Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1891-12-26
STATEHOOD FOR NEW MEXICO.
An Able Article on Popular Subject
Demanding Justice for a peserv-
ing People.

The Chicago Farm, Field and Stockman
says editorially:
"In the matter of admitting New Mex
leo to statehood We are disposed to ignore
politics. Whether it would be Demo
cratic or Republican or Peoples Party
state ought not to be considered. It should
simply be asked: Has she the requisite
population? Is 1t likely to he permanent?
Are her resources and the occupations
based upon them such as TO make it rea.
sonably certain that the present pop1la-
| ton will increase rather than diminish?
In reaching answers to these questions it
would be legitimate to inquire into the
quality OF soil, the amount of tillable land,
the area and kind of pasturage adapted
both to sheep and cattle, the mines of
precious metal, OF iron and coal and the
adaptation Of the latter to manufacturing
purposes. From our own acquaintance
of the facts we have no doubt whatsoever
that these questions can be satisfactorily
answered.
"lt may be proper to inquire what is
the character of the population of New
Mexico before inviting her into the Union.
Has she the elements adapted to main
tain Republican form of government?
Here, again, our own knowledge Of her
enterprising people would lead US to
answer, yes. To be sure, there is q large
Mexican population, but they have never
been hard to govern. Their children are
now largely sent to school. The public
school systen' of the territory is good
Many of these Mexicans are well to.do
stock raisers and farmers. They live
comfortably and some even luxu?lously.
The delegates generally sent to congress
from this class of the population have
been intelligent.
cit may be further asked, is there any
ground of opposition because OF the pre-
dominence of Roman Catholics? We
frankly answer, no. There should not |
be any religious or ecclesiastical test in
this matter of statehood. Besides, it is
found that LEADING citizens of this faith
have favored free schools, irrigation,
railroads and other public improvem 'nts.
1t is mistake to regard this element as
wholly anti-progressive or retrogressive as
some seem to claim.
"Besides it is fact that there is large
proportion of the people who arc of the
best American stock. Witness such old
citizens as Col. Rynerson, of Las Cruces,
and those who came with him with his
regiment from California at the time of
the war for the Union; Governor Prince,
the present executive head, but formerly
chief justice and tor ten or fifteen years a
citizen of the territory, and many others
like him who came from New York,
Pennsylvania and other eastern states and
have been identified with the industrial,
r,l min 1oy pns al
interests OF the territory. Men from this
class have helped frame good constitu-
ton and the statutory laws which more
than anything else have mInistAred to
good order and demonstrated the ability OF
self-government. There are men in this
number who have held high representa-
tive office in Kansas, Nebraska and other
states from which they have migrated.
"Some men of this character Lave lately
uisitad Chice.u. Juuge w. L. rrt5UrnSuu,
chairman OF the territorial board of man.
ayers of the Worlds fair, came to attend
,he meeting of the board Of control in
Ibis city. Judge Thornton was elected as
" hich. although it is the oldest town with
in the boundaries of the United States,
has been only recently incorporated as
city. He has been for many years pro-
minent lawyer and mining operator at
Santa Fe. Major W. H. H. Llewellyn,
secretary of the Worlds fair board for
New Mexico, was also here few days
since. There are few more enterprising
citizens to be found in any state or terri
tory than Major Llewellyn. He has done
much to further the agricultural and live
stock interests of the territory. John H.
Knaebel, Max. Frost and Gen. L. L.
Bartlett we're here to enlist Chicago
capital in an extensive irrigation enter
prise for the city OF Santa Fe and vici
nifty. They say that they have met with
great success, and that there is scarcely
any doubt that the scheme Of the Santa
Fe Irrigation company will be carried out.
This enterprise consists Of storing Water
in the canyons above. the city to be used
in irrigating thousands OF acres of land
Just below. The land will be very valu-
able for agricultural and horticultural
purposes when brought under irrigation.
This will, also, be an object lesson to
other parts OF the territory where the soil
is generally good, and the only requisite
is some good system of irrgation.'