Arizona silver belt., 1902-12-18
The Statehood Contest.

The actual contest in the senate over the admission of the territories to state hood began on Wednesday of last week, when Senator Beveridge submitted the majority report opposing statehood for Arizona and New Mexico, and recom- mending that Oklahoma and Indian Territory be admitted as one state, The admission of Arizona and New Mexico is opposed on the ground that the population and resources of both territories are insufficient that a great majority of the people of New Mexico are of Spanish descent and speak the Spanish language only that many of the people of both territories are illit- crate and do not understand American institutions, and that many do not want statehood.
 Senator Quay, who was prominent figure in the opening skirmish, sub mitted an individual report in favor of the omnibus bill. in which he said that the proposition to exclude Arizona and New Mexico, as recommended by the majority of the committee, is in direct violation of the pledge made by the republican platform.
 On the following day, after an ami mated discussion, Senator Quay an nounced that the friends of the omnl bus bill were ready for vote, Sena tors Beveridge, Lodge and Hale pro. tested, desiring further time for con sideration. The senior senator from Pennsylvania replied that Senator Bev- eridge, who was member of the re- publican national convention, which indorsed statehood for the three terri. tories, and Senator Lodge, who as pre- siding officer of that convention put the question, and Senator Hale, who was familiar with the long fight that had been made for statehood, surely did not need further time for consider ation.
 "If the republicans can lie to the people about the admission of territo- ries in their platform, said Senator Quay, raising his usually placid voice to a pitch which made it ring through out the chamber, they can lie about any other blanks of their platform. Senator Hale's motion to adjourn till Monday finally prevailed.
 On Monday Senator Bate presented the minority report of the committee on territories favoring the immediate passage of the omnibus statehood bill, alleging that each of the territories has complied with every requirement heretofore made by congress for admis- sion into the union, having population sufficient for representation Tn congress and wealth abundant to support all ex. penses incident to statehood. Senator Dillingham;, of Vermont, who is op. posed to the omnibus bill, occupied the time of the senate for the rumain- der of the day rehearsing the testi mony taken by the subcommittee dur ing it's tour through the territories
 The program adopted by the major ity of the committee on territories op- posed to the omnibus bill is one of ob struction. 1t has been arranged that each one of these, and as many other senators opposed to the bill as possible, shall talk at length, so that cousidera- ton of the bill will not be finished be- fore adjournment next Saturday for the Christmas 1. holidays, and by the time congress reassembles the oppo- nents of the tri-state bill hope, by en- gaging the influence of the admins tration, to marshal enough votes to de- feat it.
 President Roosevelt, who was until very recently supposed to be actuated only by considerations of justice, and who but few months ,go favored the admission of the territc ries as separate states, is reported now to have his ear glued to the political telephone. intent upon learning how those senators who have the greatest pull in the repubh- can party stand on tte statehood ques- ton. The presideni is described as being opposed to the omnibus bill, and in favor of compromise that would admit Arizona and New Mexico as one state, and Oklahomi and Indian terri tory as another s'ate. Whether he would carry his opposition to the point of vetoing the omnibus bill, if it passed, is problemntical. It is thought that his course probably would be affected by the nuraber of republicans who should vote for the omnibus bill