The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-29
DELEGATES FROM TWO TERRI
TORIES WILL MAKE A DETER.
MINED FIGHT.
NEW MEXICO AND ARIZONA
WILL SEEK ADMISSION TO THE
UNION AT THIS SESSION OF
CONGRESS.
THEIR REMARKABLE HISTORY.
Population and Resources-EviIs of
the Territorial Form of Cow
ernment

SANTE FEE, n. NJ, Nov. 27.-When
congress meets in regular session in
| December it will be confronted with a
! bill providing statehood for New Mex
| leo and Arizona territories. These two
territories repeatedly have sought ad-
! mission as states, only to be barred
! out for reasons sometimes political and
| sometimes otherwise. But repeated re-
/ Bluffs have only made them the more
determined, and they will return to
the attack with a vigor worthy the
progressive people who inhabit them.
1t is the general opinion that they
! have been refused statehood in recent
years because of the fear that their
| admission would mean the addition of
four silver senators to the already
strong representation in the upper
house of congress. The fear perhaps
is not unfounded for both have re-
turned silver majorities in recent years,
| though the contests have sometimes
been close, and the minority is not
without fighting chance. This con-
dition, however, does not dampen the
ardor of the people in the two terri
tories in their effort to throw off the
garb Of dependencies.
The settlement Of New Mexico and
| Arizona antedates Plymouth Rock, the
| Virginias, the settlement of Florida and
the founding of st. Augustine. II his
| tory can be relied upon, it was more
| than $50 years ago that the first white
men invaded this territory Arizona
claims the establishment of a colony
! of Spaniards as early as 1912, while
! New Mexico presents indisputable evil
dence of a permanent settlement as
early as 1898. And here at this latter
end of the nineteenth century, these
| pioneers in American civilization are
knocking at the doors of the American
union for admission.
! NEW MEXICO AS A CANDIDATE.
New Mexico has a population Of
more than 225,OOO-much larger than
the population of many states in the
Union. In area it is three times as
large as all New England and equal
in area to New York. Pennsylvania
and Ohio combined. Fully 1900, 900
acres are mountainous and 1000, 900 des-
ert, leaving 39,OOO,O0O acres habitable
Vast herds of cattle and unnumbered
millions of sheep are raised, and ow-
shelter is needed in winter The terri
tory has an abundant supply Of tim
Der, Socorro county alone shipping
100000 feet of lumber in 1896. The
valleys along the rivers are very fer
tile, and grain, fruit and vegetables
are raised in profusion. The waters of
the Pecos river have been impounded
in artificial lakes of great magnitude,
.
of water The canal systems for the
distribution of this water aggregate
hundreds of miles in length. In the
region OF Roswell the total area lying
below the existing canal system is not
far from 100000 acres. In the Pecos
valley, perhaps, is the most extensive
and successful irrigation system in the
United States. But all over the terri
tory are similar systems, bringing the
fertile valleys under cultivation. The
Mesilla valley, seventy miles long, is
one of the richest farming districts on
the globe.
For fruits the territory has long been
| famous. It raises vast quantities of
grapes, peaches, apples, apricots, pears,
melons and ounces. The yearly pro-
| duction of wine exceeds 900 gallons
EXTENSIVE COAL FIELDS OPEN.
In mining the territory Is making
rapid strides, and the opening of the
new camps of COchiti and Red river
! during the past year will increase the
output and draw population and capt.
tai from other states and territories
Extensive coal fields supply not only
| the local market, but localities as far
away as Missouri on the east and
Mexico on the west.
One serious objection to the admis-
mission of New Mexico has been the
reputed illiteracy of the people. a ma
jority of whom are Spaniards or Next
cans. In the last bill providing for
admission, the clause requiring that
none but the English language be
taught in the public schools was an
| Item of serious contention both in
| congress and in the territory. The ed
| ucational system of the territory is
now receiving the careful attention of
territorial authorities, and rapid
strides have been made. The educa-
tional institutions of New Mexico-in
addition to the public schools. which
number 500 with an enrolment of 3d.
OOO-are the university at Albuquerque.
the School of mines at Socorro, two
normal schools at Las Vegas and at
Silver City, the college of agriculture
anu NcCudIllc dTtS AT Las cruces and
the New Mexico military institute at
Roswell.
The assessed value of property in the
territory is $4,000, 900
ARIZONA'S CLAIM TO STATEHOOD.
Arizona, with, perhaps. 10000 peo-
pie, is none the less enterprising and
ambitious. Arizona has been called
the sun kissed" land, and it we'll de-
serves the title. While Yuma bears
the unenviable distinction of being the
hottest town in America, the territory
as whole has a climate which is not
only endurable, but which, in the win
ter season, draws people from all sec
tons of the country.
Arizona is determined to have some
sort of home government and if it fails
in securing statehood 1t has a novel
proposition already before congress to
secure the desired results. The ter
ritory is willing to forego for the time
being any representation in congress if
allowed to elect her own officers. Ari-
IONA has had four governors in as
many years, and the swindles connect
ed with the administration of each has
convinced the people that federal con-
troll of local affairs is a failure.
TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT.
Congressman Mark Smith has in
trcduced a bill which, If it can be
passed, will allow the people of Ari-
iona to elect their governor and other
territorial officers and judges of court
Under the present system the governor
is appointed by the president and be-
Genes the virtual dictator of terri