Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1900-07-17
DEFENDS NEW MEXICO,
Character Of Its Citizens and IS
Claim for Statehood.
STRONG LETTER FROM HARRY PIERCE.
Kditor. Washington. D. G. Po.,.

Florence. N. NJ" there appeared In
Hotel Hobbies" in Wednesdays post,
an interview in which the majority of
the citizens Of that territory are char
acterized as '~'greasers.' and cut
threats. horse thieves and ~murderers,"
the text for which was the plank in the
republican national platform favoring
rhe admission of New Mexico into the
union. trust you will give space to a
protest against the publication OF such
baseless and libelous expressions. and "A
statement OF a few facts showing the
character Of the citizenship OF New
Mexico and the basis for the territory's
demand for statehood and the appre-
cation of the delegates to the republi-
can national convention of the Justice
OF the demand.
A presentation OF the mass OF Stats
tics. both federal and territorial, would
show that h percentage of taxes ex-
pended for schools. the church connect
ed population. the number OF criminals.
the banking capital and deposits, the
tax rates n debts, and the Increase
and Importance vi. the development of
every material interest Of the territory,
compared favorably with those of the
most progressive states OF the west.
Yet New Mexico H. a section which but
htty years ago expansion brought 10 us
with a population foreign in both sent-
ment and language. I would direct at
tendon to the character of the men who
have represented the territory In con-
gress. among whom are: Stephen Il. Ell
kins, OF Ohio. ex-secretary OF war and
now senator from West Virginia: Ma
fsano 5. Otero. a native of New Mexico.
now president OF the Commercial Ma
tional bank of Albuquerque; Trinidad
Romero, a native. afterward appointed
marshal by President Harrison; Tran
quitino Luna, a native and always a
leading business man Of the territory,
whose son recently lost his life as a
captain In b volunteer army in the
Philippines. after having served with
distinction in Cuba: +. A. Manzanares.
now at the head of n OF the principal
mercantile establishments in the south
west; J. Francisco Chaves, who served
with distinction as colonel of a New
Mexican regiment during the civil war.
and Is n of the leading members OF
the bar of the territory: Antonio Jo-
seph. several times a presiding officer in
the legislature ana A succasaful mar
chant; Thomas II. Catnon Of N1sso,,r
n former la,v and business nar,nar %
senator Elkins and ona ~ ,ha lo,a;ng
members of the western bar, n "a
Ferguson. OF Alabama. one OF the baa,
criminal lawyers in the soutb vaat and
a successful business man. ana the
present delegate Pedro Perea. ex-tarrI.
torial treasurer. several dimes member
OF the Legislature. and presiden, OF tha
FIRST National bank of Santa Fe. the
oldest and one of the -ops imam
cial institutions I'm the territory
The present governor. Miguel A
otero. is a native New Mexican. an
pointed by President Mckinney ana hi.
able administration of t-erritoriai afrairs
attests the CAPACITY for s~eIf-sovern-
ment of the citizenship of which he ia
representative So much for the char
acter of u federal representatives. As
10 the territorial legislature IL is sum.
Gle nj to say that. with a majority of it's
membership made up OF 'R-reaaers." A.
passed many years ago a school law as
liberal as mat on the statute books of
any state. ana the code contains laws
saf. guarding every form of oaplt,l ami
protecting every citizen-laws which
have passed review by congress. which
has the W OF repeal, and the iudg-
ment of the United states supreme court
enacted by legislatures containing
sometimes a maj orlty compoasd Of