Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-06-25

sgd. About so per cent of the popuia-
tion-and as to my correctness in this
respect | refer you to the census-are
native-born or Mexicaas. Some of them
are very intelligent and worthy people,
but the great mass-and to be within
bounds l would say 80 per cent-of the
natives are unable to speak, much less to
read or write the English language. All
legal notice. are required by law to be
printed or written, as the case may be, in
the English and Spanish language. All
trials in courts have to be translated
from the English into Spanish. For
instance, if juror speaking English
is giving evidence, the interpreter
must translate it into Spanish for
the benefit of the jury. If it is
a Mexican giving evidence it is tran
slated to the jury in English for the
benefit of the American jurors. The
speeches made by the attorneys are trans
lated into Spanish, if he happens to be
Mex lean, so that the whole court business
is double geared from top to bottom, and
you can we'll understand the value of the
evidence after passing from the hands of
the interpreter to the jury. Political
speeches are in the same manner inter
preted. The speaker will utter four or
FIVE words, made more thrilling by his
gesticulations, and probably nine-tenths
of his auditors have not the remotest idea
of what he is talking, and then the inter
prefer will yell out so that the nine-tenths
can understand what the one-tenth under
stood before. So my advice to you is
not to try to lecture in New Mexico.
Sup to 1891 no public school system
and good law has been passed, which
under proper administration will in the
course of time do a great deal of good.
One difficulty that will probably never be
overcome is the influence of the Catholic
| priesthood-or the padres, as they are
called. The priests have the same power
in New Mexico that they had in Spain or
italy 200 years ago. 1t is a question as
to whether New Mexico should be taken
into the states"
While the above, from an eastern view,
may be prejudiced; to those people who
reside in New Mexico the statements APP
pear unfair and unreasonable. No such
reason as inability to speak, read or write
the English language was ever brought
up to defer admission Of territory. 1t
is not charged that the native population
| is any more unworthy of the right to rule
themselves than the population of any
other state. Without counting the peo-
pie of Mexican or Spanish descent the
| territory contains more than twice as
many educated white native born Amer
leans as Nevada when it was admitted in
1864. Then in this territory all cases are
not translated in any county, and in this,
Eddy county, we doubt whether single
trial was ever translated, though as in
states where Polish, German, Sweede and
other witnesses are examined before a
| Jury the evidence is translated through
out. However, hundreds of cases are
tried where no Mexicans are interested
either as Jurors or witnesses. The state
ment that the padres exert an influence
over the Mexcans is the most absurd. In
this valley we have about $50 Mexicans
tributary to Eddy. Of this number there
are only fifteen or twenty communicates
of the Catholic church. The ceremony OF
marriage for nine -tenths of the Mexicans
who we'd is performed by justice of the
peace or probate judge. AS regards
the influence of the priest just the oppo
site is the case as described by person
who claims to have resided here. There
is a rich uncultivated field among the
Mexicans for ministers of Protestant
denominations and it should be worked
In Santa Fe the Right Rev. Bishop Chap
ellie certainly is as highly respected BY
non Catholics and has as much influence
as among the Mexican element.
The Sisters schools of the territory arc
exerting as much influence for goot
among people who come from the east az
among the Mexicans. We're the person
speaking of what prevailed in this terri
tory 100 years ago he might be listened
to by the people of New Mexico, bu
speaking of the present his story is false
Not one Mexican in fifty will even contrib
ute to build Catholic church, let alone
to listen to the padre in this valley. II
other portions of the territory the ex
perience of those outside of all churche
is, that when Mexican is goot
Catholic he is good citizen and il
usually more competent to assist in goot
government than the class who, thong
born of Catholic parents, have wandered
away and find no more use for tho padre
the church, or, for that matter, the com
mandments. This talk of priest rule il
the veriest rot in this day and age.