Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-03-24

~ uaass u y ! siais Gst pa'itics Sill
- ~ -.

foremost and are % years Dehtn0 tnt
times, g says Hon. Antonio Joseph to youl
correspondent. They insist on talking
about Us as all Spanish Americans, where
as one-half our population, or nearly 50
consIstsf Americans from the States. anc
two-thirds of the last Legislature were o.
that class You zee, that comes about in
this waS-it Is only the most enterprisine
who come there from the States. and &c
they have by all odds the largest amount
OF wealth and pay most OF the taxes and
take the lead In politics. But it signifies
nothing. We are all Americans, for it has
been 4s years since the army occupied
New Mexico. and besides we were divorced
from old Mexico long before that, as we
had not been treated well and were 50 far
from the center Of government. New Mex
leo never was a state, you know. in the
Mexican republic and was very badly gov
erned as territory. At the very lowest
calculation so per cent OF the people Of
New Mexico were born American citizens.
and certainly 30 per cent speak English
Mt least well enough to understand ordi.
nary business, and most Of them quite
well. Now, in view Of these facts, we take
1t very unkindly that members here should
speak Of us as foreign people or speaking
foreign language"
New Mexico's Patriotism.
"You are, / Judge, Spanish-Ameri
CAM
ssAs citizen am, but my parents wers
Portuguese My father was a business
man in ST. Louis and was ruined by the
great fire Of 1887. He then went to New
Mexico in the employ Of the American Fur
company and located at Taos when that
place was the company's headquarters,
and there was born in 1916. So am u
Spanish American, Of Portuguese extrac-
ton, but born an American citizen. And
l claim some extraordinary evidences OF
patriotism for my people. In the war New
Mexico contributed nearly 5000 soldiers
and militia to the Union army, and the
population adhered unanimously to the
Union When there was no money to pay
the troops, the wealthy Spanish Ameri
cans advanced about 1000 900, taking
only the generals vouchers for it aud
charging no interest. We claim also a
vested right General Kearny's procla-
nation in 1916 promised speedy admission
to the Union, and SO did the treaty OF
Guadalupe Hidalgo. TIE bill for admis-
sion only failed in this house for want OF
quorum, and it was about to pass when
Tom Reed went up and actually pulled
back the Republicans who were about to
pass between the tellers. -
And at this point Mr.. Joseph took on u
rather energetic manner and INDUCED in
some slightly vigorous remarks. He is a
slender man, of medium size, dark bru-
nette and Democrat, but confesses that
he cannot tell how New Mexico would be
in "a national contest. 1t has been repre-
scented by Democrat for IL years, and
this is Mr.. Joseph's fifth term, but he de-
clines to vouch for its future politics, and
this is probably the most powerful obsta-
Gle to the admission Of the territory.
A Political Cataclysnl.
There are in this house about 80 Demo-
Gratis whose plurality in 1899 was in the
neighborhood of I 900 or considerably less,
and they are all on the anxious seat.
Those members who have recently been
home to see about their fences report the
political weather as in a decidedly squally
condition. There is a general feeling OF
unrest and dissatisfaction with both par
ties, and while many are predicting cat
aciysm, landslide, revolution and all that
sort of thing nobody seems confident as to
what direction said upheaval will throw
thugs in. There is also very general
conviction in the house that the whole
financial system must before long be rip
ped up from the bottom. A squad of west
ern and southern members, perhaps doz-
EN- in all, have lately been caucusing and
have devised measure founded upon the
bill which Senator Beck introduced in the
Fiftieth and Fifty-first congresses, to do
-
cent coin certificates.
A Unique Scheme.
Taking that bill as basis and adding
two or three features, this caucus has de-
vised 4 measure which they expect to in
trcduce early in April, though of course
they may charge their minds. The gen
eral features of their scheme are that sill
yer may DO deposited equally with geld at
an agreed ratio and certificates issued
therefor, which will simply be known as
coin certificates, and shall be redeemed by
the secretary of the treasury in whichever
coin he has the most of at the time said
certificates are presented. Thus, If a run
IL made and the gold reserve reduced be-
low the silver reserve, The next Corners will
get silver until it in turn is below the gold
reserve. They claim that this is the prac
,ice in France.
BY the same bill all outstanding legal
tender and national bank notes of small
aad all gold and silver GER
titcates are 10 be taken up and cancelled
as they arc paid in for taxes, rs provided
for in Ire Beck bin senate bill No. s, Fiji
tietli ,oHgress) They estimate that in a
few years all our diverse and complicated
pnper money, except the large bank bills
and ,,recnlacks, would he reduced to Il
uniform standard e ecip certificates. and
the result would he simplicity and greater
GNedncss Of value.
II am very much opposed to your great
er New York, as they call it., says Mr..
Coombs OF Brooklyn. II think it would
make great, unwieldy city, the different
parts out of sympathy and harder to gov
cru .han the two are separately, and, fur
ther. that it is altogether too big and cum
lrous an experiment to try in the present
Aage of development of the municipal gov
eminent. 1t is not to be expected that mu-
nicipal government in this country can he
made anyway near perfect in any time
near at hand. for the elements of the pop
ulatioI are changing too rapidly. Let US
go or MS we are till we learn more
TIE ON the TRACK.