The Great Falls leader. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1888-1900, 1889-02-09

reference to Montana to compensate fo]
the loss which would follow.
Our honored delegates legal opinion
Of the bill conforms exactly, verbatim et
literatim, with the LEADERS, opinion OF
the bill, to wit, that it might better he en-
titled, "A bill to provide for the Indefinite
Postponement of the Admission of the
Territories" In the first place, said he. Il
forces US to await the final solution OF
difficulties In Dakota. Montana, it ap.
pears, may be admitted by proclamation
of the president, on compliance with Ger
tain specified conditions; but q subse.
quent section of the bill provides that
none of the Territories shall be admitted
until Congress shall have approved of the
proceedings which may obtain In pursu-
ance Of the enabling act. Thus the presi-
dents proclamation would he of little
value, or would result in manifest con-
flict between the president and Congress,
growing out of the ambiguous terms OF
the bill itself. Serious objections are
urged to the admission of New Mexico.
It is alleged that there are only 10000
white people In that Territory and over
100000 Mexicans, who have little know
ledge Of, or sympathy with the iustitu-
tions of this country. Notwithstanding
these various difficulties, the anxiety Of
the republicans in the Senate to secure
the admission Of the Territories has i'm
PEELED them to 60 into conference with a
committee of the House for the purpose
of so amending the bill as to make its
provisions effective and satisfactory; and
l think we have good reason to hope that
this conference will arrive at an agree
ment. In that event this Congress will
admit North and South Dakota, Montana
and Washington.
Replying to an inquiry concerning Ger
tain alleged interviews published in
eastern journals, he said that he did not
communicate any expression Of his senti-
ments to any newspaper men in Wash
ington respecting the admission of the
Territories and could not have said to any
one that the republicans were anxious to
defeat the omnibus bill, that the next re-
publican Congress might reap the full
glory of the admission.
Mr.. Carter conversed with many of the
senators and representatives and always
urged admission, but insisted that the
present bill should be so amended as to
provide for the establishment of the U. S.
district court In this Territory, to which
United States business now pending here
could be transferred, and he did not be-
lieve that any rational man would seek
admission under bill that would entail
such hardship as the abating of large
of important lawsuits and the
irreparable injury to numer-
GUS interests.
Mr.. Carter also denied having any in
terview whatever in Washington with
the St. Paul Globe correspondent.
In answer the Herald reporters inquiry
as to the merits of the Montana constitu-
tion of 1884, Mr.. Carter replied:
1t was evidently considered good con-
stitution at the time of its adoption, but
has taught that the most per-
feet constitution, by the lapse of time and
change of circumstances, may require
Our constitution Ia no ex-
ception and it undoubtedly might have
been made better at the time It was pre-
pared. In my Judgment 1t would be the
part of wisdom for us to eliminate OBJ
jectionable features before establishing
government under it. The objection is
urged by members of Congress and with
much force that it is unfair to the present
of Montana to ask that they
establish State government under u
constitution which was adopted by about
q, 600 voters, while at present we have
over 10000 legal voters In the Territory.
The question is-what kind of constitil-
tion is wanted by the present population
of Montana-and no one can better deter
mine that than the people who are now