The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-22
SENATE WILL RATIFY
EDITOR HOWELL CERTAIN PEACE
TREATY WILL BE ACCEPTED.
He Predicts, However, "A Great Strug-
gle Later on Over Annexation
of the Philippines.

NEW YORK, Dec. 21.-Clark Howell,
member of the Democratic national commit
tee from Georgia, and editor of the Atlanta
Constitution, after consulting with the lead
ers Of both of the political parties at Wash
ington. telegraphed as follows to his paper
tonight:
with the adjournment of Congress for
the holidays the final decision on the peace
treaty is as clear as it will be after vote
has been taken in the Senate. Two weeks
ago the matter was in doubt; to-day it is
as certain that the treaty will be ratified
as it will be that it has been after the vote
has been taken.
Mr.. Bryan has been in Washington for
several days and has conferred frequently
and freely with the Democratic leaders in
both the Senate and the House. He has adj
vised ratification of the treaty, and he is
outspoken in the opinion that, aside from
the question of national obligation it is a
matter of party policy for the Democrats to
throw no obstacle in the way of ratification.
There are leading Democrats of both the
Senate and House who less than week
ago were in doubt as to whether or not
Democrats should assist in ratifying the
treaty; more than that, some of them were
outspoken in the opinion that it was, per-
haps, better to reject it. To-day many of
these Democratic leaders take open position
that the treaty should be ratified, and that
it will be no one who has studied the situa-
tion from the inside can have any reason
able doubt. 1t must not be understood that
the ratification of the treaty will carry with
it the assumption that all those who vote
aff1rmatively are in favor of national expan-
sion across the Pacific. OF the senators who
will vote in favor of the treaty there will
be Republicans as well as Democrats who
are opposed in principle as we'll as in theory
to the transoceanic expansion of our national
domain. They take, however, and very
properly, the view that the question of ex-
pansion, per Sc is not involved in the con-
sideration of the peace treaty, and that after
the treaty has been ratified and Spain has
been eliminated as factor in the Philippine
problem, it will be time enough to consider
the policy to be pursued in dealing with the
Philippines, and just here will come the real
contest on the question of expansion"
Mr.. Howell then says that after the treaty
has been finally disposed of a resolution will
be introduced making declaration of the
proposed policy of this government in deal
ing with the Philippines, and that this reso-
luton will be framed very much on the
basis of the Cuban resolution adopted CO.
incident with the declaration of war, in
which it was declared that the policy of
this government would be to give the peo-
pie of Cuba a free and independent govern
ment of their own. Mr.. Howell says: "It
is the determination to present resolution
of this kind as a rallying point for the ex-
panson and anti-expansion elements, both
Democrats and Republicans, that takes from
the consideration of the peace treaty such
doubt as might have existed as to the out
come and which now makes its ratification
a foregone conclusion" Mr.. Howell further
says that "the vote on this proposed resolu-
ton will not be confined by any means to
party lines and the outcome is in doubt. A
large majority of the Democrats will vote
in favor of it and large majority of the
Republicans will vote against it, but the
size of either minority is sufficiently involved
in doubt as to render exceedingly question:
able the final action that will be taken on
the resolution.
THE Republicans as body will favor the
ratification Of the peace treaty and will op-
pose any further action. They will hold that
it win be time enough to cross the Philip
pine bridge when they get to it, and in the
meantime the islands should be held under
strict military government and that, If in
Tou Own Iille IL - ueiHOhSldlcu lu6t the
Filipinos are able TO take care of themselves
and desire to maintain a government of their
own, it will be time enough for the United
States to take up the question and act ac-
cordinglv."
Mr.. Howells summary concludes as fol-
lows: "As the result of the final encounter
over the resolution 1t may be that the coun-
try viii witness the spectacle of badly sew
cred partv lines and that out of il may
be furnished the battle cries around which
will be formed the lines OF the next presi-
Dental fight