Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1890-02-11
HON. TH0S. D. BURNS ON STATEHOOD.
In California He Chats About Our Pros
per.ty and the Justice Of Admission.

Hon. Thos. D. Burns, of Rio Arrib
county, now on visit to California, ha
been chatting with the newspapers abou
New Mexico's admission to statehood
The Los Angeles Tribune prints column
interview with him.
"a great many people throughout tn,
union have false impression Of the in
habtants of New Mexico" said Majo
Burns. They have been called ignoran
and brutal, murderous aud all that, " her
in fact these charges were not true. Near
ly all of the older Mexicans can read anC
write Spanish, while the younger genera
ton are educated in English as well
People from the eastern states who could
not speak Spanish used to come to the
territory, and not being able to converse
with the residents would 20 off calling
them an ignorant lot.
"After the Santa Fe railroad was coH.
pleted into the territory, however, immi,
grafton began to come in at a lively rate
and much OF this is changed think
that no less than $4,000 Americans have
located in the territory in the last eight
years. Our total population at present is
over 20O,0O0, of whom from 10000 to
10 600 are Americans, the rest being OF
Spanish descent.
There was period in the territory's
history when the rustlers were running
things at high hand, and this gave rise
to the reports OF laWlessness. When Gov.
Sheldon assumed the reins of govern
ment Of the territory in 1881 the rustlers
were carrying things pretty much their
own way. Cattle were being run off by
them, and men were murdered on the
slightest provocation. The were allied
closely to number of men of consider
able prominence, and some of them
wanted to know OF the governor what he
was going to do. He Immediately in-
formed them that he proposed to break
up their infamous practices and hang and
imprison tie leaders,"
After kindly word about Gov. Sheldon,
whose home is now at Pasadena, Major
Burns said:
when | first went to New Mexico
knew almost every native American in
the territory, but now they are too num-
erous for me.
lone of the great advantages of state
hood will be to enable US to enact proper
irrigation laws. There are millions of
acres of as fine land in the territory as any
place in the world, which only needs
water to make it as rich and productive
as any in southern California. Under
congressional restrictions the territorial
legie lature can not pass laws for the es-
adjustment of irrigation districts similar
to your Wright law in California"
How about your land grants and land
titles?
well, there are bills before congress
now for the appointment of q commits
sion to settle the disputed claims, and We
feel confident of having The matter adj
justed before long. When this question
Is permanently settled it will do much to
give the territory start for more rapid
growth than ever before. The constitu.
ton framed by the convention last sum
mer, and on which we ask admission,
provides for free, non-sectarlan public
schools, 80 that the bugahoo OF 'sectarian
schools need cause no one any alarm.
Our people are prosperous, and We hope
to greet you as a sister state before another
year"