Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1889-02-04
THE ALBUQUERQUE PROTEST.

We republish herewith the memorial
addressed by citizens of Albuquerque to
congress. 1t is rather interesting reading
if untrue, and shows the animus actuating
its getters-up, promoters and signers;
PROTEST OF CITIZENS OF NEW MEXICO AGAINST
THE ADMISSION OF THAT TERRITORY INTO
THE UNION OF STATES.
The Honorable Senate and House of Represen-
tatives OF the United States:
The undersigned, your petitioners,
would respectfully represent that it is not
to the business interests, nor is it the de-
sire of great majority of New Mexicos
citizens who are engaged in commercial
pursuits, that New Mexico should at the
present time be admitted into the union
as q state.
Your petitioners would further repre-
sent that New Mexico is at present totally
unfit for the responsibilities Of statehood,
because first, the greater part OF her pop
ulation is unfamiliar with the English
language, and, though honest and of good
intentions, is class of people over whom
the designing, dishonest and untruthful
politicians readily acquire a power that
most without limit; second, because up
to the present time it has been demon
strated that political power in our terri
tory has been controlled and held by those
whose movements and whose apparent
aims are inimical to an honest, upright
and intelligent administration of public
affairs, and that the average character OF
our legislatures has been such as causes
the gravest fears, if left to enact laws
which the people could not take to your
honorable bodies to have annulled, that
our code of statute laws would become
| disgrace to us as state and to our sister
states, with whom we would be associated
in the national government, and would
bring ridicule upon us from the entire
civilized world; third, that our political
leaders have been politicians for revenue
only; the only limit to their rapacity has
been the amount of money raised by taxa
ton, and the amount of Indebtedness
they could heap upon the territory at a
profit to themselves, and the only check
to their unconscionable schemes has been
a realization of the fact that our governors
and judges have been appointed by the
different presidents, and W ere not subject
to the whims and caprices of these politi-
cal vampires.
Your petitioners would further respect
fully represent that they are not office
holders, but are and for long time have
been, residents of the city of Albuquer-
que, and are all personally engaged in
business pursuits in Albuquerque, which
is now the commercial center of New
Mexico; and that it is your petitioners
earnest belief that before our territory
should be admitted to statehood, your
honorable bodies should provide some
convenient, speedy, inexpensive, and GER
tain method to settle the present anomal-
GUS condition of title to the vast area Of
our most valuable lands, which are
now claimed largely by INSCRIPTIONS
and designing persons as grants
from the Mexican and Spanish gov
ernments; and that your honorable bodies
should enact such laws as would compel
our territorial officers to transact all pubic
business and keep all public records in
the English language, and require the
English language to be taught in our
public schools, and make qualification
of teachers, jurymen, and officials of all
kinds that they should be able to speak
and write the English language. When
you have done this, when the masses of
citizens come to thoroughly understand
the true responsibilities and privileges
that are theirs as voters and citizens Of
the United States, and would be theirs
as citizens of state, when our wonder
full agricultural, timber, and mineral lands
have the present clouds, in the shape OF
| land grants removed from their title so
that an intelligent immigration will come
among us to take advantage of our
productive soil, unsurpassed resources and
salulrious climate, and when we can be
assured that the spokesman and the politi-
cal mountebank no longer has the masses
fettered, bound, and under his control,
and we know that honesty, economy and
virtue will prevail in the administration OF
public affairs, then will your petitioners
be most urgent to the claim that New
Mexico should be admitted to statehood
and to assume the duties and RESPONSE
bilities of the state government; but until
then we will ever most earnestly protest
against our territory being admitted into
the union as a state.
The New MEXICAN calls the above to
the attention of the 2Sth Legislative assem-
bly,. Prompt and decisive action should
be taken by that body to denounce and
declare untrue this so-called protest and
show it up in its true light. The fair
fame of New Mexico, and the good name
Of its people demand this. Act, gentle
| mon OCT