferences, and appearances
for the time being that the Republican
party is going to smash because its two
factions can not agree add to the usual
winter gayety.
Before contemplating the political
carnage 1t is just as well to look ahead
about six weeks. A picture of what
will then be can be drawn now with
accuracy of outline. Congress will then
be adjourning. The lawgivers will be
Fastening to their homes. The work of
legislation and agitation will then be
over. A long vacation from Legislative
tasks will be on hand. The last of the
''scrapping'' will have occurred. There
will be happy and cordial farewells at
the White House. The President will
extend the glad hand. well done,
boys he will say in substance. This
has been a mighty profitable session.
1t has been in line with my ideas and
the plans of my administration. I as
sure you / have appreciated your eff
forts. as Republicans. This has been
one of the greatest short sessions of
Congress since the Civil War period"
But that takes us away from present
scenes, for the President and the Sem
ate are in death grapple. Mr.. Lodge,
whom he recently described as the only
Senator who had the backbone at the
beginning of the Brownsville cam
paign. to stand up for him, visited the
President Saturday. They had two
long conferences at the White House,
and at the close of those conferences 1t
was decided to declare open war. The
President wanted a test as to what
kind Of resolution should. be passed
for the investigation of the shooting
up of Brownsville. Senator Blackburn.
of Kentucky, leader of the Democratic
minority, had offered an amendment to
the substitute resolution, which struck
the Presidents fancy.
As a matter of fact the Blackburn
amendment, offered several days ago
solely as a matter of political mischief
lin the hope that 1t would contribute
to Republican confusion-brought the
Senate right back to where 1t was
weeks ago. At that, earlier stage Sem
ator Foraker had a resolution for the
investigation of the Brownsville ARRAY
By it's terms the resolution would per-
init Of an investigation not only of the
facts of that ARRAY but of legal and
constitutional questions, particularly Of
the Presidents legal and constitutional
authority to discharge the soldiers Of
the colored battalion. The Senate then
did not know much about the legal and
constitutional phase Of the question,
but just about the time that the Sem
ate was ready to pass the Foraker
resolution of inquiry. Mr.. Lodge of
Massachusetts proposed an amendment
to eliminate that phase. 1t aroused the
lawyers and the orators. 1t made a
big fuss and ever since then the Sem
ate has been celebrating and trying
to compromise. The Republicans have
been sharply divided, but were never
theless loath to go on record about
anything that could be interpreted as
President '@,l
Some light was shed on the legal
and constitutional questions, especially
by Senator Spooner, who showed that
1t was not the function of the Senate
to PREJUDICE such questions. He con-
tended and it has been generally con-
ceded that he is right-that the only
function the Senate can have in such
connection is to sit as a judge in
impeachment proceedings against the
President. But finally a compromise
was framed up. Senators Lodge and
Foraker drew the compromise late last
week. The goose honked high. 1t was
clear weather. Soon the committee on
military affairs would begin to investi-
gate Brownsville. Legal ana constitu-
tional questions would be relegated to
the background. The warning Repub-
lican factions were ready to strike
hands.
After this interchange of the Repub-f
lican olive branch. the Democrats be-
gan to make mischief. Senator Black
burn offered his amendment to the
Lodge Foraker substitute No one on
the Republican side had contemplated
such a possibility. Senator LaFollette.
Independent and radical Republican
from Wisconsin. subsequently remark
ed abjectly: IT was d fool that
l did not think OF that myself lost
a great opportunity"
Republicans had been again very
close to a vote for an investigation but
the Blackburn amendment literally
broke up the session of the Senate.
Conferences were renewed. They were
held In the cloakrooms. In committee
rooms, at the residences of Senators.
Table thai obnoxious resolution"
cried the conservative Republicans. 1T |
is designed to make a breach In our |
ranks. We can't afford to have that. |
1t would destroy us. Let us have har-
mony."
And after many heated conversations
II seemed about agreed that there
should be harmony. The plans were
all laid to have Senator Lodge-the
special champion, the man |
who at the start had offered an amend
ment, which. although In different Ian
suage. was identically the same as
obnoxious clause Senator = ierN"-"
had put in-move to lay the latter
clause on the table. Ye gods, what a
spectacle 1t would have been. 1t
would have given Senator Lodge an
reputation for inconsistency.
rhe conservative Senators with whom
1e trains most of the time but who |