Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-04-13
NEW MExICo's HARD LUCK.
Time and Again Has She Knocked
at the Doors of Congress for
Admission.
Correspondence of the Globe-Dem-

ocrat.
WASHINGTON, d. c., April 8.-No
other candidate for statehood has had
the hard luck of New Mexico. Twenty
years ago, Stephen B. Elkins was the
delegate from that Territory. Both
the senate and the house committees
made favorable reports on the admis-
sion of New Mexico. The statehood
bill for that Territory had the right OF
way over the Colorado bill, and was
used to carry that measure. 1t was
the plan to admit two centennial
states. The New Mexico bill lost its
precedence, after passing the senate.
The Colorado bill reached the presi-
dent first. New Mexico was lost in the
shuttle. Mr.. Elkins went out of con-
gress, fully expecting that the next
year would witness the admission of
New Mexico, as there was practically
no opposition. This winter, Mr.. Ell
kins came back to congress as senator
from West Virginia, to find the Terri
tory of his early adoption still knock
ing.
Previous to the present congress,
there have been nine favorable reports
for the admission of New Mexico. Sew
eral times the bill has passed one
branch, but not the other, during the
same congress.
California was admitted to statehood
in 1850, Henry Clay reporting on the
application of California and New
Mexico, said:
t.Prior to their transfer to the Unit
ed States both formed a part of Mexi-
co, where they stood 10 equal relations
10 the government of that republic.
They were both ceded to the United
States by the same treaty and in the
same article of that treaty the United
States of America engaged to protect
and govern them both. Common in
their origin, common 10 alienation
from one foreign government to IN
other; common IN their wants of good
government and conterminous In some
of their boundaries, and alike in many
particulars in physical condition, they
have nearly everything in common, in
the relation in which they stand to the
rest of the union"
LIN 1850, the people Of New Mexico
organized o constitutional convention.
The constitution framed was ratified
almost unanimously when submitted.
Two senators and q representative
were elected and SEM on to Washing
ton. They confidently expected admis-
sion as a state, but the petition was de-
MED. That was forty.six years ago.
President Zachary Taylor, in speak
ing of the right Of New Mexico to state.
hood, said:
IL did not hesitate to express TO the
of these Territories, acquired
from Mexico, my desire that each Ter
if prepared to comply with the
requirements of the constitution of the
United States, form a state constitu-
ton and submit the same to congress,
with q prayer for admission into the
union of states"
In the session of congress of 1860.61,
when compromises to conc:liate the
states were under consideration,
one of the conditions of the south was
The immediate admission OF New Next
co as a slave state. The compromise
Tell through.
In 1871, New Mexico had another
constitutional convention. In 1876, !
he bill for admission of New Mexico
both branches of congress by a
more than two-thirds vote,s but the
senate made some slight alterations in
he bill as it came from the house, and
t did not reach the president.
Eight years ago, New Mexico was
,ut into the same general bill which
admitted the Dakotas, Montana and
Washington. The bill passed, but
n the conference between senate and
I've some amendments New
dexico was dropped out. Fifteen
have come into the union since
he New Mexicans framed a constitu-
ION and elected senators and a repre-
entative. And still New Mexico waits,
Ier prospects in congress having been
ably damaged by the course Of the
senators.
Thomas H. Benton used to say that
'hen there were 10000 able bodied
zen in a Territory willing to take upon
themselves the burden OF statehood, the
'erritory ought to be admitted. New
has a population of 153, 593.
ine-tenths of which was born into
-