The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-03-23
GLOOMY OUTLOOK
FOR STATEHOOD
Republicans Will avorably Re-
port on Bill
AMOUNTS TO NOTHING
Patterson of Tennessee Wants to Cut
off Pensions That Are Being
Paid in Foreiqn
AMOUNTS TO NOTHING

Washington, March Especial. 1.-THE
Subcommittee of the territory committees
of the two branches of congress have de-
cided to favorably report bills admitting
the territories. Oklahoma and Indian
Territory are to come in as one state and
Arizona and New Mexico as another The
house will pass the bill at this session
under the present arrangement, but a
favorable report and little talk will be
about the extent of statehood legislation
in the senate The last republican plat
form declared strongly for the admis-
sion of the territories, and the statement
is made by all the republican leaders
that the bill is to be passed at the next
session.
Just why it cannot go through before
adjournment is not explained, but there
is a well defined rumor here that the
election returns from the territories next
November will have a good deal to do
with the future of the territories should
the republicans elect their presidential
ticket If the democrats carry the coun-
try the house will at once pass bills ad-
mitting Oklahoma, Arizona and New
Mexico as separate states and every eff
fort will be made to get the bill through
a republican senate for democratic
President to sign. The present outlook
for statehood is not as roseate as it ap-
pears on the surface.
Good results are said to be following
Booker T. Washington recent visit to
this city. The negroes of the district seem
to have caught inspiration from him. and
have resolved, as far as it is possible
in their power, to eliminate idleness
among members of their race. The local
negroes in business have proposed to try
to find employment of some kind for the
idle negro men and women in the city.
Washington's visit is already bearing
fruit, and local branches of the national
negro business league are being organized
in different parts of the city for the pur-
teachers and the representative negroes
in all the walks of life together for COM
mon purpose. To this end the cooperative
mercantile and investment company held
a meeting tonight at the John Wesley
Zion church. Recorder of Deeds Dancy
delivered the principal address.
There are about four thousand persons
on the pension rolls drawing in excess
of one-half million dollars year from
the government, who live in foreign coun-
tries where regular payments are mailed
them by the pension bureau. They were
attracted to this country during the war
by the liberal bounties and their partici-
patton in the war in nearly every case was
purely mercenary. They now have moth
ing in common with this government. I'm
der the terms of a bill introduced in the
house today by Representative Patterson
of Tennessee all alien pensioners are
stricken from the roll except for wounds
or disabilities actually received in service.
Politicians here regard the New York
brand of republican harmony as a queer
sort Senator Platt left for New York
the other day to make a big fight for the
retention of his man, Dunn, at the head
the republican campaign committee
ODell declared several weeks ago that
Dunn had to go and that is what has
happened. There was not enough left of
Platt after the meeting to disturb har-
mony.