Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1902-03-10
AN APPEAL FOR
COLORADO'S ASSISTANCE
Delegate B. S. Rodsy Asks Representatives
Shafroth and Bell 10 Stand With New
Mexico in Opposition TO the
Stephens Bill.
A MEASURE THAT ALSO VITALITY
AFFECTS THE centennial STATE

| Delegate b. S. Rodey has addressed
the following letter to the two con-
| gressmen from the state of Colorado:
| Washington, d. c., March S, 1902.
| Hon. John c. Bell and Hon. John F.
Observation-Disclosures. / send a copy Of
this letter to each of you. There is
bill pending in the present house known
as H. r. lis. 1t is the same old bill
! which they have had up for years for
| the construction of a socalled internat-
| ional dam at El Paso, at a primary
| cost to this government of two and q
quarter million of dollars. 1t is to be
supplemented by treaty with the
Republic of Mexico. providing that a
couple of square miles of United States
territory is ceded to Old Mexico, and
then all the water that comes down
from Colorado through New Mexico,
must be let go by to fill that dam, and
one-half of it is to be given to Mexico
forever free of cost to that republic,
while poor New Mexico must go to
waste for want of it. / call your at
tention to this bill, because if it ever
becomes law, the next move will be
to enjoin the sovereign state Of Colo
rado from using the water of it's own
catchment areas which citizens Of the
Republic of Mexico will claim they had
appropriated years before Colorado
was settled. l argued against the bill
before the house committee on foreign
relations for an hour this morning, and
am afraid that it will be favorably re-
ported. Ell Paso has had lobby here
in Washington for more than a month
working for it, and, of course, General
Anson Mills has been for years using
his prestige and wealth around Wash
ington in it's interest. There will be
another hearing Thursday morning,
next, when DR.. Boyd of New Mexico,
and this man Follett Of your state, will |
be heard for and against the bill Since |
this man Follett has been made con-
sulting engineer of the International
boundary commission, he has become
a redhot partisan Of this iniquitous
and is doing all he can to Sc
cure a favorable report from the COM
mittee on it. I call your attention to
the fact that a former Democratic at
torney general of the United Estates in
II Opinions Attorney-G General, page 274
held, when Mexico first started her
claims against our government for al
legged injury to her agricultural inter-
ests south of Ell Paso in Old Mexico,
that her claims We're groundless under
the treaty, in law, in fact, and under
the comfy of nations; he held that the
areas Of the United States
as to the Rio Grande were burdened
with no servitude in favor Of citizens
,f Old Mexico as to waters that were
collected In territory of the United
States, at points where the said river
and it's tributaries are wholly within
the United States and does not form
the International boundary line. This
question is becoming Of grave interest
to Colorado, especially now that Ne
braska is attacking your state and
your right to use the water of your
own catchment area in your own state,
and I most respectfully implore your
aid and help for New Mexico in her
effort to prevent a favorable report
being made upon this unjust and ini-
1uitous measure. I sincerely hope that
one or both of you will attend the COM
mittee meeting on Thursday morning,
next and become informed on the sub
ject, If you are not already well in
formed thereon. New Mexico Is poor,
helpless territory, the sovereign state {
If Colorado is our neighbor, and we !
ask it's aid against the effort of some
portion of the state of Texas, and |
against General Anson Mills, The Re-
public Of Mexico, and other interested
PARTIES who are trying to force it upon
IS, and who seem to have obtained the I
avor of our department of state and :
department of justice in their efforts to
uin us. c
Sincerely yours, Is. ). Rodey.
Scratch Paper. c
r