Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1894-01-09

MAt NohAAhN'hs AhAHN wy
gentleman is mistaken about that.
Mr.. Brett. Sixty millions.
Mr.. Washington. The gentle.
from Indiana says sixty millions.
My impression was that it was
about a hundred millions. As TO
population, New Mexico had by
the last census nearly a hundred
aud sixty thousand people. She
was considered ripe for admission
as far back as 1876, and, as the
gentleman from Illinois MIR.
Springer has stated, a bill was
passed by this House admitting
her and a bill admitting her
should have been considered
in the Fifty-frst Congress, when
the gentleman from Illinois Mr..
Springer and myself stood up in
the Committee on Territories and
fought in season and out Of season
in favor of her admission. With a
population of over a hundred and
fifty thousand at that time she was
set aside, while Idaho and Wyom-
ing, with not more than half the
population and wealth, were
brought in and "railroaded"
through this House because it was
thought they would give the Re
publicans four more Senators and
two Representatives on this floor.
The Committee on Territories of
the Fifty-frst Congress positively
refused to consider the bills for
the admission of Arizona and New
Mexico, and the only reason was
the political one, that Arizona and
New Mexico then had Democratic
Delegates on this floor. Now, to-
day, 1 say as a Democrat, that we
will do justice by every Territory
that is fit and ready for admission.
Another reason that is urged in
some quarters against the admis-
sion Of New Mexico is that her
population is a Catholic popula-
ton, some are pleased to call it
a foreign population, because many
of the people are of Spanish de-
scent and still speak that language.
L ask IN the name of high Heaven,
how many years is a man required
to be a resident of this country be-
fore he can acquire citizenship?
The people of New Mexico who
are of Spanish or Mexican origin
are just as much citizens of the
United States to-day as are the
people of Kansas, or of Iowa, or of
Nebraska, who have come to those
States within the last eight or ten
years from various countries in
Europe; nay they are more so, be-
cause practically all the people of
New Mexico of Mexican or Spanish
descent, were born in that Terri
tory. All of them under 40 years
of age were born citizens of the
United States, all who were resid-
ents at the time the Territory was
acquired were guaranteed citizen
ship by the treaty itself.
Mr.. Hall of Missouri. L want
to ask the gentleman whether
there has been any insinuation or
charge made that New Mexico
should be rejected from statehood
except in the report of the repub-
lican majority of the committee
on territories in the ffty-frst con-
gress?
Mr.. Washington. In the Fifty
first Congress the republican ma
jority made no report on New
Mexico. They refused to consider
the bill in committee even. II
my memory serves me correctly,
the Republican minority of the
Committee on the Territories made
a report in the Fiftieth Congress
against the admission of New Mex
leo. 1 think Mr.. Warner, from
the gentleman's own state of Mis-
souri,, made that adverse report.
MIR. Hall of Missouri. They re-
fused to admit those people on the
ground of their "worshiping cross
es and idols"
Mr.. Washington. In the Fifty
first Congress I know that in the
committee such reasons were urged
against the admission ofNew Mex
leo. And now, Mr.. Chairman, as
we have had SO much said on the
question of the peculiar faith or
mode of worship or belief of the
people of Utah who are called
Mormons, and, as so much has
been said at other times in regard
to the faith and religions practices