, 1888-12-12
The Admission OF Territories.

WARRINGTON, Dec. 1.-The first eau.
Gus of the session was held by Democratic
members of the house this evening.
Springer stated that the main object of
the caucus was to permit the Democrats
to take some action looking to the admis.
sion of the territories. Cox favored the
admission of all the territories except
Utah and New Mexico. He said the
Democratic party might as well gain the
good will of the territories as their Ill will.
The people of Dakota preferred the
division of the forty seventh parallel al
most unanimously and he was of the
opinion that their desires should be lis
tened to. Washington, Montana and
Idaho should be given enabling acts at
once. The great territory of Dakota
should be divided and the Democrats
should secure the prestige which would
certainly come to them from the favorable
action Of their aucu They had lost
Minnesota at the last election because
they had failed to admit Dakota.
Macdonald offered the following reso-
luton:
ReSOlved, That it is the sense of this
caucus that territory of Dakota be divided
into two territories and states ultimately.
Cox offered the following:
ReSotUed, That it Is the sense of this
caucus that the day be fixed for some
time after the holidays for the consider
alton of territorial questions in so far as
they affect the admission of states, and
that on any bill already reported or to lie
reported from the committee on territories
there shall be no limitation to amend
ments which are germane, and that in the
order of proceeding the first vote shall be
on n bills affecting the territory of
Dakota or its division or any amendment
thereto and that this caucus does not seek
to bind any member on votes taken on
this proposition.i
Oates of Alabama dissented from the
view advanced by Cox. He regarded the
question of the admission OF the terrific.
ries largely political, and believed the in
terest Of the Democratic party should be
considered. He did not see the force of
the argument that admitting the terrific
ries at present would make them Demo
cratic. If the people of the territories
had so little idea of Democracy they
should be left out until they learned the
principles OF the Democratic party. He
ridiculed the idea that a Republican con
eress with a majority of one to three in
the house would be allowed to have its
own way in regard to the admission of
territories. Let congress go slowly. Col
orado had been admitted by a Democratic
congress, and he saw nothing Democratic
about it.
Macdonald predicted that if the Dem
ocrats did not admit Dakota it would be
Republican Tor years. Let the Demo-
Gratis be wise. The tariff had not beaten
the Democrats in the Northwest, but
political mistakes such as the refusal to
admit Dakota had been responsible for
the result.
Weaver of Iowa favored the omnibus
bill, and the admission of all of the terri
tories except Utah.
Bragg of California favored the divid-
ing of Dakota and the admission of
Dakota. TO sheol with the policy of pre-.
venting a territory being admitted in
party.
Holman of Indiana supported the
omnibus bill and offered a resolution to
that effect.
Spinola of New York said he would
oppose the admission OF the territories in
every way he could and in 1892 with a
staunch. sterling Democrat at the head of
the Democratic ticket that party would
march on to victory. He did not believe
in sentimental measures.
McAdoo of New Jersey DEPRECATED
any concessions to the Republican party.
Toole of Montana spoke in favor of
admitting that territory, predicting that if
that were done she would send two Dem
ocrats to the senate, otherwise it would be
Republican for decades.
Bland of Missouri said that in 1892 the
seat of war would not be in New York,
New Jersey and Connecticut, but in the
West. Let the Democratic party follow
Horace Greeley's and go West and grow
up with the country.
Voorhees, of Washington Territory at
tributed the Republican majority in that
territory to the failure of the Democrats
to pass an enabling act for its admission.
Without taking any action the caucus
adjourned until Thursday evening.