The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-03-11
AN ADMINISTRATION DEFEAT.

AN ADMINISTRATION DEFEAT.
An analysis of the vote on the joint
statehood bill shows that the friends
OF Utah's southern neighbor preferred
a continuance of territorial conditions
10 a compulsory union with New Mex
-.bco as condition of statehood; and In
-Shis they were supported by the people
of both territories.
As it came TO the senate, the house
bill provided for the union of the two
territories and their admission to the
nation as a single state without giving
Ehe people OF either territory an oppor-
Sunity to express their wishes I'm the
matter. The Foraker amendment as
adopted provided for a referendum
vote, and the Burrows amendment
which was defeated in committee was
finally adopted in the senate by a vote
of 81 to %, eliminating both territories
from the bill and providing for the ad-
mission of Oklahoma and Indian Terri
tory as one state.
The test vote came on the Foraker
amendment; and the result, ~ to %,
was an overwhelming defeat for the
administration and Senator Beverage.
who was sponsor for the joint state
hood measure. After the Foraker pro-
vision was incorporated in the bill
some OF the administration forces were
unwilling TO see the amended bill pass,
and none OF ArizOna's spokesman was
willing TO have submitted any proposal
looking to joint statehood, so the west
ern territories were dropped out Of the
bill entirely. 1t is probable the bill as
finally amended will be adopted in con-
ference of the house and senate, and
Oklahomas admission will be the sole
result.
From the inception of the discussion
It has been apparent that the people
Of Arizona and New Mexico were I'M
willing to be yoke1 together. In Arf-
IONA, particularly, the hostility to the
plan was unmistaka ole. yet the admin
istFation, led by Beverage in the sen
ate. persisted in its attempt TO force "a
junction. giving the territorial citizens
no opportunity to express their own
desire.
In the final vote, the senate divided
up largely on sectional lines. the west
and south lining up against the east.
To the establishment of the west, two
senators from Washington, with War
rem Of Wyoming and Smoot of Utah,
were with the administration and
against the west in their votes. Suth-
erland of Utah was with the Arizona
western senator's, as against the ad-
ministration.
Senator Shoots vote is explicable on
one theory only. and that is his desire
10 be with the administration and have
sts support. which he has had so far,
sn his effort to retain his seat. SO far
as his interests and associations go, his
obligation should have impelled him TO
stand with the other senators in an
effort to defeat Beverages plan for
compulsory union of the territories.
The Mormon church has a number Of
strong settlements in Arizona, and all
of them were founded primarily from
Utah colonization. Arizona is the next
door neighbor Of this state. its interests
are much the same, its industries and
agricultural system are identical, and it
is in much the same position as Utah
was when it was struggling TO secure
statehood. Every factor in the situa-
ton should have been in favor of a vote
for Arizona edTaSdnst the admins
tration coterie which was doing its best
- Ssrce a distasteful union on the peo-
- or, falling I'm that, TO make sep
arate statehood impossible. Senator
Smoot may possibly have some expla-
nation of his attitude in betrayal of the
west; and if he has. it behooves him
to make it public.
Senator Dubois amendment to the
bill incorporating Idaho disfran-
cbisement clause for polygamy, might
have been of some import If the bill
had passed without the elimination of
Arizona As 1t was, the amendment
was without significance except as it
offered the Idaho senator a chance to
attack the Mormon church and, Incl
dentally, make a random shot which
may have some bearing on the final
disposition of the smoot contest in the
senate.
In a sense the defeat of the bill. so
far as it relates to Arizona and New
Mexico. is triumph. 1t was an ad-
uinistration measure, backed by the
presidents personal influence and up
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