Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-24
THE STATEHOOD BILL
MORGAN PREVENTED
IT'S GOING TO CONFERENCE.

For just five seconds today it looked as
II the statehood bill would go into the
hands of the conferees. 1t seemed for that
brief length of time that nothing could pre-
vent such action. Senator Frye, president
pro tem was just calling for a vote on Sen
ator Beveridge's motion favoring the send
Ing Of the statehood bill to conference
when Senator Morgan, who had previously
asked whether such motion had been
agreed to, interrupted to say that he had
the floor and wished to make some remarks
on tie pending motion. AT that moment
the Senate clock indicated that the hour of
noon had arrived, at which time the Senate,
by previous arrangement was to resume
the consideration of the Swayne case. There
was time to secure vote, but there was
not time to permit of any other Interrupt
ton. So 1t was that as Senator Morgan
announced that he wished to make some
remarks on the pending motion the chair
said that the hour of noon had arrived,
when the Senate would sit as a court of
impea chment.
so near being realized followed much pre-
liminary work on the part of the friends
of the statehood bill. Conference after
conference had been held in order that an
agreement might be secured to throw the
statehood bill into the hands of the con-
ferees. Senator Bailey Is working hard to
secure this object, and he has the support
in the Senate of probably fifteen demo-
cratic senators. This gives an ample ma
jority for sending the bill to conference.
In fact nothing can prevent such action
now except open filibustering.
Senator Teller has been won over to this
view. as have many other leaders, and it is
confidently believed by advocates of the
Senate committee bill that by tomorrow
morning there will be no evidence of demo-
cratic opposition or opposition from any
quarter TO tie proposition to let the bill go
to the conferees. That, however, will be but
one step In the progress of the measure.
Then Will come the great difficulty of secur-
ing an agreement between the Senate and
the House of Representatives The two
houses must be gotten together in some way
without either house sacrificing everything
1t Is very well understood in the Senate
that II Speaker Cannon holds out for the
House bill unchanged there can be no
statehood legislation in this Congress- The
House must make some concessions or the
minority OF the Senate will simply resort to
their right under the rules to see that no
further action is taken. Even should the
conferees bring in a report by which the
Senate should recede and agree to the House
BILL such report would never go further
than would be necessary to make it known.
There could be no vote on it, as at this late
day in the session it would be very easy
matter to prevent vote, especially in view
OF the large number Of appropriation bills
and various business of Importance that Is
pending.
There is little doubt that the Senate could
be brought around to the making Of some
concessions to the House. But these con-
cessions would only be made in exchange
for some concessions on the part of the
House. The proceedings in the Senate to-
morrow, when the bill again comes up, will
probably show whether or not It will be
possible to secure the enactment of any part
of the bill at this session.