Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-11-05
IF%erqusson's Santa Fe Speech Again.

If the political friends of Mr.. Fergus
son We're only half as much pleased
with his talk here, Saturday night, as
were his political enemies, they should
be a very happy crowd, for certainly,
Republicans could not wish for d bet
ter campaign document than that same
speech; and indeed it is understood
that the territorial Republican commit
tee has had the same published and dis
tributed as a help to their cause. In
this speech, Mr.. Ferguson very plainly
showed what he ought by all means to
have kept concealed here, and reserved
for the country districts, that he was
conducting his campaign by appealing
to race prejudice and religious fanati-
cism; he did not do this openly, of
course, but covertly and by inuendo, as
is his custom, aha there was not a per-
son in the audience who did not thor
oughly understand hat when Mr.. Fer
gusson said, The Republicans kept
New Mexico out of the union of states,
on account of the religious %prejudices
Of the Spanish-Americans," that he
was attempting to array the Catholic
church against the Republican party
and it's nominee. This was not only in
decent in a public speech, but was very
impolitic as well, for the position Of Car
dinal Gibbons and Archbishop Ireland,
the two most illustrious prelates of
Ll.A -...A l.-.l~ - 49, -.A1 CA- k1c
as being in favor of the Republican
nominee for president IN lofty grounds
Of honor, law and patriotism, is too
well known to allow such an assertion
as Mr.. Ferguson made to have the
slightest weight except against himself
The New Mexican believes that Mr.. Pc
rea is a Catholic; it is an established
fact that he is a model man, in bust
ness, domestic and public life and his
walk and conduct in life will compare
favorably with that of Mr.. Ferguson
or any other man. Mr.. Ferguson also
charged hat Mr.. Perea was making a
still hunt on the race issue. This as
sertion is absolutely untrue, and it is a
fact beyond cavil or successful contra
diction that neither Mr.. Perea nor any
of his friends have ever, in public or
private, alluded to the fact, or in any
manner presented it as a cas- for
voting for him, that he was a native
born New Mexican, nor has he or any
Of his friends alluded to the fact that
Mr.. Ferguson was born in North Caro-
lima; that his father vas an officer in
the confederate service, and that if the
gentleman himself had been old enough
he would have beer on the same side in
the war. Most of our delegates to con-
gress have been native New Mexicans,
but that they and the everyday citizen
are loyal Americans has been demon
strated time and again in civil life and
on the battle fields of the rebellion and
in the late war. 1t was a New Mexican
legislature which passed the resolution
and appropriated the funds for the
erection of the monument in the plaza
in the city Of Santa Fe to those
heroes who fell in defense of the
common country in whose govern
ment they had no share, at the various
battles fought with the rebels in New
Mexico. So, Mr.. Ferguson, we thank
you for the words you spoke on Satur-
day night last, showing your + atti-
tude toward the Catholic church and
the native people.