Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-03-29
ADMISSION OF STATES.
No Hope For erritories From
This Congress.
AGITATING THE FREE HOMES BILL.

This Would Relieve settlers From
Paying High Prices For Lands-Ex-
pcricncc of War Correspondent.
Public Library improvements.
WASUINGToN, March 22.-l Special
No effort is made to secure the admis-
sion of new states at this congress. Be
You'd the Introduction of bills authoriz-
Ing the three territories of Arizona,
New Mexico and Oklahoma to form
state governments and their reference
to the committees on territories moth
ing has been or will be done. In every
previous congress there has been more
Or less agitation regarding the admls-
sion of new states. Utah was quite
clamorous until an admission act was
passed some years ago, and following
her admission the three other terrific
ries have been making considera bic
noise about the capitol save at this
session. Perhaps ii is because the
bowers that control congress very early
gave "A strong intimation that it would
he useless to press statehood bills dur
ing this session. 1t is also probable
that the men most anxious for the ad
mission Of these territories feel like
Delegate Flynn of Oklahoma. who
thinks he will accomplish quite enough
for one session if he gets the free
homes bill through. This legislation,
which would relieve thousands of set
tiers from paying high prices for lands
in Oklahoma and other sections of the
west is regarded Of the greatest impor-
lance by western men. and instead of
trying to secure more states they are
trying to secure good working ma
jority for the free homes bill In the
press of much other important business
and the desire to have an early nd
journment it is said that the territories
can wait. One senator remarked to a
delegate who was suggesting that the
territories ought to be admitted: You
don't know when you are well off. In
these times you ought to be happy that
YOU are at least under the constitution
We might make colony of you II We
had it to do over again"
A War Correspondents Experience.
! have just had an opportunity to
read private letter from man in the
Philippines who tells something about
how the newspaper men in the Philip
pines sometimes work. He says: II
want to say something about Robert
NJ. Collins. who is the Associated Press
correspondent. and a little of what he
had to do for one days work. You all
remember that on the day that Lawton
was killed he was II hours ahead
of every other newspaper man in the
Philippines in getting the news to the
United States. On that occasion he
was out 26 hours in n rain all the
time. with nothing to eat and in the
saddle "a of the 26 hours. He came in
from the front with three cavalrymen,
who brought the official reports. They
had TO go through a country full Of
insurgents on II hour ride. and 1t
was a toss up whether they made IL or
not. With anything but the native
ponies used it would have been impos-
sible but where there was no trail
like goats, the party occasionally
hauling and siding around in the dark,
fording several rivers and swimming
across one stream, each man leading
his own horse and holding on to the
tail of the one in front of him When
Collins got in at 10 o'clock, his saddle
was smashed, bride broken. his face
and hands scratched raw and he was
black aud blue from head to foot, and
the pony was in Just as bad condition.
The cavalrymen who came in with
Collins said it was the most exciting
and hardest experience they ever had"
Having known Collins for great
many years, J can appreciate the man
ner in which he worked to get that big
piece of news. and get 1t ahead of ev
erybody else. He is one of the men
who ought to be able TO tell some in
teresting experiences Of campaigning
in the Philippines, for he has seen
nearly all of it-more, in fact, than any
other correspondent who has been out
there.
what Hanna Would Do.
ASlue from pOHuCal ASSOCIATION, tncre
is warm personal friendship existing
between the president and Senator
Hanna. Not long ago some man was
talking with the president and took oc-
casion to seriously assure him that no
matter what might be told him the
president could rely upon Senator Han
ma. You needn't talk to me about
Mark Hanna" replied the president.
He would go down and jump in the
Potomac river If he thought it would
do me any good
Improving the Library.
Since the Congressional library has
been established in its new quarters
more liberality has been shown by con
gress toward it. not only in the number
Of employees allowed but in the larger
appropriations for the purchase of
books, valuable papers, works of art,
maps, charts, manuscripts, music,
prints and in other ways charging the
scope aud usefulness Of the library.
While il has been necessary for every
copyrighted publication to be filed in
the library, this does not furnish suf-
ficient number Of books, and there are