Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-01-26


waiting lifetime to see the United States
| live up to that agreement of As years ago.
| If they are not going to do that, l want this
| country annexed to Mexico, where we can
be as good as anybody.
ARIZONA and Colorado were first all New
Mexico. They have been cut off and Colo
RADIO made a state. But we are as bad
ly off as ever. If they keep on slicing
| off our country, we don't know what will
| become of New Mexico. Now, hear, they
| talk of annexing it to Arizona. But we
| will never allow that. The Mexican people
would vote against it in mass. ST. seniors,
| we would fight, for we are built that way.
If they want to annex Arizona to New
| Mexico and call the whole New Mexico,
that is all right. This is our native land.
It's name is New Mexico, and we are Next
cans. We would not give up our name and
identity.
"Senors, the City of Mexico is as near
us as the city of Washington. We had bet
ter 60 back to Mexico, where they want US.
You all know how President Diaz years ago
offered to give every man who would go
from here GOO acres of land and furnish
farming implements, and if a man was too
poor to support himself and family to sup
ply him with provisions for one year free.
A brother-in-la law of mine went there in a
colony year ago. l don't want to leave
this country, where l have always lived,
but if thought my son would have to grow
up and become gray as | am without
being a full citizen of the United States
would strike out with burro outfit down
the Rio Grande, leave my house and lands
and never come back"
The men who had sat like images of stone
in their chairs jumped up with Mexican
yells of approval, grasped the don by the
hand, slapped him on the back, made a
grand rush and push for the bar. lined up
and drank to the health of Don Santiago
de Baca and the welfare of the state of New
Mexico.
Is it possible that those are Americans
who stand among the Mexican crowd syco-
phantly drinking to revolutionary senti-
ments? Yes. they are statehood agitators
who are fawninG on the Mexicans to get
their numerical support for some Office at
the state election, which they think is not
far off. Most who lift their glasses are
swarthy Mexicans of the lower class, who
have no sentiments apart from their leader
They are the 100, 600 natives of New Mexico
whose dense ignorance has SO long kept the
territory out of the Union. They contrast
as strongly with the fiery, intelligent speak
er as do the ignorant blacks and aristo-
cratic whites of the south.
That tall Mexican leaning against the
end of the bar, with aquiline nose and SIMS
ter, mustached face, well represents his
class of poems. His som brero is soiled, and
his shirt droops, collarless and uncleau
A coat, small, i'll fitting, and old, cheap blue
striped trousers turned up round the ankle
and dusty spurred boots make up his ap-
parel Around his right wrist is the
twisted loup of his rawhide quirt riding
whip, whose snappers bangle round his
heels.
His upper forehead is light, but shades
till the brows, cheek and face are as dark
as the Indian s, whose sluggish blood, min
gled with the Spanish strain, makes the
low class Mexican commonly known as
greasers. He is a sheep herder, but he is
good citizen. He is a Democrat this year
because his leaders tell him that New Mex
leo must be Democratic to become state
He may be Republican next year if a ma
tive politician talks to him about the rela-
ton of the tariff and wool and wages about
clipping time. But that will depend on the
don, for he always votes as he is told by
the don who rules or the don who wants to
rule the county. He pays his taxes regu-
larry on his mud house and garden and
flock of sheep. 1t isn't much, for up to
600 Mexican's property is exempt from
taxation. Bat whatever the assessor fig.
ures his superfluous wealth to be he pays
the levy thereupon cheerfully. 1t may be 81
or % or in an exceedingly active political
year IS.
His answer to all questions is, mo Eng
lish, I" but he can scrawl his name in Span
ish, and there is story connected with this
Jose's signature. He was once a teacher.
To be sure, he could not read beyond the
primer, but that was no reason a powerful
man like he could not make his pupils
learn. He could not write, but why should
not an apt teacher learn from his pupils!
so he got an appointment from the Next
can county commissioner for winter
school while there was no herding to be
done and the sheep were in the corral fat.
tening for mutton. He took the school for
two months. The first month he had SO
many fights with his grownup pupils that
he couldn't do much teaching or learning,
and when he drew his salary he had to re-
ceipt for 1t with his customary cross.
The next month being peaceable, he &c |
Quired the art OF signing his name.
He is now director of his school dis |
trict and anxious for all the youth of the |
county to have as good an education as he |
HERBERT HAYWOOD.