The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-01-08
TERRITORY OF NEW MEXICO.
Its Present Political Condition Does Not War
rant Its Admission as a State.

Special Correspondence of the Indianapolis Journal
SANTA FE, n. NJ, Jan. 3.-There is good
deal of talk and feeling here, and, in fact,
throughout the entire Territory, as to the
admission of this Territory into the sister,
hood of States. The politicians seem to be
for it with great unanimity. Once in a
while a man is found who says the Terri
tory ought not to be admitted, at any rate
not till after the census of 1890. New Next
co has sufficient population, if that were the
only test to be applied According to par
tial census, taken in 1885, and the vote cast
at the recent election, the population
amounts to about 16O, 900, all told, exclusive
of Indians, Pueblos, Apaches and Navajoes.
This population is very singular one. /
doubt if 20 per cent. read, or write, or speak
the English language. In the county of
Taos, which cast over 1900 votes at the
recent election, there are not over
forty Americans that is, citizens
of the United States not Mexicans, and
am informed there are not 100 English
speaking people in the county. In Rio
Arriba county, which polled over 900 votes
at the recent election, the population of
Americans to Mexicans is about as one to
fifteen. In Santa Fe county, the capital
being situated at Santa Fe, the proportion
is at least three-fourths Mexican. In Mora
county it is at least five-sixths Mexican
The same ratio exists in Valencia county.
In San Miguel county, the most populous
one in the territory, the proportion is about
four-fifths Mexican. In DOna Ana and
SocOrro counties the proportion is about
three-tifths Mexican. In Bernalillo county
the same rate obtains. In Grant and Lin
American is about One-third, and about the
same in Colfax and Sienna counties. In
San Juan county the ratio lis about half
and half. Out of what is called the Mexi-
can population, should say, concluding
from my travels amongst them, and my
knowledge of the situation, that about 5
per cent. of the men above twenty-one
years of age speak or understand the En-
gllsh language.
In all courts, in all jury-rooms, in all leg
islative bodies, the Spanish language is
used, and proceedings very often are had
in Spanish, and interpreters are needed.
There are not a dozen English-speaking
public schools in the Territory. although
One-fOurth of 1 per cent. of the assessed
value of all property taxed. The capital
city, Santa Fe, has some very good private
schools but not an English-speaking public
SCuOOl. ut hIucIlCdu pOItlOu VI tuC Clt-
liens are fighting this sort of thing. hut
so far they have not made much Roadway.
During the recent Democratic admins
tratiOn, or, as the citizens here say, misad-
ministration, the leanings have all been
towards keeping the English out of
schools and letting the Catholic
Church have the bulk of the CHI. isiren. There
are several large Catholic seminaries and
colleges in the Territory, and they do
the bulk of the educating of Mexican chill
dren. The public schools are either not in
existence at all, or are open three or four
months in year, and then nothing but
Spanish is taught. In Santa Fe, prOmi-
nent attorney invited me to attend trials
in the justice of the peace courts There
are two of them. This county is Demo-
cratic, and the attorney informed me that
the two justices of the peace, elected by "a
Democratic majority, were two as bad men
as there were in the city, but that nothing
could be done against them. as theirpeople on
juries stood by them. In these courts 1 found
that neither the judges nor the constables
understood single word of English that
they knew nothing of law; that money and
political influence ruled the roost, and that
it was not material to them what they did.
as long as they received their fees. That
seemed to be the sole object. / was in
formed that matters would be Just as
bad during the coming two years as the
| new justices of the peace were no better
| than the old ones. The justices have juris-
| dictiOn in cases involving up to a hun
| dred dollars and in all matters affecting
| the peace of the community. Homicides
and other serious crimes, If the district
| courts are not in session, and they sit only
! two months In each year, come before them