Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1904-04-19
PHOENIX. ARIZONA, APRIL 10, 1904
The Statehood BIZ Before the House

The Statehood Bill Before the 1ouse'
The committee on rules has set aside
this day in the house CT representa-
tives for the consideration of Bill NO.
1877. introduced by Mr.. Hamilton or
Michigan. 1t is the bill ITO enable the
people of Oklahoma and of the Indian
Territory to form a constitution ana
state government and be admitted into
the union on an equal footing with the
original states; and to enable the peo-
ple of New Mexico and of Arizona to
form a constitution and state govern
ment and be admitted to the union on
an equal footing with the original
states'-otherwise the bill which pro-
poses to join the territories of Arizona
and New Mexico in one state.
Four hours will be devoted to debate
under the special rule brought in yes
terday, and then under closure the
measure will be put upon its final pas
sage. Strong speeches will be made
for and against the bill, and Delegate
Wilson is expected to make the CT
fort of his life in a speech of opposi-
ton. Our delegate cannot vote, but he
can address the house, and as the
time will be equally divided between
the friends and opponents of the bill
it is certain that leader Williams Of
the democratic side will give Col. Will
son all the time he desires in order to
show up the iniquity of the bill. Dele
gate Rodey of New Mexico will make
a fiery speech for the bill, and some
sharp passages between him and Dele
gate Wilson may be expected.
The bill to be considered is upchang-
ed from the form adopted by the COM
mittee and published in The Republic
can, with the exception that the repub-
Ican caucus decided upon an amend
ment requiring the constitutions of the
states of Arizona and Oklahoma to
contain a clause forbidding the sale Of
intoxicants to Indians.
That the bill will pass is a practical
certainty, if the action of the republic
can caucus, held last Friday night, is
to govern. There is a ray of hope,
however, that republican insurgents
will stand out in sufficient number to
defeat the measure; it is assumed that
the democratic membership will solid
~ oppose it, as the democratic caucus
decided to make it a party issue. Some
of the California congressman are very
much opposed, personally, to the in
justice which the committee on terri
tories has decided to perpetrate upon
the people of Arizona, and the lion.
James Carson Needham, of the Sixth
California district, has been emphatic
ally outspoken in his opposition, since
learning from Mr.. Fowler and the
newspapers the sentiments of this ter
ritory. In fact there is a spirit of re-
volt among the Pacific coast members
generally, all of whom feel friendly to
Arizona, and should some republican
member be bold enough to take the
lead it is possible that he would have
a sufficient following to defeat the
merger scheme in the house
In any event, however, as we have
stated before, there is no occasion for
the people of Arizona to become ex-
cited. The programme is to pass the
bill in the house and leave it asleep
in the senate until next winters ses-
sion. II is by no means certain that
a majority Of the senate can be COM
manded then or at any time for the
joint-state plan. Two elements in the
senate, heretofore bitterly opposed, will
combine in opposition to this bill-sen-
ators who are hostile to statehood
legislation of any kind, and the sem
ators who believe that statehood
should be granted to the territories Ia
accordance with the omnibus bill of
the last congress. Senator Bard of
California, it is said will prove him
self friend of Arizona in this regard.
Mr.. Bard drew upon himself an ava
lanche of bitter criticism from the
citizens of this territory when he stood
stubbornly against the omnibus BILL
and he will redeem himself somewhat
if he shall oppose as steadfastly the
bill now before congress.
Arizona has learned that it will not
DO TO attach a great deal Of import
ance to the action of the house of rep
resentatives on statehood measures.
Bills for the admission of Arizona have
been passed by the house several
times in the last dozen years, and the
action now contemplated is a mere rep
etition in a different form of what has
been done before. And in any event,
were majority of the senate to favor
the Hamilton bill it would be in the
power of the minority to talk the
measure to death, just as was done by
the minority in the case of the omni-
bus bill. This is made possible by the
fact that the second session of each
congress is a short session, lasting but