Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-01-23
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE
Full Text of the Governors Biennial
Report to the Territorial
Legislature.
STATISTICS AND FIGURES TO STUDY
Territorial Institutions-Fin OBJ
noxious Laws-Needed Legislation
Various Recommendation as
They Suggest Themselves.
Executive OFFIoE,
Territory of New Mexico,

Santa Fe, January IL, 1897.
Gentlemen of the Council and House O
Representatives Permit me to extend tt
you hearty and cordial welcome to th'
capital city of New Mexico, and to con
gratulate you and the territory at large
upon the good sense, conservatism and
patriotism which you have displayed il
the organization of your respective
houses.
What New Mexico needs to-day from
her lawmakers is careful revision oi
her laws by the enactment of such le9is-
lation as tends to correct the errors in
existing legislation, promoting the well
fare of the territory at large, supporting
the various penal, charitable and educa-
tional institutions of the territory, and
relieving the counties from the heavy
obligations and indebtedness now rest.
ing upon many of them; or in other
words, we need more legislation in the
interest of the people, and less politics
than has heretofore at all times char
acterlzed the action of some of the bodies
which have preceded you.
You are the representatives of the SOW
ereign people of this territory; you are
their agents selected by your constituents
to look after and protect their interests,
and to pass such legislation as will re-
lieve them from existing burdens and
enable them to march forward to prog
ress and prosperity. The trust thus con-
fsrred is tribute to your worth, and
should crafty your pride and ambition,
n fn;k Le-1 nbov ax>F luky Il,
all that the people of this territory can
expect at your hands.
The past two years have not been years
of prosperity to this territory. We, as
we'll as other portions of this nation have
suffered by the great monetary and tinan-
cial depression that has swept over this
country, and in many instances brought
ruin and misfortune to her people. I
sincerely hope that the worst has now
been reached, and that the future may be
brighter and more prosperous for our
people. Certain ID is that we have been
promised by the great political party
who will control the destinies of this ma
tion during the next four years,
RESTORED COINCIDENCE AND RENEWED
PROSPERITY.
As patriotic citizens, regardless of politl-
cal affiliations, it is our duty to do all
within our power to aid in the fulfill
ment of this promise "a consummation
devoutly to be wished for."' This is
an important era in the history of
New Mexico. Unfortunately we still re-
main In territorial condition, and the
bright hopes in which we have 80 long in
dulged, that statehood was near at hand,
and would soon be an accomplished fact,
has not yet materialized. The promises
made by the federal government more
than forty years ago to admit New Mex
leo into the sIsterhood of states has not
been fulfilled. Our people, however,
have not yet lost heart, but still indulge
in the fond hope that in the early future
we may succeed in casting off our swad-
ding clothes and become one of the
states of this great Union; defeat and dis
appointment have in no degree dampened
the ardor and enthusiasm of our people,
who are still as anxious as ever for state
hood.
WORD AS TO STATEHOOD.
In my message to the last legisla-
ture, I called attention to the fact that q
bill for it's admission, satisfactory to all
GLASSES, had passed the lower house of
congress and gone to the senate, where it
had been referred to the committee on
territories for examination, and reported
back with the recommendation that it
pass, and I indulged the prophecy that
that was probably the last territorial leg
islature, and that before the time arrived
for the convening of this body, statehood
would have been secured. L, as we'll as
each member Of your honorable bodies
and the great mass of the people regret
that the local interest of some of the
more eastern states who differ with US po.
litically, have prevented the fulfllment
Of this prophecy; but let us still hope
that by such conservative action as you
have shown in the organization of your
houses, and by the good sense and pat
riotism which you may display in your
actions during this legislature, you may
put to shame and refute the charges of
some of our enemies, who have declared
that the people of this territory are not
fit for statehood.
VALUABLE TIME.
As you are aware, the term provided by
law for your existence is so limited, and
the many sub jects requiring your atten.