Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1903-02-28
TRYING TO EFFECT
A COMPROMISE
Effort to Bring About Harmony
In the "Overpowering"
Senate.
DISLIKE EXTRA SESSION
The Leaders of Statehood Fight Are
Willing to Assume Responsibility
Steering Committee Doing
Business.

spent the entire day yesterday In exec
utive session considering the Panama
canal treaty, n at 5:25 p. m. took a
vote was taken on many of the amend
ments which have been prepared by
Senator Morgan.
After Senator Morgan had spoke for
an hour or more he gave way to Sena-
tor Quay. but before the latter had
we'll begun Senator Carmack moved
that Senator Morgan be allowed to dis
cuss the canal question in open senate.
In support Of the motion he said that
the question was of general impor-
tance, and that the country should be
placed in possession of the details.
The motion brought on a general de-
bate, In which the rules Of the senate,
the ad~visability Of ~cloture, the neces-
sity Of maintaining in the senat a
forum of free speech, and many other
kindred topics were discussed. Among
those who spoke were Senators Spoon
er, Teller, Depew, Hale and Bacon,
most of whom opposed Senator Jar
mack's motion for open doors On the
ground that Ii was not eXpedient to air
our relations with other countries be-
fore the world at large.
The speakers differed widely, how
ever, as to the ~eXpediency of the policy
of delay, which it waS freely charged
Is now being pursued in connection
with the Panama treaty on the one
hand and with the statehood bill on
the other. Some OF the senators
avowed themselves advocates of the
rule Of cloture. Others expressed the
conviction that the p~rolongation of the
present situation would lead to the
speedy adoption of such a rule.
Speaking in this vein Senator Hale
expressed the conviction that the pres
emit situation, in which friends of the
statehood bill had joined with oppo-
nents Of the treaty, was due to a pre-
vious understanding between them and
between Senator Quay and Senator
Morgan.
Senator Morgan replied, earnestly
denying that there had been such COM
bination, and Senator Hale said he had
been led to believe hat such was the
case. To this Senator Morgan replied
very tartly that if Senator Hale chose
to believe what was not true he would
inJure only himself.
At this point senator Quay rose and,
expressing Impotence with the inter-
ruption, asked leave to proceed with
his speech. No one objected, and the
course of the controversy was shifted
without putting Senator Carmack's
motion to a vote.
Senator Quay's speech consisted of
a long report on the isthmian canal
question. This reading he asked the
clerk at the desk to perform, but OBJ
lection was made, and the matter vas
submitted to a vote. The result was
adverse to Senator Quay's request, the
vote standing 20 to "a. He hen began
the reading of the document himself,
and continued for two hours or more.
At $50 o'clock, in accordance with n
decision of the steering committee,
Senator Cullom moved a recess until
IL o'clock today, and the motion pre-
vailed.
No Night Session Held.
This decision of the steering com
mittee against a night session was
reached at a meeting of the commit
tee held during the afternoon at the
request of Senator Cullom, who has
the Colombian, otherwise known as the
Panama, canal treaty in charge, and
who wished the steering committees
advice as to abandoning the night ses-
sion. The committee decided that the
sentiment of the senate was against
holding another night session until an
effort had been made to reach an ad-
1ustment of the somewhat tangled
legislative condition in the senate. In
order to bring about sue an adjust
ment 1t was suggested that some com
promise might be made on the state
hood bill.
The opponents of the statehood bill
never lave believed that the measure
could be carried as a rider on the post
office appropriation bill in the senate but
the friends of the measure have declared
that they had the votes not only to carry
1t, but to override the chair should he
decide the rider was not in order. In
quiry about the senate today made the
WINGED of this claim, and In the commit
tee they said that should such
be the case 1t would mean an extra session
of congress and the appropriation bill,
with the statehood rider, would be de-
feated. 1t also was found that the lead
ers In the statehood fight were willing to
assume the responsibility for this out
come. With this situation before it the
steering committee began to discuss the
possibility of q compromise.
Senators Quay n Elkins and other re-
p~ublicans who nave been favoring the
statehood bill were called In and the
matter canvassed at some length, but
without approaching an agreement.
The democrats have not been consulted,
and as they stood out solidly against the
plan of compromise for the creation Of
two new states, they may not accept any
other compromise proposition.
Should a compromise be agreed upon
1t Is stated that 1t will Include the rati-
fication Of the Colombian and Cuban
treaties.