The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-12-22
PEACE TREATY
WILL Be RATIFIED
Bryan Has Been Working in Washing
ton to This End.
HE ADVISED THE LEADERS
Matter Of Party Policy That No Obstacle
Should be Thrown In Way.
FIGHT ON FORM OF GOVERNMENT
A Resolution Will be Introduced Yer,
Much in Form of One Passed AT :
fecting Cuba Before the De-
claration of War. ;

New York, December 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 political parties at Washington
telegraphed as follows to his paper to-
night:
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; today it is
certain that the treaty will ratified.
Mr. Bryan has been in Washington for
several days and he has conferred frequent
ly and freely with the democratic leaders
in both the senate and the house. He has
advised ratification of the treaty and 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 the rati-
fication. There are leading democrats in
both the senate and the house who less than
week ago were in doubt as to whether or
not the 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. Today many of
these democratic leaders take open position
that the treaty should be ratified and that
1t will be. No one who has studied the sit
uation from the inside can have a rea-
| sonable doubt
Some Opposed in Principle
ut must not be understood that the ratif-
| cation of the treaty will carry with it the
assumption that all those who vote af-
| iirmatively are in favor of national expan-
sion across the Pacific. OF the senator's
| who will vote In favor of the treaty there
| will be republicans as well as democrats
| who are opposed in principle as well as in
| theory, to the trans-oceanic expansion of
our national domain They take however,
and very properly, the view that the ques-
ton or expansion, per Sc is not involved
| in the consideration of the peace treaty and
that after the treaty has been ratified and
| Spain has been eliminated as a factor in the
Philippine problem it would be time enough
TO consider the policy to be pursued in deal
ing with the Philippines and just here will
come the real contest on the question of
expansion"
Mr.. Howell then says that after a treaty
has been finally disposed of 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 CO.
incident with the declaration 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: 'It is the determna-
| ton to present a resolution of this kind as
| the rallying point of the expansion and
| anti-expansion clements both democratic
| and republican. that takes from the con-
| sideration of the peace treaty such doubt
as might have existed as to the outcome,
and which now makes it's ratification a
foregone conclusion"
Not to Party Lines
Mr.. Howell further says that the vote on
this proposed resolution will not be confined
by any means to party lines, and the out
come is in doubt. A large majority of the
democrats will vote in favor of it, and a
large majority of the republicans will vote
against it, but the size of each minority is
sufficiently involved in doubt as to render
exceedingly questionable the final action
that will be taken on the resolution.
He says the republicans a body will
favor the ratification of the peace treaty,
and will oppose any further acton. They
will hold that 1t will be time enough to
cross the Philippine bridge when they get
to it, and In the meantime the islands
should be held under strict military govern
ment, and If in Gods own time 1t Is demon
StrateQ tnat the flnplnoS are aDle 10 take
care of themselves and desire to maintain
a government of their own, 1t will be time
enough for the United States to take up
the question and act accordingly.
Mr.. Howells summary concludes as fol-
lows:
"As result of the final encounter over
the resolution it may be that the country
will witness the spectacle of badly severed
party lines and that out of 1t may be
furnished battle cries around which will be
formed the lines of the next presidential
fight"