The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1902-01-17
NO NEW STARS IN FLAG
Small Prospect Of Admission OF
New States This Session.
POLITICS LARGELY RESPONSIBLE.
Dominant Party Doesn't Care to
swell Democratic Representation.
To Save Historic Places-Experi-
mental Irrigation.

mental IrrtgatfOn.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 15.-[Special. J.
1t begins to look as if there would be
no new stars added to the flag at this
session OF congress-, and the high hopes
which men from Oklahoma, New Mex
leo and Arizona had at the beginning
of the session have vanished. Gov
ernor Otero came here from New Mex
leo To look after admission interests
and incidentally, perhaps, to see that
no one prevented his own reappoint-
ment. He is still here, but will leave
soon, because he has come to the con-
clusion that there is little prospect Of
congressional action. Dennis Flynn,
the delegate from oklahoma, says that
the politics of his territory has great
deal to do with delayed admission. The
influx of settlers from the southern
states into Oklahoma has largely in
creased the Democratic vote. In fact
Oklahoma Is below the Republican
Zine. For that matter, SO are New Mex
leo and Arizona, and ii is no doubt
natural that the Republican majorities
in both houses of congress do not de-
sire 10 swell the Democratic repre-
sentation in the senate by six votes. II
may seem n little hard to deny admis-
sion on the ground of politics, but this
has been done in the past and Will con-
tinue as long as there are territories.
To Preserve Historic Places.
The determination TO save for poster
ity historic places OF the United States
has seized quite number OF men In
congress. New York is now being look
ed after by Representative Emerson,
who has presented a bill to purchase
and preserve as government property
the battlefields and Notifications OF
Forts Frederick, Crown Point and II
conderoga, in eastern New York. There
are volumes of colonial, Indian and
Revolutionary war history and legend
about these places and, in fact, all
along Lake George and Lake Cham
plain. Mr., Emerson's bill proposes to
purchase about 1900 acres OF land at
these points and place it under the su-
pervision Of the secretary Of war for
protection and management. 1t is Mr..
Emerson's idea that the properties
could be leased in such a way as TO pay
for their maintenance.
Experimental Irrigation.
Representative Lacey of Iowa has in
troduced a bill designed to test the fea-
sibility of irrigation by experimenting
with about a million acres of the pub
lie domain which are suitable for inter-
state irrigation. Upon this land he
would have the government build the
necessary reservoirs. DAMS bitches.
etc. the lands which are irrigated to
be disposed Of under the homestead
laws in tracts of 100 acres. The money
for the purpose is appropriated out of
the proceeds of the sale of public lands.
Mr.. Lacey has for many years been
chairman Of the public lands commit
tee and has given great deal of atten-
ton TO all matters connected with the
public domain. He does not think the
government should enter upon any
great system of irrigation until an eX-
perimen,al test has demonstrated its
practicability.
The Seniority Pull.
Senator Stewart of Nevada has been
long enough in the senate to know that
there are some things obtained not
by senatorial courtesy, but by positive
demand. That is the way he secured
the Craftsmanship of the Indian COM
mittee He said he wanted the place,
that his return to the Republican party
and length of service on the committee
entitled him to 1t by reason of senior.
ity and If he was not given it he would
make things pretty warm somewhere.
And he got it. 1t was supposed that
Senator Quarles OF Wisconsin was in
the best position for the Indian chair
at one time, and many sena-
tors wanted him to have it, but senior
ity was not TO be dismissed even in the
case of a man who had strayed from
the Republican fold for matter of
eight years.
Reed Noncommunicative
The many newspaper friends of
Thomas Il. Reed undertake to get him
TO discuss public events when he comes
to Washington, but they do not sue
coed. He looks at them In q wondering
way and says nothing. Some try TO
get an expression by saying fiattering
things, such as wishing he were back |
In the speakers chair or in the senate
or even in the White House. None Of
these caJoleries affects the immovahla !
Reed, To G few close friends he makes
some sarcastic remarks about men and
events, but nothing for the public
prints. Reed is not exactly in har-
mony with his old party and never
could get in harmony with the party
he opposed so vigorously for twenty
years In the house.
State Department Cord.
A red, white and blue cord Is the
mark of state paper, one from the
state department dealing with our for
eign relations. Other departments
send bundles of documents to congress
fastened together with patent pins or
clips or perhaps tied up with piece Of
broad red tape, but papers from the
state department reach congress or
any other place to which they may be