West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1906-01-11
OUR washington LETTER.
Still Trouble Over Statehood for the
Territories but Oklahoma Will
Be Admitted as a State.
rHE INVESTIGATION SHOWS THAT
The Navy Department Had Been
Notified Of the Defective Boilers
Of the Bennington Before
the Explosion.
Regular Correspondents OF The Argus.

Nekuiht Correspondent OF lbe Argus.
WAsHINcToN, Jan. s. 1000
The leaders in Congress have been
comforting as to the order of busi-
ness when Congress gets down to
work the FIST OF next week, for il
Is conceded that there will be no
work worth the name before that
time. There will be several meas
ures of Importance before the II ouse
and largely identical or substitute
measures before the Senate. The
House wants to get to work as early
as possible on the Statehood bill
and We committee win try to draft
rule to cut off amendments and
unnecessary debate in hope Of fore
ing the measures through this ses-
sion. There will be little trouble
about the joint Oklahoma and In.
dian Territory bill, but in spite of
the fact that Senator Beveridge is
the champion of the New Mexico
Arizona bill, there will b. asgreat
deal of opposition to its passage.
The people of Arizona il is under
stood, say that they would rather
stay out of the Union indefinitely
than come in with New Mexico, and
they are mastering all the force at
their command to make fight
against the measure.
The House in addition to the
Statehood bills has to consider the
Hepburn Railway rate bill and the
Interstate Commerce Commissions
bill, which also will he introduced
in almost unrecognizable shape In
the Senate. The Senate on the
other hand, it is understood, will
chiefly favor the Elkins bill and
both bodies will steer as far as pos.
sible from passing what the admin
istration would term a satisfactory
measure" Then there is fhe Do
minican Treaty to be considered in
the Senate, the Philippine tariff bill
and the ship subsidy bill which it is
fondly~ hoped in Senate will get
some sort Of consideration.
The Dominican Treaty will cause
much heartburning and bitterness.
But whatever its fate, it is under
stood that it will not be a matter of
great concern at me White House.
1t is said tat the President takes
the position that it will be batter to
pass the treaty and face the condi.
tions it imposes than to face the al
tentative of fore ign troubles that
will very likely come with its re.
lection. He has pointed this-out to
a number of his callers, but his at
titude is that he has done the best
he could with a dIffic ult situation
and Congress is welcome to take it
or leave it or, II it can, suggest
some better method of dealing with
the problem. The fate of the treaty
all depends on the way the parties
line up on it. Democrats could de-
feat il by party vote, bat it is
practically certain that there will be
division in the ranks Of both part
les when 1t comes to a vote.
There is considerable satisfac-
tion among Navy officers over the
outcome Of the Iaquiry into the ex-
plosion aboard the Bennington.
The Secretary Of Navy is not pleased
with the verdict Of the court. He
has accepted the recommendation
to reprimsnd Commander Lucien
Young as lesser evil, in his mind,
than letting him off altogether. But
he has sent back the finding IN re
gard to Ensign Wade for further
consideration. There is great
deal of discussion in official circles
Just now az to the attitude toward
offenders and alleged offenders in
the Navy. 1t is hinted that had not
Midshipmsn Meriwether come from
the South, he would have gotten off
easier than he did from the Branch.
Meriwether court martial. II is
also said that there has been con-
siderable prejudice in the depart
ment, not among his brother Off
GERS but among officials, against
Commander Young because he is a
favorite son of Kentucky. Its
safe guess tha, ny reprimsnd hand
ed out TO The hero of the wreck Of
the Huron will not be received in
the south with very good grace.
Aad II may be that more will be
heard about the Bennington case
after the court and the Navy De-
partment think they are through