Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1898-12-29
rssae Of tho Next Campaien,

9 . -.
Clark Howell, q member Of the
Democratic National Committee
from Georgia, and editor Of the At
lanta Constitution, after consulting
with the leaders of both OF the po-
litical parties at Washington, tele-
graphed as follows to his paper to-
night /: ~ h:
"With the adjournment of Con-
gress for the holidays the final decis-
ion on the peace treaty is rs clear as
it will be after a vote has been taken
in the Senate. Two weeks ago the
matter was in doubt~-to-day it is
certain that the treaty will be
ratified. ....'' d" '.' 49," .'
"Mr. Bryan has been in Washing
ton for several days, and has con-
ferred frequently and freely with the
Democratic leaders in both the SEN
ate and the House. He has advised
ratification of the treaty, and he is
outspoken in the opinion that aside
from the question of national obliga,
tion, it is matter Of party policy
for the Democrats to throw no
obstacle in the way of ratification.
There are leading Democrats in
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
perhaps 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 rea-
sonable doubt. 1t must not be
understood that the ratification of
the treaty will carry with it the
assumption that all those who vote
affirmatively are in favor of national
expansion across tho Pacific. Of
the Senators who will vote in favor
of tho treaty there will be Republi-
cans as well as Democrats, who are
opposed in principle as we'll as in
theory to trans oceanic expansion of
our national domain. They take,
however, and very properly, the
view that the question Of expansion,
per Sc, is not involved in the consid-
Grafton of the peace treaty, and that
after the treaty has been ratified and
Spain has been eliminated az fac
tor in the Philippine problem it will
be time enough to consider the
policy to be pGrsued in dealing with
the Philippines, and just here will
come the real contest OH the ques-
tion 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 dealing
with the Philippines, and that this
resolution will be framed very much
on the basis of the Cuban resolution
adopted coincident with the dnclara-
tion of war, in which it was declared
that the policy of this Government
would be to give the people of Cuba
free and Independent government
of their own.
Mr.. Howell says: cit is the deter
mination to present resolution of
this kind as rallying point for the
expansion and anti-expansion ele-
ments, both Democratic and Repubr
lioan, that takes from the considera.
tion of the peace treaty such doubt
as might have existed as to the out
come, and which now makes its rati-
fication foregono conclusion"
Mr.. Howell rurther says that the
vote on this proposed resolution will
not be confined by any means to
party lines, and tho outcome is in
doubt. A large majority of the
Democrats will vote In favor of it
and large majority Of the Republi-
cans will vote against, it, but the size
Of either minority is sufficiently in
volved in doubt as to render exceed
ingly questionable the final action
that will be taken on tho resolution.
He says the Republicans as body
will favor the ratification of tho
peace treaty and will oppose any
further action. They will hold that
it will bo time enough to cross tho
Philippines bridge when they get to
it, and in the meantime the islands
should be held under strict military
government, and that, if in Gods
own time it is demonstrated that the
Filipinos are able to take care of
Themselves and desire to maintain q
government of their own, it will be
time enough for the United States to
take up the question and act accord
ingly. Mr.. Howell's summary con-
cludes as follows GAS result of
the final encounter over the resolu-
tion it may be that tho country may
witness the spectacle of badly sew
cred party lines, and out of it may
be furnished the battle cries around
which will be formed the lines of the
next Presidential fight"
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