Bismarck weekly tribune., 1889-01-04
The Territorial Bills-speculations
Regarding the Action of the
Present Congress.
The Presidents Reception-Th6 Most
Brilliant Affair Held During
This Administration.
The Senate and House Bills-The
Sub Committees Hard
to Work,
The Territorial Bills.

WASHINGTON, Jan. lit is difficult to
estimate the amount Of lobbying which
will be indulged in by those interested in
the admission OF the two Dak0tas, or, in
fact, the passage of the entire omnibus ter
ritorial bill. AS the matter is more general
ly discussed, other phases Of the question
are being considered, with all of the vari-
Gus possibilities and complications. 1t is
not safe to say, or predict with any assur-
ance of truthfulness, that the bill will be
passed at this session; it, of course, is more
than probable that the bill will pass the
house which admits the five territories, but
even there great objection will come from
the republican side to the admission of
New Mexico. Senator Plat, chairman of
the senate committee on territories, is not
inclined to believe the senate will ever
agree to the admission Of New Mexico, at
least, for some years yet. He is very much
opposed to the proposition himself, and as
a member of the conference committee of
the senate, which he will, of course, be as
he is chairman OF the committee, he will
there meet MI. Springer, who is chairman
for and against the admission of New
Mexico, will necessarily be the point upon
which the difference of opinion will hinge,
Senator Platt also voices what he says is
the sentiment OF the republican members
Of the senate committee, which is to the
single point to MIR. Springer or the house
conference committee. 1t is, of course,
good polite upon the part of the demo-
cratic members to encourage the admission
Of the new states, for they fully realize that
friendship now shown to the people in
AZ
itical reward in the future. 1t is equally,
if not better, political strategy upon the
part of republicans, to yield to nothing that
may be proposed or suggested by the dem
Ocrats, as both branches of the next con-
gress will be so reliably republican that
they can then carry into execution what
has been the policy of the party upon terri
uOrial questions for the past several years.
Should the omnibus bill pass both houses
and become a law, there is no methOdWhich
can be pursued whereby either of the Da-
kOtas or any of the other proposed newly
admitted states, can become in fact pos
sessed of statehood previous to the t,eassenl-
bling OF the Fifty first congress. There
may be and there may not be a special ses-
sion called by President-elect Harrison,
shortly after his inauguration. While
there has been thousands upon thousands
OF columns written upon the subject, all of
which has been more or less of a specula-
tive nature, so far Gen. Harrison has never
uttered a word upon this subject, and it is
beyond the power OF any man to predict
with any degree of safety what the new
president will do. He is the only one who
has the power to call a special session and,
therefore, it is a waste OF valuable time to
further indulge in guess work, for that in
fact is just what it is. 1t would naturally
occur to the minds of most any reasonable
person that, in the event the territorial bill
does not pass at the present session, then
4 it will be within the nature of good gov
ernment that special session be called to
the territories at the convening of congress
next December.