Arizona republican., 1903-02-21
Senator Ouay's Tactics.

One of the amusing features of the statehood contest in the senate is that throughout the session the astute sen ators opposed to the omnibus Dill nave been forced to play Senator quay hand for him. Early in the strussie it became apparent that a vote couio not be had until other business press ing for attention made it imperative 10 eet rid of the omnibus bill, and Sena- tor ouav,s plans have been laid on the theory that when the expected eAi- pency should arise it would ma the senate leaders with their fingers pinched in the door,
 The members of the steering commit ice expected, of course, that by pro longed delay the senators supporting MT. Quay would abandon him in order to save the measures in which they were severally interested. MT quay was content with the belief that py permitting the omnibus bill to be laid aside informally from time to time he would enable his followers to pull most of their chestnuts from the fire, and. that in the final days his o2no- nents would be sweating blood because of the short time in which to get through the great measures to which they were committed. He was ready and anxious for a vote at any time, but he forced the enemies of the bill to consume all the time that was wasted No speeches of any length have been made for the bill but weeks have been consumed in making dreary arguments against it. And now, with but ten working days left, the speech-makers find that their eloquence has been their own undoing. To be sure, the omnibus bill may be defeated by some hook or crook, but with it will die some of the most important measures before the senate.
 And it is scarcely conceivable that Senator Beveridge will go to the length of killing the Panama canal treaty, or the Cuban reciprocity treaty, or even the postoffice appropriation bill, in order to win the empty honor of victory against the applicant terri tories. But as far as indications go at this writing. one of these things will happen unless vote is taken on Sen ator Quay's pet measure. It happens that Senator John T. Morgan of Ala bama is unreservedly a supporter of the omnibus bill, and is just as reso lutely opposed to the Panama treaty. He believes with all his soul that it Io civ the canal at Panama instead of the Nicaraguan route, and it also happens that he is one of the most tireless talk CTS in the senate. Although nearly eighty years of age, he can. stand on his feet for hours at time, and talk on and on, interestingly and even elo- quently, in a polished diction that is the envy of his colleagues, and our dispatches yesterday related how Sen ator Quay is ready with assistance when Senator Morgan gets tired. In order to ''spelP' the venerable Alabama statesman. MT. Quay sent the consti- tuition of the republic of Colombia to the clerks desk and had it read in full.
 Should the contest over the canal treaty come to a vote with the state hood bill still in statu quo, there would still remain the Cuban reciprocity treaty, in which the administration is fully as much interested as in the canal treaty. Indeed. there are grave req sons why both treaties should be rati- fled at this session. The government has reliable information that if the canal treaty fails of ratification it will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to recover the lost ground. The option on the French holdings for $40. .0OO, 900 expires on the 4th of March, and it would be impossible to renew it except at exorbitant figures, for German financiers stand ready to offer much more. Moreover, all the negotiations would have to be gone over again with Colombia, and the result might be the ultimate loss of the chance to have an American canal. And the Cuban situ- ation presents quite as many difficult ties. It is well known that the pending treaty was signed only after pressure upon the Cuban government. All the persuasiops possible for European diplomats to make will be used to pre- vent the negotiation of a similar treaty if the senate fails to grasp this oppor- tunity.
 Senator QUay's programme, it seems, Is to permit the defeat of one or both of these treaties unless he can have a vote on the statehood bill.
 From this distance, it looks as If the omnibus bill will pass. unless it is defeated by democratic votes. When the postofiice appropriation bill comes