New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-02-09

First, there Is the positive record
that the Senate advised the rntineat'oh
of tho Treaty Of Paris, and the HOUSE
appropriated the money necessary ior
carrying it's provisions into effect. mat
treaty Enthusiastically provides for tho
absolute and perpetual oession Of the
Philippines TO the United STATES
Therefore, Congress by positive acts
sanctioned that acquisition OF the ISL
ands, and may reasonably be regarded
as having expressed the intention OF
taking and keeping them forever
But there IS also 8 negative record
q record of refusal TO express any sucn
intention as that which 10 now so
sliblv and confidently ascribed to the
nation and its representative. In Feb
ruary. 1899, the Treaty Of Paris was
before the Senate for ratification and
the House WAS about 20 be asked 70
make the appropriations necessary Tor
its execution. The question OF our
permanent sovereignty in the fhiilp-
pines was raised, and there were those
who wanted TO answer II In the mega,
tive. Senator McEnery was one OF
them. and on February b he introduced
a joint resolution declaring
THAT By the ratification OF tho
treaty Of peace with Spain II is not
intended to permanently annex
said islands as 81 integral part OF the
territory Of the United States; but 1t
Is the intention of the United States 10
establish on said islands a government
suitable 70 the wants and conditions OF
the inhabitants 70 prepare
them for local self-government, and In
due time 20 make such disposition Of
said Islands as will best promote tho
interests Of the citizens of the United
States and the inhabitants " the said
islands"
This was not quite strong enough for
some Of the Little Americans and
another, Senator Bacon, on February
IL, introduced an amendment 20 IL, as
follows:
"The United States hereby disclaims
any disposition or intention to exercise
permanent sovereignty, jurisdiction or
control over the islands, and asserts
their determination, when & stable and
Independent government shall have beer
erected therein, entitled, in the judg-
ment OF the government OF the United
States. 10 recognition az such, 10 trans
fer 20 said government, upon terms
which shall be reasonable ard Just, all
rights secured under the cession by
Sps;n. and to thereupon leave the gov
eminent and control of the Islands 10
their people"
Now, 1t is 70 be observed In passing
that all this, apart from its bad gram
mar, was grossly improper In three re
spects. First, il WAS an attempt 20
modify the terms of al international
contract by the act Of only one of the
parties TO it. The only honorable way
thus to deal with a treaty would be by
amending the instrument itself and
then submitting il to the other sigma
tory for its approval. But that would
have required a two-thirds vote OF the
Senate. which il WAS impossible TO get
for il, so resort was had TO tho joint
resolution device; just as was done. for
the same reason, in the annexation Of
Texas. Secondly, i. WAS actually indie
cent since it proposed to transfer TO
the Philippine government all the
rights which we had secured under the
cession, but was quite silent concerning
the no less important outles which we
had assumed. In the third place, 1t was
wrong thus TO drag or to admit the
House Of Representatives into the work
Of modifying or interpreting treaty,
q work which the Constitution reserves
for the President and the Senate.
But what became OF this triply i'll
conceived thingH Well, the Bacon
amendment was first voted on. and the
vote was a tie. with twenty-nine Sen
ators on each side. The Viee-President
thereupon gave the casting vote In the
negative and the amendment was lost.
Il and the intentions which il expressed
were rejected by the Senate just as
truly and in precisely the same way as
the Clarke amendment was last week
adopted. Then the original and much
milder McEnery resolution came up and
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