The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-10
ONLY ONE STATE.
Senate Eliminates Both New
Mexico and Arizona
From the Bill That Came Over
From the House.
THE VOTE WAS CLOSE.
Insurgents Mustered a Majority
Of But Two.
: Democrats Voted SOlidly With
the Foraker Men.
THE VOTE WAS CLOSE.

Washington. March 10.-The senate
has passed G. bin for The admission Of
a new state to be called Oklahoma, and
to be composed OF the territory Of Okla
homa and Indian Territory. It was the
house joint statehood bill with all the
provisions relating to Arizona and New
Mexico stricken out The motion to
strike out was made by Mr.. Brown. and
it was carried by the close vote Of 81
TO s., after having been lost by the still
closer vote OF IS to SO.
The bin now goes to the house for
concurrence or rejection. with only the
provision giving statehood to Oklahoma
and Indian Territory retained. Thus has
the senate given Its answer to the
president and Speaker Cannon.
1t was g. bad day for Senator Bey-
eT1dges chairman OF the committee on
territories, who was making the fight
OF his life in defense. OF the house bill.
Without undue excitement, but in dead
~ earnest the senate phalanzC of 20 Re
publicans. under the leadership of Sena-
tor Foraker. with the Democrats, tram
pied the brilliant young man from In
diana, ruthlessly under foot.
Speaker Cannon still remains COM
uitted to his position that the amended
bill shall not become law. and the fight
win probably be transferred to the con-
ference committee, which win take
charge OF the bill after the house has
registered its determination not to COZ
cur. The insurgents VIII muster their
forces for a renewal Of the fight In
favor Of the bill as now amended. There
is some prospect of success, in view OF
the prevailing sentiment among the
Republicans of the house that Okla
hOma and Indian Territory are square4y
entitled to statehood. 1t is therefore
right up TO the speaker and the organt-
~
Will defeat statehood for these two ter
ritories IL the senate remains stubborn
and refuses to recede- The senate is
not expected to do this, and the situs-
ton for the present is the same as when
an irresistible force comes into contact
with an immovable body. Ultimately
Il Is thought Oklahoma and Indian Ter
ritory VIII come off victorious.
Among the more imDortant amend
ments made to the statehood bill in the
senate. as regards Oklahoma and Indian
Territory is the striking out of the pro-
vision fixing upon Guthrie as the capital
Of the new state for a term limited TO
1918. This was done on motion of Sena-
tor Teller. and as it now stands, the pro
vision reads:
'.The capital Of said state shall tenn
porarily be at the city of Guthrie, in the
present state Of Oklahoma.
Chiclzasha is added as place
where one term of court shall be held
beginning the first Monday in Novem-
Der: Vinita is striker out and Tulsa
gets a term of court beginning the
first Monday in April.
The Usage Indian reservation is con-
stituted a separate county, but shall
remain until the lands are allotted.
There is very grave question wheth-
er the house viii recede and accept
the senate bill It is certain that the
speaker is not in a humor to do. so
without a struggle. On the best Of au-
thOrity # can be asserted that he now
has it in mind to call caucus of the
Repu bIcans of the house and ask that
caucus to instruct the house leaders on
the course to pursue. The speaker has
not relished the attitude in which he
has been placed of insisting upon the
house statehood bill as a personal mat
ter He contends that he has only fol-
lowed the prOmptings OF majority of
the Republican members and he viii
ask for a caucus with a view to still
further carrying out their will. The
insurgents contend that they were not
given a square deal in the previous
caucus and were cut Off from discuss
ing their position while all kinds of
promises were made to muster a ma
5ority against thcm.
There are various views as to what
the outcome OF the statehood fight will
be after the conference. In some ways
the position Of the house has strength
ened. and in others it has weakened.
The elimination of the Foraker amend
ment. which. of course. went bv the
board with the cutting out Of Arizona
and New NJ eXicO and all other collat-
eral propositions. leaves nothing for
the senate to trade with. The senate
comes to the house with the absolute
proposal that it recede from its posi-
ton and accept an open and shut SEN
ate proposal.
The speaker viii put it up" to his
associates S to whether or not they
want to enaasculate tn cir own work. He
VIII urge party eXpediencv and the
fact that but a minority Of the Repub-
ucans tn the senate favored action
while all Of the Democrats voted solfd1v
fort it. The speaker will point to the
Gact that the senate has erna sculated
every important measure sent to it by
the house He viii refer to the Philip
pine tariff bill, the statehood bill and
the railroad rate bill. He viii ask his
colleagues to instruct him BY caucus
action what attitude the house should
take
The disadvantage which the speak er
will labor under i'm trying to get the
house 10 reject the senate bill Will be
IN the fact that there has never been a
question on the part of members of
either house as to the fitness of Okla
homa FOR stateh God while in the coun-
try generally there is a disposition to
favor statehood for that terrforv and
indian Territory. and to hold that they
should no longer be withheld in conse-
Queuce or the desire TO unite Arizona
and New Mexico. What effect this will
have on the proposed caucus cannot
now be told The speaker and his
aeutenants believe that they will be
stronger in caucus now than they were
BEFORE and the entire support of the
administration will be given To the
speaker in opposing the senate bill
The Vote in Detail
Yeas-Alger, Bacon, Blackburn,
Buckley, Burrows, Carter. Clark
(Mont) Clay, Culberson. Daniel, Du-
bois. Flint, Foraker, Foster. Frazier.
Gallinger. Gearin, Hansbrough. Hey
burn. Latimer, McCreary, Mallory.
Martin. Morgan. Newlands. Overman.
Patterson. Perkins. Pettus, Rayner.
Scott, Simmons. Spooner. Stone. Talia-
1erro. Teller. Tillman-3T
Nays-Aliee Allison. Ankeny, Bev-
sridge, Brandegee, Burnham. CIapp.
Clark (WyO), Crane, Culom. Dick.
Dillingham;. Dolliver, Dryden. Fulton.