The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-16
SENATE is STILL UP
THE STATEHOOD
STUMP
Quay Stands Pat and the
Other Side Is Equally De
termined- To Offer State
hood Bill as Rider to the
Postoffice Appropriation
Bill.


senate still finds itself burdened with
the statehood bill, and while just as
anxious as ever to dispose of it in
some way in order to proceed unim-
peded with other business, it is not
even as confident of being able to do so
as at the beginning of last week.
With only fourteen working days of
the session left, senators generally feel
that the matter must be put out of the
way, but when a suggestion of this
kind is made the reply invariably Is
that Notwithstanding the statehood bill
has the right Of way of position, practi-
cally during the entire session there
has been no lack of legislation, and
bills of all kinds have been passed, and
that not a single appropriation bill has
been delayed for a moment by the
statehood bill.
The feeling is none the less strong,
however, that the statehood bill will
be seriously in the way at the close of
the session unless disposed of very
soon. There are still numerous APP
preparation bills to be considered, Sen
ator Cullom wants to call up various
treaties, Senator Lodge is anxious over
the outcome of the Philippine bill, SEN
ator Penrose and Senator Fairbanks
are c1amoring for time for the imnli-
grafton bill, Senator Aldrich wants his
national bank bill considered, Senator
McComas is urging the eight-hour bill,
Senator Quarles the land entry bill and
Senator Warren his omnibus claim. In
deed, there is scarcely a senator who
has not some measure which he de-
s1res to press and all feel that the
statehood bill may be in the way of
consideration.
Must Fight II Out.
Senator Quay, moreover, yesterday
gave notice that he would Insist on
having the statehood bill taken up
promptly after the close Of regular
morning business each day in order to
cut Off other measures. All thought of
compromise on the statehood matter
has apparently been abandoned and no
Couts except to fight it out now seems
to be open. The Democrats refuse alb
sc tel. 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 satisfactory to his allies. His in
tent1on, therefore, is to "stay with the
bill to the end" and the question now
awaiting his decision is whether or not
to adopt the bold and hazardous course
OF pressing the measure as a rider or
amendment to one of the appropriation
bills, it being conceded that some
friends of the statehood bill will not
carry their support to the length of
voting to attack it to a supply bill.
1t is now quite definitely decided to
use the postoffice appropriation as the
vehicle for carrying the statehood bill.
When the statehood amendment shall
be reached the crucial test is likely to
come. point of order will be made
against 1t that it is not germane to
the bill to which it is attached. If the
amendment should be carried the
statehood fight will be transferred to
the postoffice bill, with the resultant
danger Of an extra session if the fight
became prOtracted If the amendment
shall not prevail, the general opinion
| is that the statehood advocates either
Will have to accept a compromise or
allow the entire measure to fail with
| the expiration of the session, for the
opponents Of statehood show no dispo-
! sition to yield.
The chief supporters of the two i'm
portant treaties now before the SEN
| ate-the Panama canal treaty and the
cuban reciprocity treaty-are greatly
! puzzled over the situation. The one
| day given to the Panama treaty has
| served merely to demonstrate that it
| Will require considerable time to Sc
! cure action on 1t. The present pur-
| pose is not to attempt to take up the
| Cuban treaty until the Panama treaty
| shall be out Of the way. Most of the
| Democratic senators and two or three
| Republican senators will vote against
| the Cuban agreement, but if a vote
can be reached 1t is believed it will be
ratified.
Supply Bills Well Advanced.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 49,
| The appropriation bills are well adj
! vanced in the house for this stage of
| the session. With less than three
weeks OF the session ahead, only three
| of the supply bills remain to be acted
| on. Two of these, the naval and forti-
| f1catfon bills, are on the calendar, and
will be passed this week. The general
| deficiency will follow next week. De-
| lays on these bills in the senate, how
| ever, now promise to crowd things dur
| ing the final hours. The Fowler cur
rency bill, which has been postponed
| from time to time, is to have a special
| rule, making 1t a continuing order at
| the first opportunity this week. But
II 1t reaches the stage of considera-
| ton 1T will be sidetracked whenever
an appropriation bill or conference re-
| port is ready. Consequently consider
| able Skepucism is manifested now as
to whether it will be brought to a vote
| Mr. Moon (Dem., Temp, still refuses
| assent to appeals for unanimous con-
| sent because the Indian territory bill
is not given consideration, and his
course compels recourse to suspension