Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-12-22
Las Vegas, N. NJ, December

Las Vegas, N. M, December 70.
Editor Commercial Advertiser, New
York: Dear Sir-The above clipping has
been handed tt me. New Mexico has
not been kept out of the sisterhood OF
states on account Of a lack of intelll-
gence on the part of the residents OF the
territory. Better could it be said that
she has been kept out on account Oh q
lack of intelligence on the part OF those
| representatives in the congress OF the
United States from the Atlantic sea-
board who know nothing of conditions
or men west of the Alleghenies. Inc
real reason for the non-admission OF
this territory a been political. Inc
single standard advocates have thougnt
this political jurisdiction was welded to
the free silver heresy. Will you Kindly
permit me to remark that the political
| platform Of the Republican party in no
! state in the Union, n the st. Louis
platform as we'll, contained no gold
plank as solid as was that OF the Re-
publican party of New Mexico in 1898,
anu On ludL pldlloIlA, Will Wan
and the single standard the main issues,
we defeated the Demo-Pops. by a ma
jority of about 1000 and elected every
member OF the legislature except four,
the legislature standing thirty-tWo Re
publicans and four Democrats.
When it comes to intelligence, Will
you kindly take notice that the great
state of Massachusetts has more men
and women Within her borders who can
not read and write. and probably even
speak the English language with ap-
proximate correctness, thar the. entire
population of this territory. There are
more ignorant men and Women IN the
city of Boston, and by the term 'lgno-
rant I mean it in the fullest SlgnlHca-
ton of the term, than Ear be found in
every city. town and hamlet in New
Mexico combined.
Your own metropolis contains more
samples Of total d~epravity and igno-
rance than is to be found in all the ter
ritories of the Union combined.
This territory, thank God, has intelli-
ScIIl IlCIl Gtlu WOIllCIE. - 10 "a SA~e
nave some who are ignorant. That is
not their fault. They never had the OPP
portunities to secure a common school
education. When New Mexico was over
run with savages it was not possible 10
maintain public schools in sparsely set
tied communities. Your state M your
city have had every possible advantage
for the education Of your people. 1t IS
only about ten years since We nave mao
those opportunities. You don't have to
compel our people to send their chill
dren to school. They are only too
anxious to go. Then who Is entitled to
consideration? Your community OF
ours?
There is another small item that can
be charged up to- the credit of this ter
ritory, and it is one that you seem to
have overlooked, and you are the las
; person who should have done So l will
not detain you long. Do you know VINO
it was that sent the men, the hghtefs'
the true American citizens, men en-
| dowed with patriotic intelligence, not
n SIIlUlo IHlGlll6cIlSS, Nv SoAi $50
!, the battle Of Las Guasimas and made
| the charge up San Juan hill possible!
| After reading the clipping" I fear tina
| you have a very short memory. 1 kno"
! that your governor, Colonel Theodore
| Roosevelt, is not so lacking in intelli-
gent reflection as to have forgotten Ina
1t was New Mexico men, composing
! about one-half Of his entire regiment OF
| rough riders, that fought those fights
| ajld gave him immortal glory and our
selves as we'll. You nay not be proue
Ldf New Mexico or her people, but we
EAre, and neither you nor n other jour
nal can rob us Of the glory which II
ours. You may keep this people iron
their rights as ~full-fledged American
1 citizens, but you cannot deprive then
!, Of the right to follow the flag and t.
pity such miserable towards and trait
ors as can be found In the state 0
Massachusetts and your own state a.
we'll. Dur people are charitable, pu
charity of thought must cease when gu
rough riders tell US of the contemptlDl
conduct of a part Of your list New Yorl
regiment. l presume that this regimen
had within its ranks some OF tina
boosted intelligence which you claim t
be a prerequisite for admission to Tn
Union. If this be so, give me our mos
ignorant ''cow puncher' as a tru
American in preference to a gilt-edgeo
narrow-minded New Yorker, who LAY
down. in the presence of such a foe a
a Spaniard.
The most ignorant private soldier Il
Roosevelt's rough riders is q bette
American citizen than Edward Atkin
son.
SO far as education Is concerned, lie
me inform you that the public school
Of the cities and TOWNS Of New Mexic
are better conducted than any school
the same class i'm your entire city
New York. Let me tell you, also, tha
the percentage of attendance here Is "a
greater than 1t Is in your schools. An
let me advise you as we'll that the wor
of the different grades will surpass any
thing you have in your entire city.
you doubt it, and have any sportin
proclivities and are willing to risk you
Judgment with a small amount {
"a money, the winner to devdte his wiz
nings to some cht irritable ipstitution- ]