New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-30
EDUCATION IN NEW.MEXIO
GOVERNOR SLOWER APPEALs TO CON
GREss FOR AID FROM THE SALE
OF TERRITORIAL Ian

OF TERRITORIAL LANDS.
TO the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: When you consented to publish such
candid statement Of our grievances relative u
school lands for the territories as hadpreviousl.
nreseuted I prepared the following; hut as tn,
Territorial Educational Society was about to con
vene thought II best to submit the Question t.
H. That body thereupon adopted the following
resolution:
Resolved That this association healthy In
dorses the proposal Of ex-Governor StoVer ina
the schools Of NewMexico shall receive in ad
vance OF It's becoming State those proceets IRON
the sale OF public lands which would acc-ue Il
them In the event Of acquiring Statenood pro
vided that means can be taken 10 insure I'M
proper application OF such moneys When 10
ceived.'
have also submitted this matter 70 the Re
gents OF the University Of New-Mexico, and they
all approved OF II. I desire 10 state in justicet
the University, that while am its President
am not a professor, and am not In charge or TN
educational work We are too poor to do any
thing more than preparatory work so FAR
The question OF justice to the educational In
terests OF this Territory. which wish through
your courtesy to submit TO the careful considera'
,,on of Congressmen whose duty II Is 10 act IL
the promises and Of the friends OF education wh
should do all they can to stimulate such action
may be briefly presented as follows:
Nav Mexico became a part OF the United Statei
under the provisions Of the treaty Of Guadalupe
IJidalxo made with Mexico at the close or int
war and by act Of Congress Of September
1870 IL was organized az a Territory ana ma
aimee 1851 been represented I'm Congress by
delegate.
Nv act Of Congress Of 1859, what is now Ar
vora was detached from New-Mexico and or
eanized as q Territory New-Mexico-ahd "ha'
ia true OF this Territory Will apply WIN eaua
force to Arizona-when made a part Oh tn'
United States was settled almost exclusively
nv a people who did not understand the Enghst
language. and yet from that day to this. Con
gregg has never granted dollar nor enacted
law TO aid the cause Of education IN el'hs'
Territory Other great Governments. acquiring
territory with foreign populations. have estao
lished systems Of education which. IN some In
stances. have been compulsory: but 70 all OK QUIZ
earnest appeals for assistance. Congress ma
remained silent.
The principal argument against our adif'iss''7
10 Statehood is that we are not quaiihed on &c
count of the iiteracy OF the people. and yer al
National aids TO education nave beeh "lthhe'o
Our public lands have been sold by the "o''
ernmsnt granted 10 Indians, donated TO parties
unon by private parties. until nearly all OK tne
valuable portion OF our public DOMAIN Is appfo-
priated. and still the work goes on ana II no'
,on checked. our common schools ana hknei
educational institutions will be deprived OF that
support which has been the foundation OF ths
grand systems of education throughout tn
States Of the Union.
II NAV be said that school lands are reserved
however,
does not apply to land grants under the laws
of Spain and Mexico, nor to unsurveyed iahos'
and we have been so neglected that our PUBIC
domain is largely unsurveyed to-day, so that az
the valuable lands are being appropriated ano
orr schools thus deprived OF their main support
We have requested before, and earnestly re-
ouest again that we be granted all the rights,
privileges and emoluments, so far as educa'ioha'
matters are concerned, that would be en-
titled TO on our admission to Statehood, except
that we desire that 10 lands should be leased or
sold without the approval of the Secretary
OF the Interior - ,.a,,
AS nearly all the valuable lands have already
been granted as above stated, and we nave =
large population not yet educated in the Engiish
language we feel that nearly all the reihaihuel
OF our public lands should be donated 10 the
common schools and other public educationa'
institutions and even then, under the circuni-
stances-the remaining lands all being ario-out
people would not receive in value nearly as mucn
as has been granted for such purposes 10 other
commemorative admitted TO the Union
We now have good public schooi system anu
are making satisfactory progress unuer .ns
but our schools are supporteo
entirely by direct taxation. we urge that Con,
gregs should at once appropriate per cent OF
ali moneys heretofore received from sales OF
nublic lands FOR school purposes, which we
would have received had we been admitted
TO Statehood az agreed under treaty stipulations
with Mexico; and which assistance so sadiy
needed at This time would materially aid us in
maintaining our public schools.
Respectfully yours, r.. ;. STOVE
University of w-MeXico.
Office Of the President.
Albuquerque. y. NJ.