The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-02-10
1VE@IAIE PLAN
CONSIDERED
Republican Senators Should
Agree on Compromise.
OF STATEHOOD MIDDLE
All of Territories Sure to be
Admitted in Time.
OF STATEHOOD MIDDLE

washington, Feb. at Will be ar
ostrich policy on the part of any Republic
can senators, having the interest Of the
country and party at heart, who refuse
to go into compromise for settling the
statehood middle by the admission of two
states This is the plan to which the
president has had the least aversion. II
has been, for the most part. the plan OF
| opponents of the omnibus statehood bill
| in both house and senate. The policy OF
| the few who insist that nothing in the
| southwest is fitted for statehood, and SO
oppose doing anything, is not likely to
| be effective. 1t is a condition and not a
| theory that confronts us. The territories
are on the map as part of the symmet-
rical continental republic, and they are
sure to be admitted to statehood before
long Democratic ascendency would mean
this straightway, and even slight in
crease of the Democratic strength in the
senate, which is likely at any time to
occur, would without doubt mean the
same thing.
If, on the other hand, by taking advant-
the Republican leaders secure the settle
ment of this question on the basis Of two
states, they will be winning a salutary
victory. The fact that these two states
come in five, or ten, or twenty years
earlier than they otherwise might, is a
small consideration to be compared with
that of reducing their possible strength in
the senate one-half. 1t would have been
a great thing of Nevada and Utah had
been similarly consolidated.
The Democrats will. of course, oppose
this plan, but whether to the extent Of
starting a filibuster. remains to be seem
The proposed compromise would avoid
two distinct and lasting objections to the
omnibus bill, brought out by Senator
Lodge in his recent speech. 1t would pre-
vent the founding of state upon mineral
wealth alone, the most unsubstantial of
all resources for sustaining permanent
population Arizona's claim today is based
almost wholly upon the amount of copper
and gold which it is annually producing;
these are stored products of the earth,
and when they are exhausted, the popu-
lation which lives by their production
dries Zip and blows away. Senator Lodge
in his speech, went into the historical
aspect of such a basis of population.
But there should be no mistaking the
Arizona outlook, with Nevada before us.
The last federal census assigned to Au-
rora in Nevada. which is an important
town on the stage line from Carson to
Bodie, a population of IS. At one time it
claimed 1900 inhabitants, and was GER
tainly a thriving city. Readers of Mark
Twain will remember his description of its
picturesque life. This population of 10 is,
besides, something of an increase over
recent records. Only few years ago
trustworthy traveller relates that he found
just eight persons living In that town.
They were engaged in 'coasting." This
is a technical phrase for going into aban-
doned workings. where some free gold
remains in little feeders. The coasters
in this case had substantial brick build
ings and hotels through which they could
roam at will. 1t is said that the stone
for the quartz mills there had been
brought over from California by mule
teams at an expense of twenty-five cents
a pound. and yet, in spite of its founders
expectation of its substantial growth and
prosperity, the city has almost completely
vanished.