The St. Louis Republic., 1905-12-27
NIsREPREsENTING ILLINOIS.

NlS8EStNkSEN1IN0 11AI1NOlS.
In explainlng his particpatsoo in the Republican
revolt against the Speaker in TIE statehood confer.
eace and his subsequent surEe1des, Representative
william A. Rodenbers Of East St Louis betz.ys
tho narrow Republican pastisaaship and meanne0
that are behind The omnibus bin.
Party expediency." he sayA has been urged -
. reason why We should admit those two terri
toFies-Afi1ooa and New Mexico That argument
contemplates period perhaps Afty years from now.
when the Democratic party win have control Of the
two houses Of Congress and the White House."
In other words, Speaker Cannoa and the majority
o( his party In the House insist that Joint statehood
for these two Territories b. made rider On joint
statehood for Oklahoma and the Indian Territory
in order to prevent their admission - two States
hereafter. Arizona and New Mexico are, they argue
Democratic. A. two States they would send four
Democratic Senatofs to Washington. In order to
prevent their ever doing that will. say these Re
publIcanA compel them to send two Senators now.
The people Of both Territories object strongly to
nt statehood: rather than that they prefer to con-
tinue their separate existence under the territorial
form. But in order that the Democrats may here
after have adequate senatorial Offset to the weak
Republican States Of the Northwest. they to be
tied together and dragged by the heels into the
Union against their will.
This clearly revealed in Mr.. Rodenbergis state
ment is the partisan outrage which the Republican
Speaker and the Republican Chairman Of the Senate
Committee On Territories forcing upon Congress
with the approval Of the Republican President. Mr.
RodenbefE does not approve Of II. because he does
not fear the bogy Of Democratic supremacy, but
accepts 1t under the Speakers dictation. so he
sayA will seventydve per cent Of the sixty -fom
other Republican members who voted with him In
the conference against the omnibus BILL
fS NOT hjEh-S 81 affss In
Representative Of the Twenty-Second Illinois Dis
trct reveals himself Moreover in striking At South
western representation In the Senate. he miss~pre-
sents his district. st. Louis and East St Louis are
fed by Southwestern commerce. and on practically
every economic question. except the tariff. Illinois
and the Southwest are together in Congress.
Illinois needs Southwestern votes In the hard
fight for river Improvement: she needs them especial
ly for the magnificent waterway to connect East
st Louis with Chicago which IN Illinois Repre-
sentative is pressing upon the attention Of Congress
That great work will multiply twenty fold the wealth
aud population Of the principal city in Mr. Rolen-
bers district and build up other nourishins towns
there. hut It must be consummated mainly by West
ern and Southwestern votes in Congress. =.
In pursuing their own policy Of enlightened self.
interest Eastern members Of the houses Of Con-
sress may be expected to oppose Mr.. lormers ship
canal enterprise. Tor they would hold the monopoly
"f lake commerce Tor their own section. Nor can
they be expected - b. arden. advocate. Of river
improvements which give TO Western products cheap
er outlets than the overland haul to Northeastern
seaports. Betterments Of navigation in the Missis
sipIi River must depend upon the votes Of the West
and it's ally. the Southwest
Arizona and New Mexico. a. we'll a. Oklahoma
and the Indian Territory. commercially allied to
st. Louis and East St Louis Their Senators on
most economic questions including matters Of trans.
l"r'a'i"n. would vote with those Of Missouri and
Il!in"s. There is State In the Union more inter-
estss' in bettermen'~ Of river navigation than I'LL
n"is and in Illinois that would profit more
by them than East 81. Louis.
In yielding {" Speaker Cannon's plan 10 suppress
Southwestern votes Mr.. RodencyS distinctly mis-
represents his district