The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-12-26
ARE A LITTLE BEHIND
TINE
CONGRESS ASKED FOR HELP
But VIII Not BE Disposed to Hand
Out Five Millions Unless
Mound City Comes to
the Front.

WASHINGTON, Dec 25-Unless ST.
Louis comes to the scratch very soon
after the first of the year, there may
be no Louisiana purchase centennial
there in 1903
Congress has been asked to appropriate
$5,O0e,00O for the centennial, conditioned
upon subscriptions for a like sum by
business men of St Louis, and further,
upon the appropriation of a million by
the Missouri legislature. The city is
also to be authorized by the legislature
to bond itself for 100000, making a.
grand total of 81, 100000 The legislature
will probably act promptly when it meets
next month, but just how to hurry along
the $5,000,0Oe, to be given by the citizens,
is matter which is causing the centen-
NAL boomers no end of worry. There
are still some hundreds of thousands of
dollars to be subscribed, and inasmuch
as every philosophical citizen has been
touched" to the full limit, there are
grounds for believing that the full sum
may not be realized.
Congress. it is said, will not be dis
posed to act unless ST., Louis keeps her
pledge to the letter. During the holi-
days big mass meetings will be held
there and efforts made to convince con-
gress that the money will be Forthcoming
when needed, but at the rate at which
subscriptions are now coming in, this
hardly seems probable.
MI Tawney of Minnesota, is the chair
man of the house committee having this
matter in hand, and he will take it up in
committee promptly after the holidays
There will be decided opposition in con-
sress to giving $5,00O00O when St. Louis
has only kept her pledge in part and yet
it seems likely that this is just what con-
gress will be asked to do.
THE REAPPORTIONMENT
1t is conceded that a caucus of house
Republicans must be held Immediately
after the holidays to determine the reap,
port1onment question. At present the del
egation from the states which will lose
representation under the Hopkins bill are
organizing to oppose the bill unitedly
Their force will be tremendous, and only
caucus can straighten things out
Representative Spalding, of North Da-
kota, is to join the insurgents, for he
proposes to leave no stone unturned to
get an additional member for that state,
and should he succeed, Minnesota Will
at the same time get two new members
instead of the one provided for in the
Hopkins bill. Mr. Spalding has two pur-
poses in view First he wants to show
his state that he can accomplish things,
and second, he will stand good chance
to become the second representative, this
chance improving in direct ratio with the
diff1culties which he may have to over
come. The success of the Hopkins bill
would destroy all his hopes
EXTRA SESSION POSSIBLE.
The Philadelphia Press, which, edited
by Postmaster General Smith is general
ly regarded as the administration organ
on all purely party questions, has
significant statement today, regarding the
probabilities for an extra session of con-
gress saying:
IF an extra session should become
necessary, it would be by reason of the
failure of important appropriation bis.
None of these bills will fail unless deter
mined flibusterings are inaugurated
against general legislation to which the
Republican party is pledged. If the con-
sideration of the shipping bill. or the Mic
aragua canal bill, or the army organ!za-
ton bill, which is exciting controversy in
the senate, should prevent the passage of
the necessary appropriation bills, an eX-
ira session would be called. Republican
leaders, however, do not admit that such
contingency may arise. They expect
to take up the shipping bill Immediately
after congress reaSsembles and proceed
with their programme on the idea that
no unusual debate will occur. If fill
clustering develops they will then consider
the best way to meet it.,
This is the first time the statement has
been definitely made by any one in a
posltlon TO speak by the card that it is
the purpose of the Republican leaders
in the senate to put the ship subsidy bill
ahead Of the general appropriation bills.
In an effort to secure it's passage In
view of the conceded fact that the subsi-
dy bill cannot pass unless radically
amended and that amendments will be
very difficult of accomplishment the
statement by the Press will be regarded
rather sensational and will create no end
fho
tempt to force the passage of any bin
even one of unquestioned merit, would
no doubt be stoutly resisted, and the re-
sistance would be unusually strong In
case Of a bill like the subsidy bill, re-
garding the merits of which there is so
much wide difference of opinion among
good men.