The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-02-16
IT BLOCKS THE WAY
STATEHOOD BILL INTERPRETERS
WITH OTHER MEASURES.
SENATORS ARE IN DESPAIR
OF GETTING SOME OF THEIR BILLS
PUT THROUGH.

nous Opposition TO This Is Ex-
pected.
Washington, Feb. 15.-The Senate
still finds itself burdened with the
statehood bill, and while just as anx-
| ious to dispose of 1t in some way, IN
order TO proceed unimpeded with other
business, 1t is not even as confident Of
being able TO do so as at the begin
ring of last week. With only fourteen
working days of the session left, sena-
tors generally feel that the matter
must be gotten out of the way, but
when a suggestion of this kind Is
made. the reply invariably is that not
withstanding the statehood bill has
held the right of way position prac-
tically during the entire session, there
has been no lack of legislation, and
that all bills TO which there has not
been serious opposition have been
passed, and that not a single appro-
priation bill has been delayed for
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 appropriation
bills to be considered: Senator Cullom
wants to call up various treaties; SEN
ator Lodge is anxious over the fate of
the Philippine bills; Senators Penrose
and Fairbanks are clamoring for time
on the immigration bill; Senator Aid
| rich wants his national bank bill con-
| sidered; Senator McComas Is urging
the eight-hour bill. Senator Quarles,
the land-entry bin. and Senator War
rem his omnibus bill. Indeed. there is
scarcely senator who has not some
measure which he desires to press. ana
all feel that the statehood bill may be
In the way of consideration.
senator Quay, moreover, yesterday
gave notice that he would insist on hav-
ing the statehood bill taken up prompt
~ after the close of routine morning
business each day, in order to cut off
other measures.
VIII Fight IL Out.
| All thought OF compromise on the
statehood matter has apparently been
abandoned, and no course except to
nght II out now seems open The
Democrats have refused absolutely to
accept compromise which would
link Arizona with New Mexico, and
Senator Quay has decided not to make
an agreement which would not be
satisfactory to his allies His inten-
ton, therefore, is to stay with the
bill to the end" and the question now
| awaiting 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 appropri-
| alton bills, ii being considered that
| some friends of the statehood bill will
not carry their support to the length
of voting to attach it to a supply bill.
IL is now quite definitely decided to
use the postoffce appropriation bill as
the vehicle for carrying the statehood
bill, provided the Senate shows a will
lingness to'put the measure on one of
the appropriation bills. 1t is expected
| the postoffice bill, as amended by in
Guiding the statehood proposition, will
| be reported to the Senate on Tuesday
| or Wednesday, and Senator Mason,
| chairman of the Postoffice Committee,
announces that 1t is his purpose to ask
| for almost immediate consideration.
When the statehood amendment Is
reached the critical test is likely to
come. a point of order will be made
against 1t, that 1t is not germane 20
the bill to which it is attached. Pres
| iden Pro Tenn. Frye will sustain the
point il he rules on the question at
!
contend that under the Senate rules
he can and should leave the decision
of the matter to the Senate itself,
without passing on It from the chair.
IL the amendment should be carried,
| the statehood fight would be trans
| ferred to the postoffice bill, with the
resultant danger of an extra session IL
| the fight became protracted. If the
amendment does not prevail the gen.
eral opinion is that the statehood adj
| vocates will either have to accept q
| compromise or allow the entire meas
ure to fail with the expiration of the
session, for the opponents of statehood
show no disposition to yield.
Concerned About Treaties.
The chief supporters Of the two i'm
| portant treaties now before the Senate,
the Panama canal treaty and the Gu
| ban reciprocity treaty, are greatly puz-
zled over the situation. The statehood
| bill stands squarey across their re-
/ spective pathways After allowing one
| day for consideration of the Panama
| treaty, Senator Quay has declined to
yield any more time, and as conse-
! quence Senator Cullom. who is in
| charge of both treaties, finds the end Of
| the session approaching without seeing
his way clear to get either ratified 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. After Senator Nor
| gan had spoken most CT the day Thurs
| day, last, he told some of his senatorial
! friends that he had only begun his dis
| course. and ii was made evident that
there would be sufficient opposition on
the part of other senators to prevent the
success of the treaty by the mere phys
| ical exhaustion of the Alabama senator.
The present purpose is NOT to attempt
| to take up the Cuban treaty until the
| Panama treaty is 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 is reached, 1t is believed that 1t
| will be ratified.
Tomorrow the Indian appropriation
| bill will be taken up again. and it's
consideration probably concluded. Sem
ator Tillman, has announced his inten-
| ton to speak during the day in reply
to Senator Spooner's recent speech on
| the race question in the South, and II
| is not improbable that quite general
debate may ensue. regardless of the
fact that time In the Senate Is quite
/ precious just now.
On Saturday a part OF the day viii
be devoted 10 eulogles of the late Rep
! resentative Burke OF Texas