Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-02-06
LIKELY
1t Is Probable That Four Ter
ritories Will be Included
In Two States
MAJORITY IN FAVOR OF THIS
Not Only the Republican Leaders in the
Senate Would 3. Satisfied, Blu. Also
President Roosevelt and Senator
ouay-other Details Concerning So
luton of Statehood Question.

| Active negotiations are now going on
| looking 10 an immediate compromise OF
the statehood question. So far as the
republican forces are concerned the
compromise is practically agreed upon,
| but it may be entirely impossible to
secure an agreement which will be
sufficiently satisfactory to the demo
Gratis to induce them TO withdraw oppo-
sition. and allow the bill to go thru.
The compromise which now finds
most favor contemplates the admission
OF only two states, but these new COM
monwealths will include the four terri
tories now in dispute, leaving Alaska as
| the only territorial form of government
| on this continent. The compromise sug-
would be satisfactory not only to the
republican leaders in the senate. but to
President Roosevelt and Senator Quay,
the leader of the republican and demo-
cratic allies. Mr.. Qeay would accept
| this compromise and would bring with
| him all the republican senators who
have been helping hin, in the statehood
| fight.
| The difficulty lies in the fact that he
can not deliver the democrats. and while
| two or three we'll known southern sena-
| tors have expressed 9. willingness to
agree to the compromise, the great
mass of democrats are standing aloof
and, in fact, are inclined to charge that
| Matt Quay. after having used them
to pull his chestnuts cut of the fire, has
deserted them and surrendered to the
republican leaders. Il this spirit of re-
sentiment continues there are enough
democrats to block the action on the
compromise statehood measure.
If that proves true, no states will be
admitted at all this session. AT the
next session, however. bill will be pre-
pared for two big states exactly as IN
dictated in the present compromise, and
this will be passed, in all probability
by a republican house and senate.
There are grave political reasons Tor
the passage of the compromise state
hood bill. These reasons are not al
luded to at all in the debate. and were
obtained only after persistent comb
dental inquiries among the leading re-
publican senators.
The trend of emigration from the
older states to New Mckee. Arizona
Oklahoma, and Indian Territory has
been almost exclusively from the
southern states. which of course are
hopelessly democratic. The result is
that there is normal democratic ma
jority in each one of the four territor'
les mentioned. If they should be ad
mitted as separate states it would mean
an addition to the United States sen.
ate of eight democratic members, an1
at least four and possibly five dem
ocratic representatives in the house.
This would mean in the next electoral
college twelve or thirteen democrats
votes. and this might easily be sufti-
cient to determine the next presidential
election.
The republican managers have beer
confronted with a condition which
must be met, and 1t has both political
and constitutional aspects. Oklahoma
has In point of territory and the char
ter ct is inh&hi .E
attributes of statehood. New Mexico
has enough inhabitants to entitle it to
one member of the lower house, blu.
hardly enopgh to justify its represen
tation by two senators and one mem
Der of the house. Neither Arizona nor
Indian Territory has enough white
population to measure up TO the APP
portionment of a single member of the
lower house.
In all four territories except Okla
homa the ratio of illiteracy is large
the population is sparse. the area is
large, and the possibility of future set
Element at rapid rate is not encour-
aging. On the other hand. any ter
ritorial form of government on this
continent is not entirely in harmony
with the spirit of the republic. Besides
that, the republican party has pledged
itself to admit these territories as
states within a reasonable time.
To meet these conditions the republic
can leaders have about come to the
conclusion that from a political ana
constitutional standpoint the interests
Of every one will be better served by
making two states out of the four ter
ritories without any conditions except
tn eusual one as to the character of
their constitutions.
II is felt that so long as any terri
tory remains surrounded by sovereign
states it will be constantly clamoring
for statehood The republican leaders,
therefore, frankly say they would pre-
fer to make two democratic states now
than to postpone matters and thus in
wife the admission of four democratic
states later on. 1t will readily be seen
that if Oklahoma and New Mexico
should be admitted as two states now,
Arizona and Indian territory must nec-
essarily be admitted some time in the
future as two separate states.
So long as foot of country remains
under territorial government, just so
long will there be demand for state
hood, and it is for the purpose of the re-
publican leaders in the senate, after
careful consultation, to minimize the
evil and settle the question once for all
by admitting two big states and thus
wipng out the statehood issue in the
southwest forever.
This would make compact sister,
hood of forty-seven states, stretching in
Ia broad belt from the Atlantic to the
Pacific ocean 1t would leave out of the
sisterhood on this continent only the
Jdetached and partially uninhabitable
be ready for statehood any sooner than
Porto Rico, Hawaii, or the Philippines,
and probably not even as soon
Mr.. Quay and the handful of repub-
licans he represents are on the whole
agreeable to this compromise.