Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-25
A STEP IN ADVANCE
Friends of the Territories
Somewhat Encouraged.
MR.. MORGAN YIELDED
SENATE CoNFEREEs ON STATE
HOOD BILL APPOINTED.
First Meeting Monday-The Outcome
Regarded as Very Much
in Doubt

In the few minutes allowed for legislation
before the beginning of the Swayne i'm
peachment trial the Senate today made
amends for the delay yesterday in the mat
ter of appointment of conferees on the joint
statehood and Panama canal government
bills. Mr.. Morgan made no further oppo-
slton to the announcement of the con-
fereeS on the statehood bill. and while he
declined to serve the Panama canal
conference he did not seek to postpone
ton on the request of the House for n
ference Consequently. in the ten minutes
between the convening of the Senate at
$50 and the beginning of the Impeachment.
case both committees were filled by the
chair.
The tying up of the bill yesterday when
Senator Morgan proceeded to discuss II and
| refused to permit at that time a vote on
the motion to appoint conferees seemed
to permanently obstruct further action.
But as Unexpectedly as the senator from
Alabama tied up the bill yesterday the OBJ
struction was loosened today.
The Senate was to meet at $50 o'clock,
but Senator Morgan was in his seat at 9:3O
o'clock. Those who observed his presence
| there and knew that he had declined yes
terday to withdraw opposition In spite OF
remonstrances from Senator Bate who has
represented the minority in the control Of
the bill, Senator Morgan hast evening in
sisted upon padding his own canoe" and
gave intimation when the Senate ad-
journed that he would not continue the
same course today. Very generally 1t was
feared that Mr. Morgan might set his face
permanent , against ny further action on
the statehood bill. Such opposition on his
part woul1 have been fatal to the measure
In this Congress. For that reason when
he was seen n his seat at $3.50 o clock this
lnorninG many feared there would be MOTH
ing done on sta ieiCC q.
But when the Senate met with only ten
| minutes intervening until 1t was to resolve
itself into court of Impeachment, Senator
Morgan offered objection and Senators
Beyeridge, Nelson and Bate were appointed
conferees on the part of the Senate.
Mr. Morgan Yields.
The statehood bill being laid before the
Senate, Mr.. Morgan said: Yesterday /
took the floor at an embarrassing time and
under what were to me embarrassing cir
cumstances had supposed that those who
opposed the House bill were to continue
their opposition at this time, but had not
been long speaking when ! found myself In
semi-antagonism to my friends mad ex-
pressed my views on the constitutional fea-
lures of the bill when 1t was before the
Senate, but had not had any opportunity to
discuss its suffrage features was ANXIOUS
to express my views that point, and
having done so, l shall not proceed FUR
ther.
Mr. Morgan had scarcely ceased speak
ing when the chair made his announce
ment of conferees on the statehood bill.
designating Messrs. Beveridge, Nelson and
Bate.
Conferees at Work.
This step in advance in the procedure,
while it is welcomed by all OF the friends
of the measure is not regarded as an ele-
ment of great hopefulness. unless some
substantial concession from the House of
REPRESENTATIVES can be had in relation TO
statef pod.
The e will be no meeting Of the confer
ees today, and none is expected until Mon
day or Tuesday. But no sooner had the
conferees been appointed than they began
the most difficult task that faces them-to
attempt to discover, if possible, in what
form the statehood bill can be passed
through the Senate and what, If anything,
can be secured in the way of a concession
from the House of Representatives.
AS the case stands this afternoon Speaker
Cannon has given no intimation that he Will
accept any proposition to change the HOUSE
bill. 1t is just as positive that unless some
concession is made to the Senate the
hill will go no further than ii stands TO-DAY
except that the conferees Will be allowed 10
make their report, which In the senate
throws the whole matter open Tor depate
and will allow any one Of the many sena-
tors who have shown opposition TO the
House bill to effectually tie it up until after
adjournment. -, -
II was understood a couple of days ago
that If the House you'd accept Senator For
aker's amendment, which allows New Mex
leo and Arizona to vote separateiy On tiie
proposition to give them joint statehood,
that would be sufficient to get the Dill
through the Senate SUCH compromise
seemed possible, because many senators VINO
favored 1t were convinced that while New
Mexico would ratify such form or state
hood. Arizona would stand against II. FOR
that reason they considered that the fora-
lLer amendment would be equivalent TO
throwing out of consideration statehood for
New Mexico and Arizona, because with the
failure to ratify statehood by those two ter
ritories the matter would De petore Soh-
GROSS again next December.
other senators Who have not felt SO IN
tensely the desrability OF making Two m
stead of one state of New Mexico ana AT.
zona have been Indifferent to the actlon OF
the neonle of those territories, feeling that
even if both territories should accept state
hood under such conditions they were war
ranted in providing IT,
Manv of Tie republican senators who have
reluctantly approved the Foraker amend
ment are inclined to believe that with
statehood so near at mana tne peop.e oi
both of these territories would accept the
measure as passed by Congress, and that
dong so. the Foraker amendment would be
of no consequence
Current Feeling in the Senate.
These divergent views have tended TO ere
ate great hopefulness that the Senate
would agree to report from the con-
ferees in which the House would concede
the Foraker amendment Today, however,
as the discussion has proceeded in private
conferences about the Senate good many
senator's are not inclined to accept such
compromise. The democrats generally are
inclined to take the bill If 1t provides only
for Oklahoma and Indian territory. But
Senator Beveridge and other republicans
have shown no inclination to take that
view. The republican program is to pro-
vide statehood for all of these territories
In this Congress or to let 1t go over until
the next Congress
The entire efforts of the conferees today
were devoted to ascertaining what report
II Is possible for them to bring in that
will allow the bill to go through both
houses of Congress. When that Is known
ii will be very simple matter Tor the
conferees to agree. Up to this afternoon
little or no progress has been made In this
direction. A good many senator's are IN
ciined to believe that 1t VIII not be pos
sible to secure a compromise that Will be
acceptable to the Senate and the House
For that reason most senators regard state
hood as probably dead. But this discourage
ing view of the situation is having no ef-