The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1910-03-30

from appearing. One such occasion
was the dinner given to the governors.
Second to the White House functions.
the receptions by Vice President and
Mrs. Sherman have perhaps been the
most popular affairs Of the season. In
the cabinet set Secretary of the Navy
n Mrs. Meyer have been conspicu-
GUS. l do not know how much Wash
angton social matters interest the
country. but they figure largely here.
Notwithstanding the fact that for.
e1gners charge us with snobbishness
and plutocracy. Washington at least
on the surface is democratic. There
Is scarcely a capital in the world that
has so few feathers and so little cere-
mony. In the Potomac basin cabinet
officers and government clerks are
seen skating side by side, the presi-
dent walks about the streets unattend-
Ell, senator's and other f~unctionaries
are as simple in their habits as news
paper men or shopkeepers, and any
body a see anybody else. ever the
president, If he has any real business
ana many times when he has not.
From this aspect. the form side, Wash
1ngton Is most democratic. How It is
In It's spirit. in the substance beneath
the form, | am not SO sure. That
there is an undue kotowing to wealth
Is perhaps true, but that is not con,
lined to Washington nor yet to Amer
lea. There may also be a spirit of
snobbery here, but If so 1t Is for the
most part concealed. Washington is
what the country has made it. Men
congregate here from every corner OF
the land, bringing with them the pre-.
dominant traits Of their sections-the
delightful courtesy Of the south, the
informality and friendliness Of the
west, h u~nassuming but real kindli.
ness Of the east. Washington is the
nation In small compass, and snobber,
does not thrive in this atmosphere.
The statehood bill for Arizona and
New Mexico has gone to the SEN
ate and Is practically assured of pas
sage. 1t has the approval Of the pres
1dent and has been agreed to in a
general way by the leaders Of the two
houses. 1t provides in the usual way
Tor the election of delegates to a con
s%titutional convention in each of the
territories and the submission of the
constitution adopted by these conven
lions first to the president and con
gress and afterward to the voters of
a territories. If the measure goes /
through at this session the two new /
states will probably be admitted in
time to participate in the presidential !
election of 1912. With Arizona and |
New Mexico in the Union all the terri. |
tory in the United States proper will
have been carved into states. There
Will then be forty-eight stars in the
nag, and no new mes car be added un-
less some of the present states are d.
vided or some of the outlying territory
Alaska, Porto Rico, Hawaii or the
Philippines-is made into states. Ell.
Their contingency is remote. For all
practical purposes 1t is safe to say that
Arizona and New Mexico will be the
Of the American states. The only
nnadmitted territory In our own prom.
boundaries will then be the District
u Columbia. which must ever remain
politically a No Mans Land.
MOI only do the representatives come
~ for election next fall, but thirty of
be senators 60 out Of Office on March
1911. and in most cases the legisla.