The Tupelo journal., 1910-04-08

which his constituents we're demand
ing had difficulty at times in securing
the sanction Of the house authorities
for its passage. The enlarged rules
committee perhaps will be more con-
siderate Of the legislative desires OF
the less influential congressman.
There are bound to be on the COM
mittee, either In the majority or the
minority representation. a mar or two
who because of sympathy with the
trials of the uninf1uential will endeav-
or to secure for them and their meas
Tres such recognition as is possible.
The rules committee does not act on
many bills but the influence OF the
members always has been great.
Now that the committee has been
enlarged the Democrats probably will
exercise more influence than they did
when the committee was smaller. The
regular Republicans know that there
Is a likelihood at any time that the in
surgents and the Democrats may get
together once more and defeat any
measure which the minority party and
the minority of the majority party
consider as being Of a nature intend
ed to cause a return Of the old condi-
tons of house control. At any time
a combination of the insurgents and
Democrats can force the election Of a
Few rules COMMITTEES by joining
forces. passing a resolution to that
cffoct opd oomnoII;po tho oJooti0D ~
the rules members in the open house.
For these reasons the organization Re-
publicans on the rules committee, it Is
believed. unquestionably will pay the
greater heed to objections which may
be offered at the committee meetings
by the Democratic minority member
ship.
Eager to Become States.
Arizona and New Mexico may be
obliged to wait until a more conven-
lent season" for the honors of
statehood. The party in power has
promised that the territorial form of
government soon shall be a thing Of
the past, but the question which the
representatives of the two territories
who are anxious for statehood would
like to have answered is just what is
meant by "soon."
The friends of statehood, in their
anxiety. cannot see any other reason
for the further exclusion of the terri
tories from the union except the one
political reason that the Republicans
do MT uonf RI odd fn thu cnnofopo
Democratic membership just at the
present time. The Republican lead
ers who. while saying that they are
not opposed to statehood after proper
preparations for It can be made, deny
that political considerations have any
thing to do with their unwillingness
to act quickly or. as they put 1t,
hastily. It is not altogether assured.
however, that if the territories were
to be given statehood at once their
legislatures would elect four Demo
cratic senators.
Dealing with Mexican Element.
There is a considerable element in
the population of Arizona and New
Mexico which is of Mexican extrac-
ton. Thousands of these people have
kept their old Mexican ways and a
great many of them cannot speak
English. 1t has been proposed to deny
suffrage to all men excepting those
capable of speaking English.
The desire of Republicans who are
not opposed to statehood even at the
present time is that If admission is
given to the territories they shall hold
their constitutional conventions and
their elections of state officers at diff
ferent times. 1t is held by the adj
vocates of this plan that in the scram-
BILE for the offices the people might be
led to adopt constitutions. without
proper study Of their conditions. This,
it is said, would happen unless the
voting on the ratification of the con-
situations and on the election for state
officers were held at widely separated
times.
It is yet problematical whether or
not statehood for the two territories
will come to a vote at the present ses-
sion of congress-. Even those who
are opposed to admitting them into
the United States say that the time is
not far distant when they must be adj
mitted, because neither party can af-
ford to ignore the promise that it has
made. The Republicans, it Is claimed,
if they continue in power. cannot af-
ford to be needless for any great
length of time of the presidents rec
ommendation in favor of granting the
rights of states to the two southwest
ern territories.
Defense of Railroad Bill.
The troubles in the house of repre-
sentatives, the debate in the senate
on the interstate commerce bill, and
other matters, have rather Swallowed
the issue of statehood for the two ter
ritories. but within the shadow never
theless there has been a half OBJ
secured scene of activity. 1t does not
seem probable that the demand of the
territories for a new form of govern
ment which will make them states of
the union will long be denied, but If
the friends Of immediate action are to
be believed the Republicans are none
too anxious just now to give the ter
ritories admission because the ma
jority party does not wish immediate
ly to add four Democratic senators to
the minority party's representation in
the upper house.
GEORGE CLINTON.
In the Days of Graft.