Evening journal., 1903-01-26
QUAY TO PRESS
STATEHOOD BILL
Lines More Closely Drawn
Over the Measure Than
Ever Before
OTHER LEGISLATION IS HELD UP

Washington. Jan. 26.-The feature
OF this week IA the senate will be the
continuation OF the contest over the
statehood bill The lines are now
more closely drawn than they have
ever been on this bill They are In
deed so taut that all onlookers real.
lie that they are apt 70 break before a
great while: but few unprejudiced per-
sons would undertake to say positively
on which side the disaster must befall
The advocates OF statehood were much
encouraged by the vote OF last week,
and, contonding that 1t has been dem
onstrated that there is a majority of
the senate favorable to the bill. they
declare that II is preposterous to ask
them to yield. while the opposition
urge that the vote was not a test at
all and no real indication OF the atti-
tude Of the senate. They say that the
bill is standing in the way Of other
legislation. and contend that II must
get out Of the road and remain out
when the appropriation bills begin to
press to the front, as they VIII very
soon do
It Is the intention. however, to use
the appropriation bills only in case
there should be an effort to hold night
sessions In order to secure action on
the statehood bill Senator Quay has
more than once indicated his intent Of
asking the, senate to "sit continuously" I"
which means that he is contemplating
night sessions. The general under
standing among the friends Of the
measure is that the prolonged session
test VIII come early In the week. pos
sibly tomorrow night, but the Pennsyl-
vania senator has so far failed to make
authoritative announcement on that
point. Senator Quay now asserts his
intention TO press the bill more strenu-
ously than in the past. and tho opposi-
ton is just as pronounced IN its
declaration OF intention TO resist its
passage They say that the bill can
not pass, and some of them announce
that they would rather take the re.
sponsibility for an extra session OF
congress than have the statehood bill
become law.
Senator Burnham proceeded with
his speech today. and II is the plan
to have Senator Kean follow him.
Senator Beveridge also will be fire.
9nently heard In opposition to the bill.
Several other senators who antagonize
the hin are prepared n necessary TO
Introduce extraneous matter for the
purpose OF preventing a vote For in.
stance. one of them has on his desk
a copy Of the encyclopedia speech de-
lieered by Senator Quay during the
consideration of the Wilson-G German
tariff bill. which he threatens to read,
and another has at hand volumin.
GUS history of New Mexico.
If night sessions are attempted, the
opponents Of the bill will resort to the
usual methods TO kill time. On the
other hand it is intimated that the
supporters Of the bill will take a bold
stand against allowing any other busi-
ness to proceed until a vote shall be
secured on the statehood bill Some
would. even go 20 the extent of exclud.
ing appropriation bills There is some
apprehension on the part of the bill's
supporters that there may be an ef.
fort TO unduly discuss and delay con.
sideration OF the appropriation bills in
order to delay the statehood bill, and
such course win be resented.