Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1906-03-07
BILL
THE KEY To
SITUATION
Held Responsible for Oefeal
Of Philippine Measure.
SENATE WANTS NO GENERAL
LEGISLATION UNTIL IT IS FIXED
May Be Means Of Sending Statehood
Bill to Conference for an
Indefinite Period,
The Morning Journal Bureau, 7


Washington, ID. c., Mar. 3.
In the opinion of many senators from
today forward all the business OF the
senate so far as it relates to general
legislation will be made subordinate
to the one great issue that Is before
that body i'm the form of the Hepburn
rate bill. If the plans of some sena-
tors are carried out there will be no
final action on general legislation until
the railroad bill is disposed of one
way or the other.
A good many curious things are
happening which are said to be to i
large extent influenced by this sentl-
ment in the senate. The action of the
committee on the Philippines in re-
fuSing to report the Philippine tariff
bill either faVorahly or unfaVorably 10
the senate, came as a surprise to some
senator's who believed up to within
a few days of that action that the bill
was very much stronger in the com
mittee. As five republicans and three
democrats voted against reporting the
bill, and as three republicans and
three democrats voted in favor of re-
porting it, this action is regarded as
giving a practical demonstration that
politics is not figuring largely in what
Is being done.
1t is declared that had it not been
for the rate bill the sentiment in the
Philippine committee would have
been very different As it is, the com
mittee has the Philippine bill In It's
possession, and only motion on the
floor Of the senate to discharge the
committee can release it from the
present condition of being tied up
! such d motion is debatable. and At l.
well understood that there is no dis
| position to smother the Philippine nj
| In the committee, provided It can b'
taken up after the rate bill has beer
disposed of. 1t is said that when thai
is done a motion to discharge the
committee could readily be adopted
in the senate and the bill could bt
brought there. to be acted upon either
favorably or uufaVorably
MAY Beat Statehood.
In this connection the statehood bill
Is coming along, ana II is said bN
some senator's that that bill is alsf
| likely to he thrown into the state oi
t nocuous desuetudc. If the statehood
/ bill should he modified by the adop
/ ton of the Foraker amendment. th'
/ opposition that would be encountered
/ from he house Of representatives
| would be so great as to keep it in con
| ference for "A very considerable time
| At any rate. many senators believe
/ that when it is in conference there
will be some means found to keep !
/ there. even should it be passed by th'
senate in such form that the hous'
would agree to concur in the senate
amendments. or COURSE, in the even
of minor amendments it seems difh
cult to understand how the statehood
bin could he indefinitely held up %
at least held up until the rate bill i
disposed Of But nevertheless, ther
is u feeling of confidence on the par
of many senator's that a way will b.
found to do that Friends OF IN
statehood bill scout the idea. that
can be held up in this manner.
If these plans should carry the re
suit will he that legislation of a gen
eral nature will have To walt upon tn
disposition Of the rate bill, Stories O
possible agreements from day to da
are so conflicting as to make 1t ques
tionable how long 1t will require !
order to reach an agreement but tina
a decided struggle In favor Of ma
terially amending the Hepburn bill
contemplated by many senators
without question.