Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1902-05-01
TOtoIity Ignored by Repub-
licans on Question of
Statehood for Ter
ritOries.
HOUSE REPUBLICANS
Expected to Bolt to the Demo.
Gratis When the Omnibus Bill
Comes Up-Chances of
the Measure in the
Senate.

No report from the committee
on rules, fixing a day for the con-
sideration of the omnibus state.
hood bill has been submitted. IT.
may come Friday and it may not
be presented until next week. The
latter date is the limit. The house
leaders are not ready for a state
hood bill. Henderson, Payne,
Cannon and other republican
leaders will fight the statehood
proposition, and they stopped Mr..
Tawney, the party whip, from
making visit home, and held
him in Washington to line up the
party strength. There are indioa-
tions that the republican leaders
will get as severe jolt in their
opposition to statehood as they
did in the refined sugar amend
ment TO the Cuban bill. Long, Of
Kansas, was substituted for Taw.
ney as the party whip in the Gu.
ban reciprocity fight, because
Tawney could not be trusted. Mr..
Tawney has come forth again TO
do battle for his party leaders, but
his heart is not in the fight. The
republican congressman sympa.
thize with the effort TO make
states out of territories, and Rep
resentative Lloyd, of Missouri, of
the committee ON territories, the
democratic whip, has stated that
practically the solid democratic
strength would be thrown to the
omnibus statehood bill. If TWEEN.
ly.fve republicans vote with the
democrats, and the statehood ad-
vocates have promise from more
than twice that many, Speaker
Henderson will receive another
set back.
The opposition of the house
leaders to the admission Of the
territories as stated is the most
conspicuous instance of going back
on a party platform presented at
this session of congress. In their
speeches on the Cuban reciprocity
bill the house leaders appealed to
republicans to stand by their par
ty platform and party leaders. In
the statehood fight the republican
leaders have completely disre'
garded the party platform Of 1900,
which contains this plank:
1--WE favor home rule for and
the early admission to statehood
Of the territories Of New Mexico,
Arizona, and Oklahoma"
Republican congressman who
have pledged themselves to sup
port the omnibus statehood
bill will justify the action by rea d.
ing from the party platform. The
democrats are reveling in the
prospective opportunity which the
statehood fight will give them
Not only did the democratic ma
tional platform of 1900 promise
statehood in the event of demo
cratic success, but il declared tha
republicans were inHincsre in theil
promises to the territories. The
statehood plank in the democratic
platform is in this language:
awe denounoe the failure of tn,
republican party TO carry out itl
pledges to grant statehood t
the terrific ries of Arizona, Ne v
Mexico and Oklahoma, and W.
promise the people Of these terri
tories immediate statehood and
home rule during their condition
az territories, and we favor home
rule and a territorial form Ct gov
eminent for Alaska and Porto
Rico"
The only concern that the parli'
sans of the measure have, is thai
il will be killed in the senate. Un.
less it is favored in that body il
can be allowed to die in the com
mittee room.
Promises, however, have been
received from a number Of sena.
tors to conduct the fight in the up
per house, and there is a possible