Evening star., 1898-12-03
MORE DISCUSSION
The Expansion Policy Assailed and
Defended on All Sides.
THE BOSTON HERALD'S CONVERSION
Duty of the Government Considered
in All Its Phases.
CHANCES OF PEACE TREATY

| As the time for Congress to meet dra ws
near the debate in the newspapers over the
expansion policy grows warmer. Attention
is focused on this city to ane exceptional
degree, for it seems to be the general ex-
pectation that very early in the session will
arguments for and against the administra-
tons policy of expansion be presented by
the leaders of both sides of the controversy
in both the Senate and the House. The
most significant feature of the newspaper
controversy as it now stands is the con-
version of the Boston Herald from an OPP
posing to an encouraging attitude, not
ed in yesterdays Star. The New York
Journal of Commerce dnd). discussing this
change of front, says:
We hope that the Hcrald's moderation
of attitude may be safely taken as indcat-
ing disposition on he part of the Boston
public to accept the situation established
| by the peace commission. We are not will
| ing to believe that the refecting minds of
| New England will persistently encourage
an attitude of hostility to the administration
| which while it may cause much bitterness
of feeling and no little political dislocation,
cannot possibly defeat the ultimate ratitica-
| ton of the treaty of Paris
The Boston Post (dem.) believes there is
| more than a legal quibbe in Senator Hoars
| pronouncement that the Constitution does
| not justify the purchase of sovereignty, but
| that it constitutes a statement of one of
| the great principles of our government.
! But 1t likewise believes that this objection
| can be met by changing the form of the
bargain by which the Philippines are ac-
| CURED, the United States taking the Span
ish territory in the islands and leaving the
! question of sovereignty to settle itself.
The Post continues:
! The weakness of Senator Hoars position
is found, of course, in his approval of the
| annexation of Hawaii. He protests that
this acquisition forms no precedent for the
| taking of the Philippines. He says that
| the original germ of national life had per
| lshed in Hawaii, and therefore it was all
| right for us to take the islands, whereas
| there are millions of inhabitants in the
| Asiatic archipelago. The distinction is
| drawn too fine to have practical weight.
| but fortunately We do not have to disprove
MI Hoars arguments for the annexation
! OF Hawaii in order to approve his oppoSi-
| tion to the annexation of the Philippines.
Now that he is at home here in Massachu-
| settS. free from the constraint of the repub-
! llcan sena torial caucus at Washington, he
! SpeahS words of wisdom and patriotism
! VIII Senator Hoar vote 10 refuse ratifica-
| ton Of the treaty for the purchase of the
sovereignty of the Philippines, the an
heNation or occupation of those islands,
when the work of the Paris commission is
presented to the body of which he is d
| member
The Boston Globe Gnd. dem) thinks the
treaty will be ratified if not by the present
| Senate at least by that which will succeed
| t.
is ab1r1ng under miscOnception. In
swer to ms declarations the Globe says:
! rev people will care to take Mr.. Hoar
| seriously when he brings such objections to
| the ratification OF the treaty. We have
| purchased no sovereignty from Spain nor
have We attempted to purchase any. We
| demanded that Spain rellnquish sovereign
| " IN the Ph-IpplneS, but there was no pur-
| chase money in the transaction nor does
| SPAN ; accomplishment imply the assump-
| ton of perpetual control of the islands on
h.4 Il,
! undertake the expense of controlling the
| Islands in the future. We are not even
pound to h0Id them permanently, but can
| USpoSe OF them as see tit. We are not
| in TACT, compromised to any definite policy
| in the Philippines, but have merely de-
manded that Spain take herself off The
| premises.
The New York Mail and Express (repD
| thinks the prominent democratic senator
| VINO gave the New York World to under
stand that the treaty would be defeated is
a prophet Of evil to his own party. The de-
| feat of the treaty, it declares, will be the
death-bloW to any party which assumes the
responsibility for such a proceeding. 1t is
| assured that the Senate will ratify the
| treaty, however, even if it may be advs-
able to withhold it until after March 4.
The Savannah News (dem) questions
| whether the islands will be of any benefit
to us, and deprecates the idea that the
| United States is in n=ed of opportunity for
expansion. 1t asserts that We cannot plan:
colonies there, and that the open door,
| benefit from the new possessions. 1t fig
ures that the possession of Spain's former
colonies will cost the United States, not
counting the $20,GQ0,oo0 purchase money, at
| least SlO,oOO,OU year, taking the pen
sions resulting from the war into the calcu-
! lauon, and II does not believe that this
| enormous expense will be offset in any way.
| The Kansas City Star Qnd) says the anti
| eXpansionists are too late, for the United
| States has already expanded. A trust which
cannot BE- evaded has been placed upon the
| American shoulders, and it must be borne
| with honor and dignity. The United States
| cannot give the Philippines back to Spain,
nor can 1t permit them to run wild under
| so-called native government. The duty of
| this government, therefore, according to
| this view, is plain.
The New Haven Leader quotes this paper
with reference to the forthcoming conflict
| in Congress, and says:
| I'm our opinion, the members of Congress-
| who go down to Washington determined to
oppose the Mckinley plan Of disposing of
| the Philippine matter will be clinging to
resolutions likely to result in more injury
| than benefit to this country. Foreign coun-
| tries are anXiously awaiting the assembling
| of Congress, hoping that there will be
| disagreement that will tie up the Philippine
| affair and result In other difficulties which
| they will benefit from"
The Brooklyn Eagle dnd. dem) defends
| vigorously thu trea tment of the North
| American Indian by the United States in
combating the argument that this country
has already failed in the effort to elevate
| savage races.
1t continues:
| I'VE are content that the opponents Of
| expansion have been driven from barren
| protests to specific suggestions of plans and
| to important concessions of facts. We are
! content to let their suggested plans go to
comparison with the developing plans CT
| the federal administration. We are con-
| tent to leave to them monopoly of asser-
| ton of superior motives and like monop-
oily of aspersion OF the motives of those
who do not agree with them. History is
| repeating itself. Every forward movement
of the United States that made the admin
| istrations of Jefferson and of Jackson his
| torcal that of Polk memorable, that of
| Lincoln immortal and that of Cleveland
sure of high fame forever, was opposed
aye, traduced, by about the same percent
age of folk, representing about the same
sort of minds The administration of
| William MCKINLEY Is have the uninus