1898 Treaty of Paris Filibuster, Failure, etc.

[Sabot Cat]

In OTL, the Treaty of Paris that concluded the Spanish-American War and made the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico colonial possessions of the United States passed by a margin of 57 to 27 with vocal opposition from former president Grover Cleveland, Mark Twain and Andrew Carnegie among others.

Is it possible for the Democrats in the Senate to filibuster the treaty and demand something akin to the Platt Amendment or the Teller Amendment? How would the Philippine-American War starting impact a later vote? Could the Democrats form some sort of commission and call Felipe Agoncillo for testimony on the floor of the Senate, perhaps illustrating their point that Filipino people aren't in need of "civilizing" or "Christianizing"?

If it fails to be ratified, then what? I'm not sure why France or the United Kingdom would want to support the United States' encroachment upon their Pacific interests, and I could see why they might be interested in preserving the Philippines' government like they did with the Qing Dynasty in China so neither one gains an upper hand. Is it possible that they would preemptively recognize the Philippine Republic for this purpose?

 

[David T]

If the 55th Congress doesn't ratify the Treaty, the 56th (with nine more GOP senators) will: http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/history/one_item_and_teasers/partydiv.htm

"Practical politics also influenced Bryan's attitude. The anti-imperialist
minority might succeed in defeating the treaty in the current session of
Congress, but that session would end in March 1899. The new Senate, elected
in the autumn of 1898, was controlled by the Republicans and would almost
certainly approve the treaty if the president resubmitted it. What is more,
even if McKinley took rejection as a directive to renegotiate the treaty, the
anti-imperialists would have no control over the provisions of the new
treaty, which might, in fact, be even more objectionable than the old one.
In the meantime, of course, a technical state of war would continue, and no
one could tell whether hostilities might be resumed, more lives cost, and
more expenses incurred." Kendrick A. Clements, *William Jennings Bryan:
Missionary Isolationist* (Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press 1982),
pp. 32-3.

 

[Sabot Cat]

Well, that's disappointing...

Is there any way to win the Philippines independence with a Point of Divergence in the 1890's?