Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-08
THE STATEHOOD FIGHT
Changes in Measure Made
by Senate.
OUTCOME UNCERTAIN
HOUSE CONFEREES MAY INSIST
UPON THEIR BILL.
Action by House Was by Large Major
ity, While Senate Passage Was by
Marrow Margin.

The second battle over statehood having
been fought, the advocates and opponents
of the measure as passed by the House Of
Representatives and as reported to the
Senate from the committee territories
are awaiting with greatest interest the
third round which is to come off in the
House probably tomorrow, but possibly late
this afternoon.
The bill was reported to the Senate in
practically the same form that it was
passed by the House of Representatives.
The Senate, by a solid democratic vote
and about a dozen republican votes, amend
ed the bill so that passed it provides
that Oklahoma and Indian territory shall
be one state, with the provision that the
sale or giving away Of alcoholic liquors
except for medicinal purposes, shall be
prohibited throughout the entire new state
This prohibition, for tweuty-one years, ap-
plying to all the people of Oklahoma as
well as to Indian territory, is the amended
feature of the bin SO far as it applies to
that new state
Tie prohibitive feature takes the place
of an amendment by the Senate committee
on territories providing for prohibition in
Indian territory alone for ten years.
The greatest change in the bill is in re-
lation to New Mexico and Arizona AS
passed by the House and as reported by
two territories We're to form one state. AS
passed by the Senate New Mexico alone is
made one state, with Arizona remaining
in her present condition.
There are minor features of the bill. but
these are the two important amendments
over which the Senate has fought vigor-
ously for SO long a. time
Parliamentary Status of Bill.
The parliamentary status of the bill to-
6ay iC hat
of Representatives it will under the rules
have to go to the committee of the House
in which 1t was formerly prepared, unless
unanimous consent is giyeh for the sending
of the bill directly to conferees, without
any intervention on the part of the COM
,nittee motion to concur in the Senate
amendments will not be fin order in the
House at this stage of the proceedings.
There was a great stir in the House this
morning over the possibilities of having
motion entertained by the chair to concur
in the Senate amendments to the bill. Dele
gate Mcclure of Oklahoma and Delegate
Rodey OF New Mexico were especially ac-
tive in the interest of having such a mo-
tion put in the House in the event that it
could be entertained. They were feeling
confident that If such motion were put
they would be able to get enough republi-
can votes to carry it, and in that way
statehood question.
These delegates expressed confidence in
securing majority of the House TO adopt
a motion to concur because in their view
many republicans had agreed to the joining
of New Mexico and Arizona because they
did not think that a proposition to let in
New Mexico alone and to leave Arizona for
future consideration would have any stand
ing in the Senate. They were claiming to-
day that with the Senate's action Of yester-
day as basis for their argument, large
number of republicans would be glad o-join
them and to vote for the Senate bill as it
now is framed
Delegate Mcclure was not feeling very
comfortable over the prohibition amend
ment placed in the bill in the Senate, but
he expressed the opinion that the people
OF Oklahoma and Indian territory would
ratify the bill, in its present form. In fact.
he believed the people of those territories
would ratify anything in the form OF
statehood measure sent to them. This they
would do in view of the pressing necessity
they have for the powers of statehood.
Doubt as to the Outcome.
The impossibility OF having motion put
in the House for concurrence in the Senate
amendment before conferees have any
thing to do with the bill has thrown a vast
amount of doubt in the minds of those
who are hoping for Q. speedy conclusion Of
the pending battle by concurrence in what
the Senate did yesterday or course there
was nothing sure about the power Of the