The Delta independent., 1902-06-13
LATE WASHINGTON NEWS AND
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS

Delegate Rodey of New Mexico in an
interview says the effect in the next
national election will bear hard against
whichever political party is responsible,
II the platform pledges promising state
hood for the territories are not kept
and New Mexico and Arizona are re-
fused admission to the Union at this
session OF Congress. Advocates Of
statehood are doubtful of securing
passage of the bill in the Senate at
this session.
Representative James NJ. Robinson
OF Indiana, one of the leading Demo-
Gratis In the House, has announced his
opposition to the national irrigation
bill now pending. Mr.. Robinson says
the bill, from the point of economical
administration, is one of the most dan
gerous measures that Congress has
been called to act on in years. He de-
clares the objections to 1t are so many
and so forceful that they can scarcely
be named within the compass of n
readable article. He asserts that rail-
roads subsidized by land grants, and
officeholders who want continuance Of
jobs and places for relatives and those
who expect to share in the exploitation
and jobs that will be necessarily Incl
dent, are promoting it: that agricul-
tural and mineral colleges in each state
will suffer and the taxpayers of the
larger states will suffer in contribut-
ing for an enterprise which in no way
affects them advantageously.
Senator Culbertson, who favors the
construction Of the $4OOO.0OO dam at
I'll Paso, In order to compensate Mex
leo for damages on account of alleged
usurpation of the waters of the Rio
Grande, has given notice of an amend
ment he proposes to offer to the bill
authorizing statehood for New Mexico,
Arizona and Oklahoma, when 1t comes
up. This amendment will provide that
the government shall retain control OF
the waters Of the Rio Grande. 1t is
rumored that the Elephant Buttes
Dam Company, which is one of the
chief factors in opposing the construc-
tion of the internationa dam, will be
backed by the Santa Fe Railway Com
pany In the construction OF its dam In
Mexico. 1t Is proposed to make the
dam much larger than was at first in
tended and thus be able to grant to
the city OF Ell Paso water ut the equit-
able price for which 1t has been con-
tending and provide for n greater scale
OF operau tons In the Rio Grande valley.
Truman G. Palmer of Chicago was
a witness before the Senate committee
on Cuban relations. For the past four
years Mr.. Palmer has been engaged In
the promotion Of beet sugar interests.
He gave list of seventeen American
corporations which. he said. have $751;
III acres In sugar producing lands In
Cuba, with an annual capacity OF 255,-
425 tons. or these seventeen com
ranies ten have on file war claims
against the government OF the United
States aggregating $9,66J.974. The
largest Of these claims, for $4.17T, sos.
was filed by the Constancio Sugar
Company. with an estate of $1,000
acres and an annual capacity of 21.OOO
tons. Mr.. Palmer said he had secured
the facts upon which this statement liz
based from the official records OF the
Spanish claims commission. and from
statements made by witnesses before
the Senate committee and the House
committee on ways and means. The
witness said that an effort on his part
to place the bonds OF n beet sugar
company had failed last December be-
cause of the agitation to secure a re-
duction OF the duty on Cuban sugar.
and that he later had sold his interest
In this company and since then had been
deyotinR his attention to the question
OF the proposed tnriff reduction. When
Senator Plat asked what had induced
witness to manifest so great mn inter
est In the legislation proposed he re-
piled: Because that believe that II
this tariff reduction Legislation fails 1
shall have no difficulty In securing the
means Of building mt least one beet
sugar factory n year"
Felipe Buencamino. former secretary
OF state in Aguinaldo's Cabinet. was
heard through an Interpreter by the
House committee on insuiar affairs,
Chairman Cooper asked Senor Buen-
camino why he had come to the United
States. He said he was here represent
Ing the Federal party, and the influen.
tial element of the insurgents and the
katipunan society. He said his coun-
try. the Philippines, was like n sick
man convalescing from dangerous Ill
ness. 1t was still bleeding from the
wounds Of war. Its aspirations were
those OF Washington, liberty with jus.
ticc, under American society. which
they loved. They looked to Congress
to give them just and liberal govern
ment. He detailed the facts connected
with the early uprising of the Fllipinos.
Aguinaldo was an idol, and the people
believed him when he told them that
Dewey had promised them ndepcn.
dence. He revived all that had been
done since the outbreak, and spoke of
the gradual extension OF American nu-
thorlty and practical pacification Of the
greater part of the islands. There
were now 800 municipalities cstnb.
lished, and they had proved sntisfac-
tory. Under the Taft system, he said
the Filipinos have greater liberty than
they would have enjoyed under the
Aguinaldo government had 1t been cs-
tablished. Governor Taft now was the
idol of the people. He said the people
Of the Philippines would have their
political status fixed, whether they are
Americans or Filipinos. He preferred
that they should he Americans. The
happiness of the people depended upon