The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-01-20
New1 Of the Week at the Ma
tional Capital Chronicled
in q Brief Manner.
ANTI-EXPANSION FIRM
Of Bryan Il Carnegie About to Dis.
sOlve-Lumber Scheme Defeated.
Swords for Dewey and Schley.
Special Correspondence Of The Gazette.

Special Correspondence of The Gazette.
Washington, Jan. Ex-senator Davis
last week favorably reported the treaty
Of peace from the committee on foreign
relations and will push it to a vote at
the earliest possible time. 1t is now
admitted aver by those who oppose the
treaty that it will be ratified.
Senator Foraker took up in detail the
arguments advanced by Senators Hoxr
and Mason against the constitutional
right of the United States to acquire
territory and easily demolished them
all.
There has been much talk in the sen
ate about the acquisition of the Philip
pines making this government a des-
potism, but the best proof that this gov
eminent is not a despotism is found in
the fact that senators who have offered
resolutions such as that of Allen Of
Nebraska, that any aggressive action
of the United States against the Fill
pinos would be exceeding the constitu-
tional authority of the government,
and that Of Bacon of Georgia, for the
recognition of the independence Of the
so-called Filipino republic - both
closely bordering OIL treason-are still
at large, with the privilege Of continu.
ing such talk. This sort Of talk is adj
ding to the danger of trouble, not only
with the Filipinos, but with the nation
that is secretly advising and aiding
them.
Representative Tawney Of Minnesota
is credited with having headed off a
scheme. engineered by Sir Wilfred
Laurier. the Canadian premier, his
Canadian colleagues on the Anglo
American commission and the Ameri-
cans who favor reducing the tariff on
lumber from 80 a thousand feet to Ito
get the Anglo American commission,
again in session in Washington, to pro-
vide for the reduction AS a part Of the
reciprocity clause of the treaty the
commission hopes to negotiate. The
tip was given the Canadian lumbermen
and the Americans whose interests are
identical to gather in Washington.
Representative Tawney, who was n
of Mr.. Dingley's right hand men. took
charge of the fight in tile absence of his
sick leader, the, moment he learned
what the other side was trying to do.
The result was that when the Can
adams and lower-duty Americans got
to Washington, instead Of having
everything their own way, as they ex-
pected, they found themselves con-
fronted by a delegation Of the ablest
lumbermen in tile country, who had
been invited to Washington by Mr..
Tawney to assist him in fighting for
the retention of the present duty on
lumber.
Tt looks as though the anti-expansion
firm Of Bryan 6 Carnegie was about to
dissolve, on account Of disagreement
between the partners. Mr.. Bryan,
knowing that the question of expansion
is not involved in the treaty Of peace,
and that our national honor is. has ad-
vocated the prompt ratification of the
treaty by the senate. Mr.. Carnegie,
who has been ranting around Washing
ton all the week, has heen trying, by
wire, to get Mr.. Bryan to come to his
assistance by turning a somersault and
advising democratic senators to vote
against the treaty. and Bryan has re-
fused. Mr.. Carnegie is using some
%.F luCS1 dISuIlOAVO " al AOACSV AhNA W
bring to bear upon honest senators.
He admits, in effect, that the anti-ex-
pansionists cannot hope to secure a ma
jority in congress and advocates that
all their strength be concentrated in
an effort to secure votes enough to re-
ject the treaty. The following Ian
guage used by him in a published in
terview was an acknowledgment that
he is engaged in trying to accomplish
something in the dark that he knows
could not be done in the light of day:
Hereafter we will not enjoy the ad.
vantage over our opponents that we
now do, having then to meet them in
the open field"
Justice Harlan of the United States
supreme court said of expansion:
"There is nothing in that valuable
document (the United States constitu.
tion) which forbids this country acquir-
ing new territory, either by treaty or
conquest, as long as there is an inten-
ton of eventually incorporating it in
our own. Alaska has been in our pos
session for t~hirty-one years and is not a
state yet, and until the conditions i'm.
prove WI shall hold it in the same posi-.
ton, perhaps indefinitely. After the
Philippines have come into our possess
sion we shall govern them on the same
footing as q territory, and when they
demonstrate that they are u fit people
TO Do incorporated into this Union.
then they will be admitted. II the
course at time shows that they never
will By far enough advanced to become
part Of ns, then II will be- time for us to
trade them for some place that will"
Tho senate has agreed TO vote on thu
Nicaragua canal bill Tuesday, and
there 10 mo doubt II its passing. Tho