Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-12-19
FOR STATEHOOD
New Mexico Begins Vigorous Cam
paign for Admission Election
Gives Hope.
Governor 0tero Talks of the Territory's
Many 0laims-Recent Republican Sue
cess Inspires United Effort on the
Part of the People.
Chicago Inter ocean,

Governor NJ. A. Otero, of New Mexico,
was at the Auditorium Annex yester-
day with his wife and little son. Gov
ernor OterO is or his way to Washington
to aid in a vigorous movement to secure
the admission of New Mexico to the In
ion as a state. With the decisive ma
jority given the Republican delegate to
congress at the November election as a
basis for the assurance that New Mex
leo will be a Republican state, the peo-
pie of the territory have rallied for a
united effort to secure the statehood
that they have long coveted. 1t is be-
lieved that this argument will be a po-
tent n with the present congress-, es-
p~ecially as it is claimed that the people
of New Mexico are opposed to free sill
yer.
Yes. l am going to Washington to dc
what "a to induce congress to admit
New Mexico as a state" said Governor
Otero yesterday to a reporter for the
inter Ocean. THE election of a Repub-
lican congress has encouraged us to
make a concerted and determined effort
in that direction, and we will leave nc
stone unturned to secure for our peo-
pie the substantial benefits that they
will gain from statehood. New Mexico
is not only a Republican state, but her
people are strongly in favor of sound
money and protection. At the recent
election, Pedro Perea, Republican can
didate for delegate to congress-, was
elected by $500 majority, overcoming a
Democratic majority at the previous
election of 1000, and the last campaign
was fought squarely on the sound
money issue. 1t was the first time our
people had ever had the money question
fairly before them, and their verdict
was decisive.
New Mexico will unquestionably be
a Republican state. Its people are
strongly in favor of protection, owing to
the fact hat they have large sheep in
t~erests. We have 1000, 900 sheep, and
shipped last year Il, 900, 900 pounds of
wool. Our silver mining interests are
not so large as those of some Of the
southwestern states. being overshad-
owed by gold and copper mines. We
have now 2S2, 900 people in the territory,
of whom $4,000 are Indians.
Statehood will mean much to us, as
it will aid us greatly in obtaining what
we need most to develop our %resurces,
viz: Capital. We have vast natural
resources, and with adequate capital to
develop them. will become rich and
prosperous. We expect important re-
suits from the report Of our irrigation
commission, which is embodied in my
annual report to the Interior depart
ment. This shows what is practicable
in that line and gives an idea of the vast
benefits to be derived from a larger en-
ployment of irrigation as an aid to agri-
culture.
"Of course, large capital is required
to carry out-the plans for irrigation on a
large scale, and we believe that our ad-
mission as a state will call attention to
New Mexico as a field for investment,
and aid us materially to back our enter
prises. Delegate Ferguson, Delegate
elect Perea and ex-Delegate Catron,
with other influential citizens of New
Mexico are now in Washington to as
sist in securing the recognition to which
we believe our people are entitled"
Governor Otero is a young man, being
under 40 years of age, and Was APP
pointed by President Mckinley in June,
1897.