Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-02-08
Little Hope Of Admitting Any of the
Territories.
TIE MONEY QUESTION INVOLVED
Candidates for Statehood Fighting
Each Other.
THEIR FRIENDS HOPELESS

Advocates of statehood for the territories
have practically given up all hope of IA
vorable action from Congress at this ses-
sion. Few of them expect favorable re-
port from the committee which has been
holding hearings for a month past. 1t
might be possible to secure favorable &C
ton from the House If there was any hope
Of the Senate yielding to the demand of
the western people, but the Senate, as it
now stands, is unalterabiy opposed to in
creasing the membership from the smaller
western states, with their leanings toward
the democratic party.
Territories Fighting Each Other.
If Indian territory and Oklahoma had
appeared before Congress united and enthu-
siastic for single statehood for both terri
tories it would have been difficult for Con-
gress to have ignored the appeal. There
would have been no really good reason for
turning down the application for admission
made by 100000 people of a stable and
wealthy community. Indian territory and
Oklahoma, however, are fighting each
other. Indian territory fears it's absorption
by Oklahoma, and the Indian element In
Indian territory also realizes that II It
country was governed by vote Of the peo-
pie the 100000 whites would concede
little authority to the 5000 Indians who
now really control the situation. This war
between the people of two sections of prac-
tical1y one territory is sufficient excuse to
prevent serious consideration of the claims
for statehood for community which would
at once send two senators and five mem
bers of the House to Washington as its
delegation In the national councils.
Arizona Is democratic, as also Is New
Mexico. Neither of these territories pos
SesseS one-tenth Of the claims to considera-
ton possessed by Oklahoma, and while the
people of those territories are making a
brave and strenuous fight for statehood,
they have absolutely no show Of securing
any such privilege. Another phase of the
question which has been taken into consid-
Grafton, especially in the Senate, in regard
to Oklahoma is the shifting character of
the majority vote in that section Of the
United States. Should industrial depres-
sion come ance more to the west, or should
the silver issue again assume an impor-
tant position in national policies. Oklahoma
would follow the trend so noticeable
through that entire belt. Nebraska, Kan
sas and Oklahoma are settled by practical
~ the same class of people, and their politi-
cal tendencies are agrarian, OF, as Is more
commonly called, populistic 1t will be
long time and conditions will have to
change materially before the Senate will
agree to increase its membership from ter
ritory Of this political character.
The admission of Montana, Utah, Idaho
and the Dakotas has served the purpose of
bringing about an ultra conservative atti-
tude toward the admission Of any more
snow
greater reason for consideration than any
territory which has yet been made state
it will probably be several years before
even that community receives the privileges
OF commonwealth
The Money Question Involved.
The recently developed opposition to the
Hill currency bill has emphasized in the
minds of many Of the eastern members the
need Of continued caution to prevent a re-
agitation Of the money question Speaker
Henderson started out to secure sufficient
support for the Hill measurento insure its
passage without serious delay. To his sur
prise, however, he ran into the most Wig
orous opposition from republican members
who, while supporting the gold standard
were not prepared to offend many Of their
constituents by pushing the gold standard
idea to what they were afraid would be
called an extreme. There Is no desire in
Congress to raise the silver question again
and 1t Is feared that prolonged discussion
OF the Hill currency bill would precpftate
financial debate almost, if not quite, as
vfruient as in times gone by.
The Hill currency bill proposes to retire
all Of the silver dollars now in circulation
by exchanging them for gold on demand at
the treasury in sums of five dollars and
over, all silver thus retired being used for
making subsidiary coin, of which the sup
ply Is now scanty. The opponents of this
measure say that this bill would create an
endless chain through the medium Of
which all Of the silver would be retired
from circulation, the amount in the coun-
try correspondingly reduced in volume and
the west be deprived of the benefits now
due to the purchases OF silver bullion bv
the United States government. In fact
they advance the opinion that 1t would
effectually put an end to the use Of silver
as money by the people Of the United
States, to the detrinent Of the circulating
medium and the product of the western
silver mines. Opposition to this Hill meas
IRE Is not confined to the west. for Grow
Pa, and number Of other places are
equally emphatic in their advice to Speaker
Henderson not to raise the issue The
committee on coinage, weights and meas
uTes made a divided report the minority
report being signed by Mr. Shafroth of Col
orado. or course, the united opposition Of
the democrats could be depended upon, and
II they were reinforced by large number
OF OF republicans, as Is probable at this time.
the fight would be prolonged and bitter
consuming much time and possibly ending
in defeat for the steering committee
The Politics In the Matter
While this matter is rather remotely con-
nected with the question of statehood for
the territories, 1t is an illustration of one
of the strongest influences against admit
ting new states There is no certainty az
to what the political complexion of the
three new states proposed would be- ex-
cept that the probabilities are they Would
be democratic and the republican majority
In both House and Senate is not anxious
at this time to add to the possible strength
of the opposition party. Serious considera-
ton is already being given to the elections
Of 1902. and some Of the republican mem
beers profess to be uneasy as to the future
complexion of the House. The democrats
may have to make such enormous gains
however. that this possibility is. not re-
garded seriously by a majority, though no
steps will be taken by the admission Of
democratic states to make II any easier
for the minority to increase it's representa-
ton.
There Is an element Of great Injustice
out. and If the people OF that territory
should harmonic with the people of In
dian territory it would be extremely diff
cult to ind any justification for what
might rightly be called an act ~ onnres-
StoU TO nearly million A raarioax,