Arizona republican., 1904-12-04
PHoENIX, ARIZONA, DEC, 4, 1904.
The Present Status of the Joint
 Statehood Proposition.

Statehood Proposition.
 It is clear from the interview with MT. Rodey. published in yesterdays s Republican. that New Mexico's dele gate has arrived in Washington full cf determination to do his utmost to se- cure the passage of the joint state hood bill, and full of confidence that the bill will pass. This, however, was to be expected. It was known that his defeat for renomination had not led him to abate any of his enthusiasm for the measure.
 It remains to be seen how well found- ed are his predictions of success. Hith- erto he has kept well informed as to the temper of congress. Last winter. for example, he knew infinitely more than did A1izona's delegate concern ing the status and prospects of state hood legislation. While Delegate Will son was insisting that his own sepa- rate statehood bill would pass and was assuring his constituents that the joint bill could not be reported, even, Rodey had already set up the pins and knew exactly what would happen in the house.
 Delegate Rodey is an indefatigable worker, and he has repeatedly said that he has assurances from nearly all the members of the majority in the senate that they win support the pend ing bill This winter he will have the support of a powerful lobby from Okla homa. and he will have the active as sistance of his successor, Delegate-elect Andrews. who is ambitious of a seat in the senate. Delegate Wilson IS no match for them in congressional log rolling: he will be helpless as a mat ter of fact. Nor is it clear that Dele gate-elect Smith can do any better. As democrats they will have no influence with the republicans in the senate. In deed. MT Smith is quoted by the Los Angeles Herald as stating in Los An geles the other day that he did not in- tend to go to Washington until the 4th of March. and expected to pay little attention to the joint statehood bill this winter. It seems obvious that MT. Smith was not accurately quoted, for he made his campaign on the single issue of the pending measure, and was elected because he made the demo- crats of the territory believe that he could, and would, go to Washington this session and defeat the bill by or ganizing a flibuster against it. It is absurd to suppose that he will refuse to make an effort in that direction.
 But there is no more reason now than there was during the campaign for having faith in MT. Smiths under taking.
 Nearly everything, in fact, depends upon the report of the senate committee on territories, to which the bill was referred when it came from the house The bill as it stands pro- vides for the admission of Oklahoma and Indian Territory as one state and Arizona and New Mexico as another. Should the committee report two bills thereby making the admission of Ari- zona and New Mexico a proposition separate from the admission of the two eastern territories, the possibility of defeating the Arizona-New Mexico bill would be greatly strengthened.
 But if the committee reports but one bill there will be no flibuster worth considering. This is a safe prophecy for however much the democratic sen ators may be inclined to oppose the admission of Arizona and New Mex ico as one state, they will not carry their opposition to the length of de- feating the admission of Oklahoma and Indian Territory. They are exceeding ly anxious fer the admission of those territories as one state, and their ad- mission this winter is conceded to be a certainty.
 It follows. therefore, that the fate of New Mexico and Arizona will probably hinge on the parliamentary status af- ter the committee reports. If the re- publican senators in caucus decide on the admission of Arizona and New Mexico in the same bill with Oklahoma and Indian Territory, there will be no serious hIibuster by the democrats, for the hands of the latter will be tied on account of their own advocacy of the Oklahoma-Indian Territory end of the proposition. In the event of a single bill being reported the democrats may move to strike out all after the sec tions which apply to the eastern ter ritories, but they cannot strike out without vote, and a majority vote at that; they cannot carry their point in that regard by a hHbuster.
 These selt-evident facts were studi- ously dodged by Mark Smith during his campaign. but he and Wilson must face them this winter,