The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-16
STATEHOOD BILLS
STRIKE A SNAG
HOUSE TO STAND PAT FOR ITS
OWN PROPOSITION.
CAUCUS OF REPUBLICANS
Insists That House Measure Must
Prevail, or There Will Be No
Statehood Legislation at
This Session.

Washington, Feb. 1.-THE republic
ans of the house OF representatives de-
cided in conference Friday that the
house statehood provision shall prevail
or that no statehood legislation will be
enacted by the present congress. The
resolution which, it is said, sets forth
this position, was adopted by a vote of
112 to SO, after three hours of debate. 1t
is as follows:
Resolved, That it is the sense of this
conference that the action and policy
of the republican caucus held April Is,
1904, touching the admission of Okla
homa and the Indian Territory as n
state and New Mexico and Arizona as
one state, as provided in the bill Of the
house, No. 14749, which bill has been
amended by the senate, andi is nov pend
ing in the house committee on terri
tories, be insisted upon, and that we in
sist on such parliamentary proceedings
as can be had by a majority of the house,
or a special order as can be made and
adopted by a majority of the house, I'M
der which the aforesaid policy of the re-
publicans of the house will be worked
out"
Cannon the Author.
Speaker Cannon is the author of this
resolution. When the conference con-
vened three propositions were laid be-
fore it, nom of which was adopted.
The first was a resolution offered by
Mr.. Dalzell (Pa.) reciting the history of
the statehood legislation in the house
and reafirming the caucus action taken
at that time. Another was a resolution
by Mr.. Sibley (Pa.) providing that the
statehood bill be made the subject of con-
ference between the two houses. The
third was an amendment to this resOlu-
ton, offered by Mr.. Tawney, adding that
in such conference the house conferees
be instructed to insist on the house pro-
visions of the bill. No vote was taken
on any Of these propositions.
The debate was keyed to a high pitch
at all times The ground was taken by
those who favored the house provisions
or nothing, that the republicans of the
body would be sacrificing their position
ANU W q low 1CpuDllJdll
senators who had seen fit to unite with
the minority Of the senate if the bill, as
amended, was accepted.
Bound by the Caucus.
A definition of what is considered the
binding feature of a caucus, was made
to those republican members who have
indicated an intention to vote with the
democrats, should opportunity arise, for
the acceptance of the senate bill. This
definition was that unless a member
gives notice in caucus that he will not be
bound by the action taken he must con-
slider himself bound thereby. At the re-
publican caucus on April Is last when
the house bill was agreed on as the
measure to be supported there was no
member who indicated his unwillingness
to be bound by the caucus. This binding
feature of a caucus, it was declared, was
in force throughout the congress in
which the caucus occurs, and the state
ment was made that no republican men,
Der OF the house now can consider him
self free to support the senate statehood
proposition.
Senate.
Washington, Feb. 1.-THE senate on
Friday heard the first witness called in
connection with the impeachment pro-
ceedings against Judge Swayne, OF
Florida, and thus entered upon the real
work of the trial. The statement Of the
case or behalf of the house was made
by Manager Palmer, who went over the
various charges against Judge Swaype,
and said it was the expectation of the
managers that all of them would be
proven. The witnesses heard Friday
testified concerning hotel bills paid by
Judge Swayne while holding court in
Texas. The senate decided to devote the
\ time between two and five o'clock each
day to the Swayne inquiry.
House.
After maintaining its record for the
rapid disposition of private pension bills,
433 Oeing passed in an hour and a half,
the house on Friday considered for a
short while the bill providing a govern
ment for the Panama canal zone. An
early adjournment was taken to enable
the republicans to confer on the state
hood bill.