The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-02-27
SMALL CHANCE FOR STATEHOOD
Friends of Measure Admit It Will Re.
ceive Very Little Encouragement.

Friends Of Measure Admit It Will Re.
ceive Very Little Encouragement.
Washington, Feb. 24.-The demo-
cratic senatorial caucus has rejected
the two state propositions for the adj
mission of new states submitted by
the republicans. The matter of fur
Their negotiations was left with the
democratic members of the committee
on postoffices, which has charge of the
appropriation bill with the statehood
rider. The object is to ascertain
whether there is a majority of the
senate willing to vote the rider upon
the bill. Unless there is an assur-
ance of success, the democrats will
not vote for the rider. The demo-
Gratis will not accept anything on a
basis of two states.
by Senators Clay, Bacon, Teller, Du-
bois, Simons, Foster of Louisiana,
Bate. Morgan, Pettus and others. All
the speakers took positive grounds
against the compromise proposition,
and several of them spoke emphati-
cally against the proposition to put
the statehood bill on any of the appro-
priation bills as a rider. They favor
ed placing the future course of the
party with r%efernce to the statehood
bill as such, and also as a rider, in the
hands of the democratic members of
the committee on postoffices.
A democratic senator. on being ask
ed for a statement of the reasons for
rejecting the compromise proposition.
wrote the following, which, after sub
hitting it to several of his colleagues,
he gave out for publication:
THE democratic caucus rejected
the proposed compromise statehood
bill for the following asons When
Arizona and New Mexico were made
territories their areas were estab-
lished for ultimates statehood pur-
poses, and all the interests and ex-
pectations of the people of the two
territories have been in anticipation
of the two states.
at would be gross injustice to the
peolhe of both of them to join them
in n state. From east to west as
railroads must be built, it would be
LOO miles cross them. The propos-
ed state would be as large as Texas,
and Texas is too large for it's con-
venient government.
Many democrats feel that the re-
publican fight for statehood has not
been sincere, they having used the
statehood bill as a buffer to prevent
trust discussion and legislation. For
the democrats now, having stood al
most a solid body for the admission
of the three territories, to accept the
proposed consolidation would be to
have played into the hands of the re-
publican trust cabal.
THE people of Arizona are unani-
mously opposed to consolidation with
New Mexico, and the people of both
territories should be consulted.
"The provisions in the c~onsol4da-
ton for ultimate separate statehood
are a snare. The question of separa-
ton into two states must be SUBJ
mitted to the voters of the entire
state, and experience has taught that
after the interests of any area have
been consolidated as a single state,
a majority cannot be secured for sep
aration.
"The democrats have stood for the
statehood bill as it passed the house.
They believe that each is entitled to
statehood and they have stood Loyalty
by the republican minority in their
efforts to give them statehood; but
they will not infict the injustice that
probably never can be repaired. of
forcing the people of the two terri
tories into a state so large that it