The Portland daily press., 1898-10-20
If NEXT HOUSE DEMOCRATIC.
President Will Be Embarrassed in Set
thing Questions Arising From war;

|
President Will Be Embarrassed in set
Ting Questions Arising From War;
| New York, October ia Washington
dispatch to the Herald says:
President Mckinley will be seriously
EN- barrassed in disposing of the questions
arising out of the war with Spain IL the
Democrats succeed in controlling the next
House.
There are many questions which WILL
afford opportunities for disagreements
between the Executive and an opposltlon
Hou sc. There will be the question OF re-
duoing the war taxes to peace basis
again, which may reopen all tho tarln
questions and unsettle business if 1t is not
handled by an Executive and Congress IN
political harmony. Most important OF all
| will b, the question of the disposition TO
be made of the islands released from Span
ish control during the war and the forms
of government to be given them.
| Up to the present time neither party has
outlined o policy on territorial expansion.
The managers of the Congressional cam
paien committees carefully avoided In
preparing their campaign text books TO
have anything whatever to say on tne
subject beyond the presentation Gna1 10
made In the Republican book of the bis
tory of the annexation of Hawaii. IN
which 1t is shown that the resolution was
generally approved by Republicans and
generally opposed by Democrats,
NO STAND TAKEN.
On the larger question Of the annexa-
ton of Porto Rico and the Philippines
neither party has yet defined its stand.
1t is left to each individual candidate In
his campaign to favor expansion or OPP
pose it as he may see fit. There is no ques-
ton however, that the great body of
Republicans all over the country, and es-
pecially in the West, are strongly in favor
of retaining the American flag wherever
it has be- n planted by the valor of Ameri-
can arms. Though comparatively few of
the Democrats are making their cam
paigns on that line, it is equally certain
that Democrats as body will line up in
opposition to expansion. They will do
this partly because it is the logical Sc
quenoe of their position on the Hawaiian
question and partly because the mere TACT
that the Republican party is on the other
side will tend to drive them into opposi-
| ton.
There are no Democrats of sufficient
prominence in Washington now to speak
for their party on the expansion issue.
| Former Representative Kerr who is in
charge of tho Congressional campaign
| headquarters, Is as non -committal on The
subject as is the campaign text book. He
seys the Democrats cannot adopt policy
until the administration has made kno- n
it's policy. 1t will then be time enough
for the Democrats to decide whether they
will approve or disapprove of the admins
tration policy. Comparatively few Demo-
Gratis throughout the country are taking
any decided stand on the question. They
are taking the hint from Washington and
are profting by the experience OF those
| Democratic leaders who, like MIR. Bryan
Mr.. Bailey and Mr.. Bland, started out
early in the war to vigorously oppose all
| kinds of territorial expansion. The storm
of opposition that these gentlemen raised
has had the effect of making others hesi-
tate to follow their lead.
OPINIONS NOT CHANGED.
Messrs. Bryan, Bland and Bailey are
not putting their opposition to expansion
to the front as much as they were disposed
to do at first, and are trying to divert at
tention to other issues, but there Is no
reason to believe that they have changed
their opinions or that they will fail to
have the following of substantially their
entire party when 1t comes to question
of action in Congress.
1t ia possible that the expansion Issue
may be forced TO the front In the cam.
paign, All depends upon the progress OF
events in Madrid. Should the Peace
Commissioners make such progress as to
bring the treaty of peace practically to
q conclusion before the election, or should
they come to al open disagreement on &C.
count of American insistence on the
cession Of territory, this would Dring the
administration policy to the front as the
all absorbing public question: and tho
campaign In all parts of the country
would be fought over it.
The Republicans, of course, would sup.
port it, and the Democrats would have 10
take a stand on one side or the other. II
advocate expansion would put them in
the attitude of approving the Republican
administration and to oppose 1t would be
unpopular in many communities. 1t Is
a question which attitude would do the
Democrats the most harm.
Whether or not the Republicans are ex.
pecting the campaign to centre around the
question of expansion during the two
weeks just before election. it Is certain
THAT they b.lieve the last two weeks will
be lively and that all the advantage OF
public enthusiasm will be on their side.
They are feeling more comfortable over
the outlook of the elections than they have
been at any time since the issue of Alger-
ism was INTERCEPTED into the campaign.
GEN. MERRITTS OPINION.
London, October 19.-It Is not unreason-
able to assume that Gen. Wesley Merritt