Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-20
CONFER ON STATEHOOD
SENATOR QUAY ANXIOUS TO FIX
A TIME TO VOTE.
If No Agreement Can Be Reached It
Was Decided to Hold Senate in
Continuous Session.

Senator Quay who is in charge OF the
omnibus statehood bill, which is being so
bitterly opposed in the Senate, has been IN
conference with his republican colleagues
who favor the bill and with democratic
leaders. who also are determined that a
vote shall be taken upon the bill. The con-
ference between Senator Quay and MS re-
publican colleagues was not attended by
democrats, but was a republican meeting
entirely.
At that conference it was determined
by the republicans favoring the omnibus
bill to endeavor to reach an agreement
with the other side that the bill shall be
permitted to come to vote January "A. II
that date is not acceptable to the oppo-
nents Senator Quay, will propose vote
January 81 February or February L.
To Hold Continuous Session.
If vote cannot be agreed upon by the
latter date the republicans present at the
conference decided that they would hold
the Senate in continuous session until
vote should be reached. That would mean
that the friends of statehood would not
further discuss the bill, but would insist
either upon the opposition furnishing
enough speakers to occupy all the time or
to permit a vote to be reached.
1t is admitted at the Senate today that
Senator Quay. has at present sufficient votes
to pass his bill. That has been the reason
why the opponents of the bill have been
prolonging discussion. They have been
afraid to have the measure come to a vote
and were jockeying it along In the hope Oh
shaking off some of Senator Quay's repub-
lican support. Their efforts In that dlrec-
ton have not been successful.
Anxious to Reach Vote.
Senator Quay, of course. Is anxious to
reach vote as soon as possible, as he
realizes that there is always danger of
pressure of one kind or another breaking
up his flank. The talk Of compromise has
been renewed, but the friends of the state
hood bill are inclined to be very Indifferent
to compromise They probably would be
more anne nable to suggestions of compro-
mise after they found that they did not
have enough votes to hold the Senate UP
in behalf of the bill. The Arizona state
hood people are very much averse to the
proposed compromise of making Arizona
and New Mexico into one state.
The democratic opponents of the Cuban
reciprocity treaty have been trying to in
veigle Senator Quay into their efforts to
ball up the treaty Senator Quay has
fought shy, however, because some of his
statehood strength includes republicans
who will not countenance action inimical
to ratification of the treaty He knows that
the democrats will have to vote for state
hood anyhow. and he does not have to
make any trade with them to get their
strength for the omnibus bill.
Beveridge and Quay.
When the bill was taken up in the SEN
ate at 2 o'clock this afternoon Senator
Quay and Senator Beveridge became in
volved in a discussion Of the question of
who was the real obstructionist Of legisla-
ton in connection with this bill Senator
Quay insisted that Senator Beveridge and
his friends were obstructionists and in
proof of his statement asserted that he was
ready to vote Immediately on the bill.
Senator Bever1dge denied that his faction
was obstructing legislation, and put the
blame upon Senator Quay. He declared
that 1t was an old campaign and convention
dodge to claim that one had the votes and
invite all of the waverng brothers to get
on the band wagon. He said that Senator
Quay had used that so often, however, that
it's force was destroyed, and 1t would not
work in this case.
At this point. Senator Quay arose and
took from his pocket a folded paper. He
said he would put the whole matter to a
test at once: he would ask unanimous con-
sent that vote be taken upon this bill
January "a. Senator Beveridge, who imme-
diately recognized the fact that Senator
Quay was attempting to carry out the plan
formulated in the conference above re-
ferred to, declined to yield for unanimous
consent. If unanimous consent had been
asked and refused Senator Quay intended
to ask for vote January 81, February Z
or IL.
Senator Beveridge then continued In We
hement disavowal of obstructionist meth
DDS on the part OF himself or his colleagues
He said that Senator Quay had planned for
this obstruction long ago and had secured
pledges before ever the bill was reported
from committee. He insisted that Senator
Quay'S attitude was one which said: "Give
us the legislation we demand or the coun-
try shall have no legislation at ALL"
Let the CALLED jade vince, our withers are
unwrung." passionately cried Senator Bev-
eridge. Senator Quay denied absolutely
that there had been any such combination
as alleged by Senator Beveridge.