The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-22
TREATY WILL BE RATIFIED.
NATIONAL COMMITTEEMAN HOW
ELL MAKES a PREDICTION.

Fight VIII Come Up on Expansion
and Anti-ENpanSiOn After RatiR-
cntIon-Mr. Bryan's savannah In
terview Has Furnished Cue.
VIII BE Democrats and Republic
cans ON Both Sides, and Badly
Severed Lines Are Expected.
New York Dec. 21.-Clark Howell,
member of the Democratic national com
mitee from Georgia, and editor of the
Atlanta Constitution, after consulting
with the leaders of both of the political
parties at Washington, telegraphed as fol-
lows 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. 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.
"Mr. Bryan has been in Washington for
several days, and has conferred frequently
and freely with the Democratic leaders in
both the Senate and House. He has ad-
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
10 throw no obstacle in the way of rati-
fcaton
There are leading Democrats in both
the Senate and the House, who. less than
a week ago, were in doubt as to whether
.-I,,
ing 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
the open position that the treaty should
be ratified and that it will be.
But no one who has studied the situa-
ton from the inside can have a 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 aflrmativey are in favor sof
nation expansion across the Pacific OF
the senate who will vote in favor of
the treaty, there will be Republicans as
well as Democrats who are opposed in prln-
cpie as well as in theory 10 trans-oceanic
expansion of our national domain.
The Real Contest on Expansion.
"They take, however, and very prop
erly the view that the question of ex-
pausion, per sc, is not involved in the con-
sderaton 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 enough to
consider the policy to be pursued in deal
ing with the Philippines, and just here
viii come the real contest on the ques-
ton of expansion
Mr. Howell then says that after the
treaty has been finally disposed of a reso-
luton will be introduced making decla-
ration of the proposed policy of this gov
eminent in dealing with the Philippines,
and that this resolution win be framed
very much on the basis of the Cuban res
oluton adopted coincdent with the decla-
ration of war, in which il was declared
that the policy of this government would
be to give the people of Cuba a free and
Independent government of their own. MI.
Howell says:
1T is the determination to present a
resolution of this kind as a rallying point
for the expansion and ant-eXpansion ele-
ments both Dem oSFetic and Republican,
that takes from the consideration of the
peace treaty sucn doubt as might have
existed as to the outcome, and which now
makes its ratification a forgone conclu-
SION
Not Confined to Party Lines.
MIR. Howell further says that the vote
on this proposed resolution will not be
confined by any means to party lines,
and the outcome is in doubt. A large ma
jority of the Democrats will vote in favor
of it and a large majority of the Repub-
Hcans will vote against 1t, but the size
of either minority in sufficiently involved
in doubt to render exceedingly question
able the final action that will be token
on the resolution.
He says The Republicans as a body will
favor the ratification of the peace treaty
and viii oppose any further action. They
will hold that il will be time enough to
cross the Philippine bridge when they get
10 it, and in the meantime the islands
should be held under strict military gov
eminent, and that, if in Gods own time
it is demonstrated that the Filipnos are
able to take care of themselves, and de-
sire 10 maintain a government of their
own, it will be time enough for the United
States to take up the question and act
accordingly. Mir. HowelPs summary con-
cludes as follows:
LAS a result of the final tencounter over
the resolution it may be that the country
win witness the spectacle of badly sever
ed party lines. and that out of it may be
furnished the battle cries around which
will be formed the lines of the next Pres
a 9s.rht