The Washington times., 1911-03-04
OWEN FUIBUSTER
KILLS STATEHOOD
Remarkable Fight of Okahoman Forces Senate to Vote
on Admission of Territories and
Defeat It,

1 der was the speech of Senator Owen.
| passioned appeal to his party colleagues
and to all to stand with him.
Appeal Made to Taft.
Meanwhile President Taft had reached
| the Capitol and taken up his station in
the Executive Chamber. Vice President
Sherman called Senator Kean to the
chair and went to see the President In
few moments he returned and went
to Senator Owens desk. and held a brief
whispered conference. Necks were
craned and ears were strained in the
effort to hear what was passing. SEN
ator Owen listened, but with insistent
gesuculation and vigorous shaking of
his head, making 1t apparent he was
giving a negative reply to whatever pro-
posal had been made.
The proposition which the Vice Presi
dent had brought was that If Senator
owen would yield and let the sundry
civil bill pass, President Taft would be
personally pledged to call an extra ses-
sion March Is, when action could be had
promptly on the Statehood matter. Re-
lection Of this proposal and the re-
sumption of the Owen speech seemed
for the moment to end all hope for the
conclusion of business before the ad-
journment hour.
1t was now after II o'clock.
There was a hurrying and scurrying
of Senatorial agents about the chamber
and to and from the Presidential cham
ber. Democrats and Republicans alike
went to Owen and urged that he deslst.
Through 1t all the Oklahoman was as
firm as adamant, until La Toilette,
leader of the Republican radicals, as
owen is one of the Democratic, held
brief conference with Senator Crane.
Senator Cranes manner was emphatic.
When the conference ended, Senator La
Toilette toed down the aisle for another
conversation with Owen. This was the
critical moment La Toilette brought
the news which worked the hand even
OF the determined Owen.
Threat of Cloture Rule.
You have the situation in your own
hands," said La Toilette. in substance.
but If you press your advantage it may
result in a great disaster. l am inform
ed that If this session ends in a tilibust-
er, without the appropriation passed,
there will be, at the beginning of next
session, a determined effort TO pass a
cloture rule which will put an end 10
freedom of discussion in the Senate"
This was the one appeal which could
have moved owen. He knew too well.
rs did every Senatorial friend OF free
debate, that the adoption of clOture
would be revolutionary. and would Dut
an end forever to the most treasured
possession of that body.
This was the telling and conclusive
blow Within three minutes a PROPOSE
tiOn had been made to vote on the reSo-
luton admitting both territories and to
end the matter there. Without any de
lay the question was stated and the roll
call ordered.
BY this time the tension was extreme.
In all probability the fate of two new
States hung on that call. In the midst
of intense silence the secretary began
calling the roll It resulted: Ayes Gn
favor Of admitting hpth taTrifnFipSl 90
nays (opposed to admission, 45.
Bailey Files Protest.
Before the roll call started Senator
Bailey entered the chamber and said
that he had been out when the unani-
nous consent for this vote was reached
He declared with much feeling that he
would never have consented to it had
he been present. and that he should
vote against the resolution.
The occasion fSr the Senator's OBJ
vious agitation was made plain later in
the day when 1t was announced that he
had resigned his Senatorial seat. moved
by disgust, that almost all the Demo-
Gratis should nave favored admitting
Arizona with its radical constitution.
Following Senator Bailey's protest the
roll call proceeded. II resulted:
Ayes lin favor of admitting the two
terTitoriesl-Democrats. Bacon, Cham
Lerlain, Clarke of Arkansas, CuIbersCn
Ietcher, Frazer. Gore, Johnson, Mar
TN, Money, Newlands Bourne. pawn
ter Percy, Rayner, Shively, Simmons.
smith Sinlth OF MARYLAND. Smith of South
Thornton h&na EiImer SfTme' Swanson Taller.
cans, Reveridge, Borah, Bourne, Bris-
tow, Brown, Burkett, Clapp. Cummins
DIXON. Gronna. Jones, La Toilette. Me-
Cumber, Nixon-39.
ritories)-Democrats. Bailey, Overmann,
Ialiaferro. Republicans, Bradley,
Brardegee, Briggs, Bulkeley. Rurnham'
Burrows, Burton. Carter, Clark of wy
0mtng, Crane. Cullom. Curtis, Depew,
Dix, Dillingham;. du Pont. Flint. Frye,
Liallinger. Gamble. Guggenheim, Hale
Hepburn. Keane, Lodge. Lorimer. Mel
son, Oliver, PenrUSe. Perkins, Piles. |
Richardson, Root, Scott, Smith If
Michigan. Smoot Stevenson, Suther-
As.
II the three Democrats, alley, Over
mann, and Taliaferro, who voted against !
the resolution. had supported it, the
vote would have been ~ to ~, and the |
Vice President would have had to cast
the deciding vote. He would have voted |
against the resolution.
With the Owen filibuster out of the |
way there were but few minutes re-
to consider business. The Son
ate voted to take up the SuIloway pen
sion bill, A to 81. Then a funny thing
happened.
Lodge Starts Trouble.
Senator Lodge, who ten minutes earlier !
had been agitatedly helping to call off
the Owen filibuster, promptly started
one of his own against the Sulloway
bill. He demanded the reading of the
report in full. Before it had
proceeded far it became evident that
the bill was going to fail, and it was
dead for the session.
The Senate received the nomination of |
Senator Warner of Missouri to be a |
NJ - ~