A Powerful Lobby at Work.

Thus, President Roosevelt recommends the immediate admission of Oklahoma and Indian Territory as one State, and of Arizona and New Mexico as another. This question has been fully and thoroughly considered from every standpoint of statesmanship and public policy, and the President's recommendation ought to be adopted. The opposition comes from great corporations, principally mining companies in Arizona, supported by railroad corporations. These Arizona mining companies own property worth hundreds of millions of dollars upon which they pay practically no taxes at all. They seem to be able to control Arizona for their own ends. But if Arizona were united with New Mexico they would be in danger of losing control, and might be subjected to something like reasonable taxation. They can array immense influences in roundabout and unsuspected ways, and they can afford to spend a fabulous sum of money to defeat the pending Statehood bill. It is to be feared that there have been attempts to influence members of Congress in this Arizona situation by the gift of mining stocks and like improper methods. If the joint Statehood bill is defeated now, the lobbyists will go on with their work, hoping to seize a favorable moment in the future for admitting Arizona and New Mexico as two States. The safer and better way is to close the business now by passing the joint Statehood bill. The Hon. Edward L. Hamilton, of Michigan, chairman of the House Committee on Territories, has been working for the joint Statehood measure with the earnest backing of Speaker Cannon; while Senator Beveridge, chairman of the Senate Committee on Territories, has led the fight for sound public policy with a courage and a devotion to what he deems the best interests

an interesting event of the year 1905, but it has not nearly so much significance in the field of actual politics and government as the election of Mr. Jerome in New York or the overthrow of the machine in Philadelphia.

A Critical

This winter, the focus of American Season at activity and attention in public afWashington. fairs will be at Washington. At a moment when reform movements in the States and the large cities were never more successful, it happens that the situation at Washington has seldom been more serious. It may be said with some caution, but with probable truth, that at no time for twenty years past have lobby interests been so powerful and at the same time so insidious at Washington as in the present legislative season. The great corporations propose to thwart the President's plans for the more effective regulation of railways. For various reasons, they propose to obstruct the Government's policy in the matter of the Panama Canal. They are bent upon preventing the passage of the Statehood bill that would unite New Mexico and Arizona and admit them as a single commonwealth. It is well for the people of the country to know that such influences are at work, and to do all they can to see that their own representatives are not captured by the lobbyists. The situation is an unusual one in many

of the country that are not as yet fully appreciated. It would be much easier to be lukewarm than to be zealous as against those influences that are now at work to defeat the Statehood bill. To Senator Beveridge's lasting credit, he is not lukewarm, but zealous and indefatigable.

The New

The Fifty-ninth Congress assembled Congress on the first Monday of December and Organizes. organized by electing as Speaker the Hon. Joseph G. Cannon, of Illinois, who had been Speaker of the preceding House. The Republican majority is almost too large to be held safely under party rein and lash. The Republicans have almost exactly two-thirds of the membership of the House, and by an agreement between Speaker Cannon and the Democratic leader the Republicans have two-thirds of the places on the important committees and the Democrats one-third. Most of the committees have been slightly enlarged, in order to satisfy the demands for places. Although there are more than eighty new members in the House, few of the old leaders are absent, and the chairmanships of the principal committees remain. unchanged, with few exceptions. Thus, when Mr. Cannon became Speaker, Mr. Hemenway, of Indiana, took Mr. Cannon's place as chairman of the Committee on Appropriations. Mr. Hemenway is now in the Senate, where he

But

Keifer, of Ohio, who has been absent from Washington for twenty years, but who served as Speaker of the House for two Congresses, from 1881 to 1885. The Hon. John Sharp Williams, of Mississippi, is again the leader of the Democratic minority in the House.

Changes

Senate.

The Senate, which, unlike the House, in the is a continuous body, now has VicePresident Fairbanks for its parlia mentary head. The death of Vice-President Hobart, in Mr. McKinley's first administration, made it necessary for the Senate to put one of its own members in the chair, and the post was filled by Senator Frye, of Maine. Mr. McKinley's death, early in his second administration, transferred Vice-President Roosevelt to the White House, and again Senator Frye was called to preside over the Senate. He is now on the floor of the chamber again after having had the gavel in his hand for many years. Since the Senate was last in session, one of its most distinguished members, the Hon. Orville H. Platt, of Connec

A Critical

This winter, the focus of American Season at activity and attention in public afWashington. fairs will be at Washington. At a moment when reform movements in the States and the large cities were never more successful, it happens that the situation at Washington has seldom been more serious. It may be said with some caution, but with probable truth, that at no time for twenty years past have lobby interests been so powerful and at the same time so insidious at Washington as in the present legis. lative season. The great corporations propose to thwart the President's plans for the more effective regulation of railways. For various reasons, they propose to obstruct the Government's policy in the matter of the Panama Canal. They are bent upon preventing the pas sage of the Statehood bill that would unite New Mexico and Arizona and admit them as a single commonwealth. It is well for the people of the country to know that such influences are at work, and to do all they can to see that their own representatives are not captured by the lobbyists. The situation is an unusual one in many

A Powerful Lobby at Work.

