Los Angeles herald., 1905-02-11
HOUSE STANDS PAT
ONSTATEHOOD BILL
SENATE MEASURE ENTIRELY Y
UNACCEPTABLE
Republican Committee Launches Ul-
timatum That the Original Prop
osition for Admission Of the
Territories Must stand
Special 10 The Herald.

Special 10 The Herald.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 10.--The orig
inal house bill or no statehood legisla-
tion with this session. such was the
ultimatum sent by the house Republi-
can caucus to the senate this afternoon.
This result was reached by means of
an expedient devised by Speaker Cam
non, which is probably unequaled in
ingenuity and boldness by anything the
late Speaker Reed ever attempted
This expedient was a resolution pre-
sented by Representative Tawney, the
Republican whip, and adopted after a
somewhat acrimonious debate in the
caucus by vote of liz to 33, as fol-
lows
Resolved, That It Is the sense of this
conference that the action and policy of
the Republican caucus held April 10,
1904, touching the admission of Okla
homa and Indian Territory as one state
and New Mexico and Arizona as one
state, as provided in house bill No.
14,749, which has been amended by the
senate and is now pending in the house
committee on territories be insisted
upon, and that we insist upon such
parliamentary procedure as can be had
by majority of the house or a special
order as made and adopted by a major
ity of the house, under which the afore-
said policy of the Republicans of the
house will be worked OUT
The meaning of this resolution is
that the amended statehood bill will
remain in the house committee on ter
ritories unacted on until such time as
the speaker is assured that a majority
Of the house will vote for a rule sending
the bill to conference with ironclad in
structions to the house conference to
accept nothing but the original house
measure admitting Oklahoma and In
dian Territory as one state and New
Mexico and Arizona as one state. If
the BILL as amended by the senate
were brought into the house from the
territories committee and an attempt
made to send it to conference as mat
ters now stand, the speaker would not
be able to control the situation.
The Republicans who favor accept
ing the bill as amended by the senate
would join with the Democrats and
form majority that would vote to
take the measure as it stands, admit
ting Oklahoma and Indian Territory
rs one state and New Mexico as state
by itself, and leaving Arizona in its
present territorial status.
Speaker Cannon's Subtle Move
1t is fair to assume that the SO Re-
ernoon against the Tawney resolution
are in favor of accepting the bill as
amended by the senate. And these 33
would constitute, with the Democrats,
safe majority of the house. 1t was
to meet this peculiar situation that the
resolution presented by Mr.. Tawney
was drawn up by the speaker. Under
Its terms the Republicans of the house
are, in the first place, pledged once more
to the original house bill indorsed by
the caucus of last April. Next they
are pledged to such procedure at this
time as will make that policy prevail,
and in particular to a special rule for
handling the amended statehood bill if
the leaders see fit to bring the bill into
the house for the purpose of sending it
to conference with ironclad instruc-
tions.
Lastly, the terms of the resolution are
so general that the speaker can find
warrant in them for holding up the
bill indefinitely if he has any doubt
about the adoption of the proposed spe-
cial rule.
Thus the statehood bill is effectually
tied up. and will not be allowed to
bulge except with Instructions to the
conferees to accept none of the senate
al11endnaentS