Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-02-16
Senator Quay's Omnibus State
hood Bill Delaying Business
In the Senate
IMPORTANT MEASURES WAITING
There Is No Chance for Compromise
and the Question Will Be Brought Out
on the Floor-The House Pretty Well
Up With Its Work at Present-other
Congressional News.

Washington, Feb. 16.-The senat.
lstill finds itself burdened with the
1 statehood bill. and While just as anx-
ious to dispose of it in some way, In
|order to proceed uninlpeded with other
business, it is not even as confident OF
being able to do so IS at the beginning
of last week. The feeling is strong that
the statehood bill Will be seriously in
the way at the close of the session I'M
less disposed of very soon. There are
still numerous appropriation bills to be
considered. Senator Cullom wants to
call UP various treaties; Senator Lodge
| is anxious over the fate of the Philip
\ pine bills; Senators Penrose and Fair
banks are clamoring for time for the
| immigration bill Senator Aldrich
wants his national bank bill consid-
cred; Senator McComas is urging the
| eight hour bill; Senator Quarles, the
land entry bill. and Senator Warren
| his omnibus claims bill. Indeed, there
1 is scarcely a senator who has not some
measure which he desires to press, and
| all feel that the statehood bill may be
lin the way of consideration. Senator
Quay, moreover, Saturday gave notice
| that he would insist on having thu
statehood bill taken up promptly after
the close Of routine morning business
each day III order to cut off other meas
ures All thought of compromise on
| the statehood matter apparently has
bsen abandoned, ana no course except
| to fight it out now seems open. The
democrats. however, refuse absolutely
to accept a compromise which would
| link Arizona with New Mexico. and
Senator Quay has decided not to make
any agreement which would not be sat
isfactory to his allies. His intention,
therefore is to stay with the bill to the
end" and the question now awaiting
the decision is whether or not to adopt
the bold and hazardous course Of press
ing the measure as q rider or amend
ment to, one of the appropriation bills.
1t is now quite definitely decided to
use the postoffice appropriation bill as
the vehicle for carrying the statehood
bill. provided the senate shows will
ingness to put the measure on one of
the appropriation bills.
1t is expected that the postoffice bill
as amended. by including the statehood
proposition, will be reported TO the sem
ate on Tuesday or Wednesday, and
Senator Mason, chairman of the post
office committee, announces that it is
his purpose to ask fCr almost immedi-
ate consideration. When the statehood
amendment is reached, the critical test
is likely to come.
The chief supporters of the two i'm
portant treaties now before the senate.
the Panama canal treaty and the Gu
ban reciprocity treaty, are greatly puz-
lied over the situation. The statehood
Dill stands squarely across their re-
spective pathways. The one day given
TO the Panama treaty has served mere
~ to demonstrate that II will require
considerable time to secure action on
It, practically owing to Senator Nor
gan's determined OPPOSITION.
The purpose is not to attempt to
take up the Cuban treaty until the Pam
ANA treaty is out of the way.
Tomorrow the Indian augmentation
bill will be taken up again and its
consideration probably concluded. SEN
ator Tillman has announced his inten-
ton to speak during the day in reply
to Senator Spooner's recent speech on
the race question in the south, and 1t
is not improbable that quite general de-
bate may ensue.
The appropriation bills are well ad-
Vanced in the house for this stage of
the session, With less than three weeks
of the session ahead, only three of rhe
supply bills remain to be acted on
Two of these. the naval and fortifica-
ton bills. are on the calendar and will
be passed this week. The general de-
ficiency will follow next week. Delays
on these bills in the senate, however,
now promise to crowd things during the
final hours. The Fowler currency bill
which has been proposed from time to
time, is to have special rule making
it continuing order at the first op-
portunity this week. But If 1T reaches
Q. state of consideration 1t will be side
tracked whenever an appropriation bin
or conference report is ready. Conse-
quently considerable skepticism is now
manifested as to whether it will be
brought to vote. Tomorrow is sus-
pension day but only matters of minor
will be considered. Mr..
Moon, (dem., of Tennessee) still refuses
assent to requests for unanimous COR
sent because the Indian Territory bill
is not given consideration and his
course compels recourse to suspension
day for bridge bills and other minor
measures, which usually go thru by |
unanimous consent.