Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-12-03

it has been denied to them. Twelve
elected since the treaty of Guadalupe
HidaIgo was signed, but this people have
not been permitted to participate in the
proud privilege of voting for the candi-
dates of their choice. Men situated in
this way can not be said to be citizens
at all; they are mere wards OF the gov
eminent, living in a state of tutelage, L
had almost said of servitudc, and they
have borne the humiliation with eXem-
plary patience, deserving Il better re-
ward. Look for a moment at the lncon-
sistency of this. If n of them moves
into a neighboring state he becomes a
citizen just as soon as he has lived there
long enough to acquire illegal residence,
but let him return home again, and, as
if some blight had fallen on him, he falls
back to his original condition, and may
almost be called "a man without a coun-
try.
Certainly it never could have been the
intention of the founders OF the consti-
tuition that Americans should be
condemned to live and die in this con
dition. 1t is r%epugnant to all our ideas
of right and justice. One of the main
causes of the revolution was taxation
without representation" and a seven
years war with all its attendant
sutferingS was considered a cheap price
| to pay for deliverance from such an UNI
Just system; yet the people of New
| Mexico have for half a century been
kept in Just such a condition. They
pay, and pay cheerfully, all the taxes
other Americans pay; but represen-
tation has been denied them. Thus
they are unjustly deprieved of the
political blessings for which our fathers
fought and died.
In the next congress another effort
| will be made to obtain the long-coveted
boon of statehood, and from a Republi,
can standpoint, they should not be
disappointed. Although living in the
midst of silver mines, at the last election
they elected a Republican delegate by
$500 majority, and an almost SOLID
Republican legislature. If Republican
|ism is akin to patriotism, and l think
it is, surely these people are deserving
of proper recognition at the hands Of
their Republican brethren.
To make the case still stronger, | may
add that in the counties which are large
~ inhabited by men of Spanish descent
the Republican maioritieS were Tho
largest by all odds. 1t will not do to sa,
that because some of them do not speal
the English language that therefor they
are unfit for citizenship, when millions
of immigrants from Europe are also ig
norant of that tongue, and continue tt
be so, and yet they are admitted to tina
right without question of any kind.
After a residence of some Is years
here, / can truthtully say that there arr
no more law.abiding people in the Union
The most marked improvements have
been made in that time, the public
schools are well attended, and Englisl
is taught in all of them. And what cal
hardly be said of any other people, dur
ing the hardest Democratic times no ONT
ever saw a New Mexican tramp. The.
enjoy good times like the rest of us, blu
when adversely comes they bear it pa
tiently, far more patiently than the res
of us. Any allegiance their fathers bori
to the Mexican government has died GU
long ago, and they recognize no govern
ment but ours, to which they are loya
and true.
All they want is fair play and eqna
rights, and they will demonstrate them
selves to be as good citizens as there's
of Americans. The 1nter5Orean has al
ways been distinguished for it's justice tt
all classes " men, and | am sure it vii
notrefuse it to us. A. L. MORRISON.