The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-08-11
NO STATEHOOD FOR NEW MEXICO.

1t is pretty certain that one Of the state
hood schemes will fail. We refer to that
regarding the admission of New Mexico to
the union. The movement was all right at
the outset, and everybody wished it sue
cess. The population of the territory is
sufficient to entitle it to statehood, and
there is abundant wealth to maintain a
state government Furthermore, the
American element is strong enough to hold
the supremacy 1t has been feared that
the Mexicans might control, and as thou
sands of them are scarcely civilized, as we
understand the word, neither speaking the
English language nor being in the least
degree familiar with the republican sys-
tenn of government, there was good reason
for the apprehension which existed in the
minds of statesmen. 1t is now believed,
however, that the danger has past and it
will be perfectly safe to entrust matters to
the people of New Mexico, enough of
whom are Americans and in perfect accord
with our institutions to hold the common
wealth level.
When they set out to frame constitu-
ton and form a state government, every
body wished the New Mexicans well and
hoped that next winter they would escape
from the oppression of territorial rule. 1t
soon transpired that there were obstacles
in the way, and last week it was made
plain that admission to the Union cannot
be had through the present movement.
There is now, and for years has been, a
corrupt ring of Republican politicians in
New Mexico, who have had absolute con-
IL.
Democratic by fair majority and regu-
larly sends member of that party to Con-
gress, and yet the ring has been able to
maintain control of the territorial
legislature by means of most out
rageous gerrymandering, and to keep
in their hands the principal local
offices. When it came to the appointment
of delegates for the constitutional conven-
ton, the Republicans, having all the ma
chinery in their hands, set out to have
things their own way. At first they were
impudently illiberal, and acted almost as if
it were a concession to permit Democrats
TO sit in the convention. The central COM
mittees of the respective parties finally
got together, and the Democrats endeav-
ored to arrange an equitable representation
in the convention; the Republicans were
willing to yield something, but not enough to
make the representation anything like fair,
aud the Democrats retired in disgust, and
have since taken little interest in the state
hood movement. The election for delegates
occurred last week, and Democrats stayed
away from the polls with remarkable unan-
unity The Republican ring had things It's
own way, there being no opposition; in
many districts there were no Democratic
candidates. Even Republicans in some in
stances, were disguised by the proceedings
of the ring, and refused to vote. The conven-
zion will be held, as matter of course, but
it will be a strictly partisan affair, and the
constitution will necessarily be framed in
the interest Of the ringites. While the
Democrats did not vote for the convention
delegates, they propose to be out in force
when it comes to voting on the constitution,
and being in the majority they expect to
defeat the constitution in fine style, thus
defeating the scheme of the ringites.
The next time movement is set on foot
to get New Mexico into the union, the plan
will be such that the people can approve it,
otherwise another defeat will follow. The
leading Democratic newspaper of the terri
tory, commenting on the outcome of the
election, says that "between smallpox and
statehood, under the rascally regime of the
ringsters, the people would prefer the
former pestilence."