Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1900-03-20
TALKS FRANKLY AND FREELY
He Favors Statehood for the Ter
ritoFIes and Says the silver
Question Is Of as Much
ImportanceasEper.
BRYAwsELECTlOH PREDICTED

mas Deen absent from the nattOna
capital some days, having accom-
panied his wife and daughters Il
Phoenix, Arizona, for health reasons
was called upon at the residence o
his son, George P. Money in this city
last evening and put through tn,
pumping process, the senator reply
ing to the questions proponnded by Al
loptic reporter promptly and ii
some instances rather vigorously, al
follows:
| Senator, what is your impression
of the west as you have seen 1t ii
New Mexico and Arizona?"
"The country differs SO materially
from the east that 1t is like enterIns
new world, and has its peculiar at
fractions. The people who go from
the states to the territories are, oi
course, the adventurous, enterprisins
and energetic part OF the population
and consequently a given number Of
men in the territories are more cap.
able than the same number in the
east"
What do you mean by the ex
preston more capable?'"
Quicker, more selfreliant, more
willing TO take the initiative-Iess
afraid OF responsibility. Wherever
have travelled. the people have been
my greatest study
Prom what you have observed
New Mexico and Arizona IS to their
fitness Tor statehood, and how do you
stand on that question:
Il am a strong believer in the
right OF local self-government. It is
an anomaly in our theory and struc-.
ture OF government that great cons
munity should be under the wardship
of the other communities composing
the union. Let each community gov
ern itself, and they viii do it better
than they will be governed by the
others. II they make mistakes they
will feel them and correct them. l
have always been IN favor of state
hood for the territories. And l
think a tutelage of fifty years quite
long enough.
What do you think of the chances
of the Territories for statehood?"
1T depends upon the exigencies Of
the party in control in congress"
What is your opinion as to. the
effect of the Hay-Pauncefote treaty
on the Nicaraglan canaI!"
'Prhe treaty is before the commit
tee on foreign relations. of which
ann a member, and am opposed to
, the ratification of the treaty for sew
eral reasons. In the first place, j
favor the total abrogation of the Clay
ton-Bulwer treaty. which in itself was
distinct waiver of the Monroe doc,
trine, and should never have been
made: in the second place. | do not
think that the United States govern.
ment should put sl4O. .0OO,0 900 Tor s240,-
0O0. goo, for nobody knows what it will
ultimately cost) In 4 canal across the
isthmus, and bind Itself TO maintain
operate and police it'wlEhoslt the pow,
Fer to fortifg and defend # and utilize
its strategic value in times of war
Great Britain has at Kingston. Ja-
maica, the finest ship yards. docks
etc, on the hemisphere, looking right
into the canal, and always keeps 9
considerable fleet on the Atlantic and
Caribbean station. and could easily
take possession Of an unfortified cana
at the first note Of war; do not be
lieve, that IS commercial invest
ment. the canal will pay the United
States, but the profits will be yer,
great to American commerce goinl
through the canal, and its strategic
value is very great. Another. ant
probably the best reason, IS that w
should deal with the canal Is purely
American question, about which ".
win not confer with any EuropeaI
power. This nation Is quite equa
alone to settle all American questions
am also satisfied that England would
make any concession we should de
mand. and the treaty could have beer
written very much more literally I.
| the United States with the full con
sent Of Lord Pauncefote
What are your views about impeF
ialism. OF expansion. as It's advocates
prefer to call It ?"
I'VE have expanded commercially
until our foreign trade Is the creates
| in the world. all the time respecting
the Monroe doctrine, and without
colony. Imperialism is moi feFrltor
ial expansion: It is the subiec1ion o
unwilling people to our rule; It Is III
substitution Of force for consent Il
our theory Of government; tie human
beings under our jurisdiction mus
be either citizens or subjects. and j
citizens, they. have al the rights o
any other citizens: when that right i
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