Bisbee daily review., 1902-02-18
DANGER IN
 Int SENATE

The St. Louis Globe-Democrat, re- publican papsr, prints the following from its Washing ton correspondent:
 The house committee on territories has decided to report on the bills pro vidiug for the admission of Oklahoma, Arizona and New Mexico to statehood on Friday, February g. This agree msnt was reached after the arguments in favor of statehood for New Mexico had been presented.
 There seems to be but little doubt that the house committee will report favorably upon the bills admitting the three territories to the union and will also report a bill granting territorial form of government for the Indian Territory. Nothing has developed in any of the hearings to indicate that there is any opposition in the commit tee to statehood for Oklahoma, Arizo- na and New Mexico. While the meet ings at which the advocates of state hood have presented their arguments have not been attended by the full committee, the deepest interest has been shown in all of the statements made. and the majority of the commit tee is unauestionably in favor of the passage of the bills.
 There is wi3e divergence of opin- ion among the members of the commit tee concerning the disposition that shall be made of the Indian Territory case. There is no sentiment in favor of admitting the territory into the union as 8 part of Oklahoma, the diff ference being confined to the charac- ter of the government that shall be provided for the territory. The Moon bill has been strongly urged. The ob- jection to it is that it provides for a full territorial government with the consequent expense in taxation that must be borne by personal taxes until such time as the Indians lands are made subject to taxation. Some of the members of the committee urge that the territory cannot afford to assume such burden and they are making an effort for the adoption of the Curtis bill, which provides for governor, secretary of the territory, and dele gate to congress, to be appointed by the president, and the expense of the government to be borne by the federal government. The matter is now in the hands of subcommittee, which will report to the full committee next week.
 While there will be some opposition to the bills in the house, the indica- tions now are that they will pass by a good majority. The work of Mir. Flynn, of Oklahoma, and Mir. Rodey, of New Mexico, on the republican side, and MT. Smith, If Arizona, on the dem. ocratic side, has been most effective, and it is claimed that considerably more than a ma jority of the current members have agreed to vote for the bills. The outlook is not so cheering on the senate side. As yet the com mitte on territories of the senate has not granted any hearings on the bills and has not given them any extended consideration. It is known that some of the senators from the eastern states are radically opposed to the admission of the territories for political and sec tional reasons. The increase of the number of senators by six, with inter- ests and sympathy in the development of the west and southwest, is not de sired by some of the members of the senate. One of them expressed this view and declared that he was not in favor of adding six votes in the sens te that would be in favor of national irri- gation projects and measures of that character. However, as soon as the measures have passed the house the statehood advocates from the three territories will transfer their work to the senate and make concerted effort to secure favorable consideration oi their claims