Thus, President Roosevelt recommends the immediate admission of Oklahoma and Indian Territory as one State, and of Arizona and New Mexico as another. This question has been fully and thoroughly considered from every standpoint of statesmanship and public policy, and the President's recommendation ought to be adopted. The opposition comes from great corporations, principally mining companies in Arizona, supported by railroad corporations. These Arizona mining companies own property worth hundreds of millions of dollars upon which they pay practically no taxes at all. They seem to be able to control Arizona for their own ends. But if Arizona were united with New Mexico they would be in danger of losing control, and might be subjected to something like reasonable taxation. They can array immense influences in roundabout and unsuspected ways, and they can afford to spend a fabulous sum of money to defeat the pending Statehood bill. It is to be feared that there have been attempts to influence members of Congress in this Arizona situation by the gift of mining stocks and like improper methods. If the joint Statehood bill is defeated now, the lobbyists will go on with their work, hoping to seize a favorable moment in the future for admitting Arizona and New Mexico as two States. The safer and better way is to close the business now by passing the joint Statehood bill. The Hon. Edward L. Hamilton, of Michigan, chairman of the House Committee on Territories, has been working for the joint Statehood measure with the earnest backing of Speaker Cannon; while Senator Beveridge, chairman of the Senate Committee on Territories, has led the fight for sound public policy with a courage and a devotion to what he deems the best interests

of the country that are not as yet fully appre ciated. It would be much easier to be lukewarm than to be zealous as against those influences that are now at work to defeat the Statehood bill. To Senator Beveridge's lasting credit, he is not lukewarm, but zealous and indefatigable.

The New

The Fifty-ninth Congress assembled Congress on the first Monday of December and Organizes. organized by electing as Speaker the Hon. Joseph G. Cannon, of Illinois, who had been Speaker of the preceding House. The Republican majority is almost too large to be held safely under party rein and lash. The Republicans have almost exactly two-thirds of the membership of the House, and by an agreement between Speaker Cannon and the Democratic leader the Republicans have two-thirds of the places on the important committees and the Democrats one-third. Most of the committees have been slightly enlarged, in order to satisfy the demands for places. Although there are more than eighty new members in the House, few of the old leaders are absent, and the chairmanships of the principal committees remain unchanged, with few exceptions. Thus, when Mr. Cannon became Speaker, Mr. Hemenway, of Indiana, took Mr. Cannon's place as chairman of the Committee on Appropriations. Mr. Hemenway is now in the Senate, where he

But

Keifer, of Ohio, who has been absent from Washington for twenty years, but who served as Speaker of the House for two Congresses, from 1881 to 1885. The Hon. John Sharp Williams, of Mississippi, is again the leader of the Democratic minority in the House.

Changes

Senate.

The Senate, which, unlike the House, in the is a continuous body, now has VicePresident Fairbanks for its parlia mentary head. The death of Vice-President Hobart, in Mr. McKinley's first administration, made it necessary for the Senate to put one of its own members in the chair, and the post was filled by Senator Frye, of Maine. Mr. McKinley's death, early in his second administration, transferred Vice-President Roosevelt to the White House, and again Senator Frye was called to preside over the Senate. He is now on the floor of the chamber again after having had the gavel in his hand for many years. Since the Senate was last in session, one of its most distinguished members, the Hon. Orville H. Platt, of Connec

colleague, Senator Hawley. Thus, in Senators Bulkeley and Brandegee Connecticut has a new representation. The unfortunate Senator Mitchell, of Oregon, died in December, and his place is taken temporarily by John McDermot Gearin, a Democrat, appointed by the governor, to fill

his critics. Although in form he was addressing his message to Congress, he was well aware of that great mechanism of the press by which the entire unabridged document would be placed in the hands of every reading citizen of the entire country. No President had ever gained such a hearing and such an influence as belonged to President Roosevelt at the assembling of the Fifty-ninth Congress, and it is fair to say that no President had ever better earned the right to set forth his views upon questions of public policy. There was not a tinge of partisanship in his presentation of the questions of the day, but there was conviction, sincerity, and strength in all his statements and arguments. Many of the things set forth in this message had been already expressed by Mr. Roosevelt in one form or another; but he desired to mass them in a coherent, well-proportioned statement, in order to exhibit to the country, as well as to Congress, his views regarding public policy, and his convictions with respect to needed legislation at the present time.

HON. JAMES A. TAWNEY, OF MINNESOTA. (New chairman House Committee on Appropriations.)

the vacancy. One of the Delaware seats is vacant through the perennial tangle in the politics of that State. Mr. Warner appears from Missouri as a Republican to fill the seat of the venerable Cockrell. The patriarchal Stewart, of Nevada, is replaced by the Hon. George S. Nixon. Mr. LaFollette, the Senator-elect from Wisconsin, did not appear at Washington to be sworn in last month. As governor of his State, Mr. La Follette had called an extra session of the Legislature, which met on December 5 to consider the matters of legislation which belonged essentially to the governor's programme. It was expected that the session would complete its work satisfactorily and adjourn before Christmas, and the governor submitted his resignation on December 19, in order to take his place in the Senate at Washington after the holiday recess.

EX-SPEAKER J. WARREN KEIFER, OF OHIO.