The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-12-22
TREATY WILL
Be RATIFIED
Bryan Advises the Democrats
Not to Oppose it.
ADVICE WILL BE TAKEN
THEY DO NOT. HOWEVER. FA-
VOR EXPANSION.
THE STRUGGLE WILL COME LATER
Expansion Per Sc Not Involved in Consideration
ofPeace Treaty. Resolution to be In.
troduced to Give FiIipiros
Self Government.

NeW York. Dec. 2l.-ClaFk Howell,
a member of the Democratic National
Committee from Georgia and editor of
the Atlanta Constitution, after consult
ing with the leaders of both of the
political parties at Washington, tele-
graphed 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-tOday it is certain that the
treaty will be ratified.
"Mr. Bryan has been in Washington
for several days and has conferred fire.
quently with the Democratic headers
in both the Senate and the House. He
has advised ratification of the treaty.
and he is outspoken in the opinion that
aside from the question of national
obligation it is Il matter of party policy
for the Democrats to throw no obstacle
III the way of ratification. There are
leading Democrats in both the Senate
and House who, less than a week ago,
were in doubt as to whether or not Dem
ocrats should assist in ratifying the
treaty; more than that, some of them
were outspoken in the opinion that II
was perhaps better to reject it, Today
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 situation from the
inside can have a reasonable 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 ma
tiOnal expansion across the Pacific. OF
the Senators who will vote in favor of
the treaty there will he Republicans as
well as Democrats who are opposed in
principle as well as in theory to trans
oceanic expansion of our national do
main. They take, however, and very
properly, the view that the question
of expansion, per Sc is not involved in
the consideration of the peace treaty and
that after the treaty had been ratified
and Spain has been eliminated as n fac
tor in the Philippines problem, it will
be time enough to consider the policy
to he pursued in dealing with the Philip
pines, 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 i'll dealing with the
Philippines, and that this resolution
ho tlN In, 10,
of the Cuban resolution adopted coinci-
dent 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 indie
pendent government of their own.
Mr.. Howell says:
1T is the determination to present a
resolution of this kind as rallying
point for the expansion and anti-eX-
pansion elements, both Democratic and
Republican, that takes from the con
sideration of the peace treaty such
doubt as might have existed us to the
outcome and which now makes its rati-
fication foregOne conclusion"
Mr.. Howell further says that the
vote on this proposed resolution will
not be confined by any means to party
lines and the outcome is III doubt. a
large majority OF the Democrats will
vote in favor of it and large ma
jority of the Republicans will vote
against it, but the size of either ma
jority is sufficiently involved in doubt |
as to render exceedingly questionable |
the final action that will be taken on
the resolution
He says:
1.-THE Republicans as a body will fa-
for the ratification of the peace treaty
and will oppose any further action. |
They will hold that it will be time
enough to cross the Philippines bridge
when they get to it and in the mean
time 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
n government of their own it will be
time enough for the United States to
take up the question and act accord
ingly."
Mr.. Howel's summary concludes as
follows
AS a result of the final encounter
over the resolution it may be that the
will witness the spectacle Of
badly severed party lines and that out
of it may be furnished the battle cries
around which will be formed the lines
Of the next Presidential fight"