Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-07-20
ANOTHER TALE Of
STATEHOOD FIGHT
Continued From Page Two.)

Continued From Page Two.l
the church would run the country. 1t
took me only about five minutes to
drive that illusion out of his mind,
and I believe that Senator Nelson
would vote tomorrow for the joint
statehood measure II he had an OPP
portunity. In q general way he talk
ed as friendly as any man I ever
talked to. and as sensibly. He alb
sOlutely denies III right to come in
alone, stating that the power we
would get In the senate is u Of all
proportion to u population, and,
therefore. while he does not even
like the jointure, would vote for 1t.
Senator Lodge regards the joint
statehood measure as a solution OF
the whole difficulty, and tried hard
to get . joint statehood plank in the
national platform at Chicago. He fail
ed in this not through any fault Of his,
but because there were not enough
people on the committee on resolu.
tions OF that convention who under
stood matters. Senators Beveridge.
Lodge and Dillingham;. as well as
Congressman Dalzell, really made an
effort in the best OF faith to get a
joint statehood plank in the platform
OF the republican party. They ar
gued the question forcibly and at
length, and they lost out simply by
force OF the vote in the committee.
It must be remembered that the COM
mittee on resolutions was composed
of ~forty-eight or forty-nine men, one
from each state and territory. Now
it must be recollected that there we're
but very few members of congress, or
senators, on the committee, as COM
pared with the whole number. Sena-
tor Hepburn, Of Idaho, was on the
committee, and he, having only re-
Gently come into the senate, and not
knowing about the joint statehood
measure, the very mention Of the
question shocked him just as 1t shock
ed us in New Mexico at first. Sew.
eral other senators were in exactly
the same position. The other mem
bers Of the committee, not understand,
ing the great battle that has been 60
ing on, and not understanding the way
the question was argued out in the
last congress and the understanding
that exists there, that the jointure
can pass and that separate statehood
bills cannot pass, naturally sided Will
Hepburn, and the result was the planl
vas left out, the same as other dis
puted planks were left out. In thii
they we're aided by arizona and those
from Mexico still believe We 9 ge'
separate statehood. There are ter
or Q dozen republican United state'
senators, among whom may be men
toned McOumber. Foraker, Elkins
Clark Of Wyoming, Hansbrough, Gal
linger, Perkins, Foster, Kearns ant
others, who do not like the jointur'
at all, and who feel that we ough
to get separate statehood. but the,
know that we new a get 1t, an
most of them are willing to vote a
once for the jointure.
For a week previous to April IL
last, the date the joint statehood bi
passed the house of representatives
the democrats in the house WEI
~caucusing so as to determine what a
titude they should assume during IN
massage Of the bill. Nearly half I
them expressed a desire to supper
the iointure. unjust though II was, ft
the sake OF ending the matter, "
they we're oyerpowered by number
and came out of caucus bound to O
pose the joint statehood Dill "a '"t
8 and to demand separate statehood II
the four territories, which they dl
Then they went to the senate an
tried hard there to induce a eancl
to adopt a resolution TO take u
same position. In this they faiie
because in the meantime oklahon
and Indian Territory, whose people
not want separate statehood, had be-
to the senate and prevented a ca
Gus.
II will be noticed that this san
Oklahoma.Indian Territory influen'
made itself manifest at st. Louis, |
cause instead Of adopting q sins
statehood plank opposing joint sta
hood. which would have been SUI
cient for all four territories, the g
vention adopted a non-committal plaI
as to Oklahoma and Indian Territol
simply stating that the party Is IN
A&EX go 81