The Portland daily press., 1898-12-22
Hon. Clark Howell Says There Is
No Doubt About 1t.
BRYAN HAS FIXED LOTS OF DEM
OCRATIC SENATOR'S.
of Treaty Has Nothing To
Senate Towards the Policy of Ex-
pansion--Tbat VIII BE Determined
Later.

Later.
New York, December 21.-Hon. Clark
Howell, member of the Democratic
National committee from Georgia and
editor of tbs Atlanta Constitution, after
consulting with the leaders of both of the
political PAL ties 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
weeks ago the matter was in doubt-to-
day it is as certain that the treaty will be
ratified as 1t will be that 1t has been after
the vote has been taken.
sMr. Bryan has been in Washington
for several days and has conferred FREE
quently and freely with the Democratic
leaders in both the Senate and 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 a matter of party policy for the
Democrats to throw no obstacle in the
way of ratification. There are leading
Democrats of both the Senate and House
who less than week ago We're 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 re-
ject it, Today many of those Democ ratio
leaders take open position that the treaty
4 Ll.- / I'll
one who has studied the situation from
the inside, can have any 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 national
expansion across the Pacific. OF the SEN
ators who will vote in favor of the treaty,
there will be Republicans as well as Demo
Gratis who are opposed in principle as well
as in theory to the trans-oceanic ex-
pansion Of our national domain. 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 has
been ratified and Spain has been elimi-
mated as factor in the Philippines
problem, it will be time enough TO con-
, slider the policy to be pursued in dealing
with the Philippines, 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, reso-
luton will be introduced making declara-
tion of the proposed policy OF this govern
ment in dealing with the philippines and
that this resolution will be framed very
much on the basis of the Cuban resolu
tion. adopted co incident with the declara-
tion 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. He
says:
ssThe Republicans rs body will favor
the ratification of thes peace treaty and
will oppose any further action. 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
government and that il in Gods own
time it is demon strated that the Filipinos
are able to take care of themselves and
desire to maintain government of their
own. it will be time enough for the
Unitsd States to take up the question and
act accordingly"
Mr. Howell's summary concludes as
| follows: ssAs the result of the final en-
counter over the resolution, It may be
| that the country will witness the spectacle
of badly severed party lines and out OF it
may be furnished battle cries around
which will be formed the lines of the
next Presidential fight.