Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-12-20
The Enabling Act Before Congress.

Inc EndpNng ACt oeiOTe COnyFeSS.
On Wednesday, December IA, Senator
Elkins, of West Virginia, introduced a
bill in the senate, the first section Of
which reads as follows:
BE it enacted by the senate and
house of representatives of the United
States of America in congress assem-
bled, That the inhabitants Of all that
part of the area of the United States
now constituting the territory of New
Mexico, as at present described, may
become the state of New Mexico, Is
hereinafter provided
Ii will thus be seen that the fight for
statehood for the territory has begun,
and, judging from the source which the
bill eminated, New Mexico is not with
out friends in high places, Section No.
? Of the bill provides:
THAT all persons who shall have re-
ided within the limits of said propos-
ed state for II year, and are otherwise
qualified by the laws of said territory
to vote for representatives to the legis-
lative assembly therefor, are hereby au-
thorized to vote for and choose dele
gates to form a convention in said ter
ritory. Such delegates shall possess the
qualifications of such electors; and the
aforesaid convention shall consist of 81
delegates, based upon a population of
800 for each delegate according to the
last census in New Mexico made by the
United States, apportioned among the
several counties within the limits of the
proposed state. as follows: Bernalillo
county. II delegates: Chaves county. l
delegate; Colfax county. 1 delegates:
Dona Ana county. ) delegates: Eddy
county, / delegate; Grant county, 5 del
egates; Lincoln county, 2 delegates;
Mora county, 5 delegates; Guadalupe
county, 2 delegates: Rio Arriba county,
6 delegates; San Juan county, / dele
gate; Union county, 2 delegates: San
Miguel county, 10 delegates; Santa Fe
county, 7 delegates; Sierra county. .
delegates: Socorro county, 5 delegates;
Taos county, ) delegates, and Valencia
>'NJ ANiIt tilN lloi
of said territory shall by proclamation,
order an election of the delegates afore-
aid in said territory, to be held on the
eighth Tuesday after the passage of
this act, which proclamation shall be is
sued within 10 days after the passage of
this act; and such election shall be con-
Quoted, the returns made, the result as
certained and the certificates to the
persons elected to such convention is
sued in the same name as is prescrib-
ed by the laws of the said territory reg
ulating the elections therein for MEM
bers of the house of representatives of
the Legislative assembly thereof, by the
board of county commissioners Of the
respective counties. as said boards are
at present constituted and organized.
All persons resident in said proposed
state who are qualified voters of said
territory as herein provided shall be
entitled to vote upon the ratification OF
the constitution, under such rules and
regulations as said convention may pre-
scribe not in conflict with this act"
Section 3 of the bill provides that
the delegates to the convention, who
shall have been elected by a vote of the
people, shall meet in the territorial cap
ital on the fifth Tuesday after their
election and shall organize the conven-
ton by the selection of a president and
secretary from among the duly elected
members of the conventions; the oath to
support the constitution of the United
States and the laws shall be admins
tered by some one holding a certificate
of election to the convention, to all
other members of the convention: after
the organization said delegates, when
assembled in convention, shall declare
on behalf of the people of said proposed
state that they adopt the constitution
of the United States, w%hereupon the
said convention shall be, and hereby is,
authorized to form a constitution and
state government for said proposed
state Among the provisions governing
the forming of the constitution are
that: THE constitution shall be repub-
lican in form, and make no distinction
in civil or political rights on account Of
race or color, except as to Indians not
taxed. and not be repugnant to the con-
stitution of the United States and the
principles of the Declaration of indie
pendence. y " u That perfect toler-
alton of religious sentiment shall be Sc
cured, and that no inhabitant of the
state shall ever be molested in person or
property on account of his or her mode |
of religious worship" The section also |
provides for the title of the unappropri- |
ated public lands within the boundaries |
of the present territory, and the title to
lands held by Indians and tribes; that '