Rocky Ford enterprise., 1902-12-26
Statehood ein Minority Report.


Senator hate presented in tho Sen.
ate the minority report of III. commit.
tco on territories. fayorins the imm.-
diaie passsg. Of the House omnibus
statehood bill without amendment.
The report opposes the unitin. Of tho
Oklahoma and Indian Territory Into
one state. II shows minutciy the con.
dition OF each OF the three territories
ns TO population. wealth and general
feature OF the territories and says that
these are such m to call for immc-
diatc statehood.
II shows that both the Republican
and Democratic parties In their last
national conventions adopted with per.
feet unnnimity platform planks recon.
mcnd!ng each OF the three territories
by name for statehood. Such expires.
sion. tho report continues. should be
respected by both parties. II says.
among other things:
'It never was intended that Con.
Hrcss should bar. by party objection.
admission when population. wealth
md institutions were the same ~ In
tho case Of other statcs.''
With reference to the qualifications
Of the population OF the territories. the
report contends that ut ought to sui.
population nrc white in Oklahoma and
the 10000 white population In Arizona
and the 10000 white population In
New Mexico are quite sufficient to even
up all the forcign.born In each OF those
territories"
Referring to the proposition to unite
Oklahoma md the Indian Territory
as one state. the report says:
'Al legislation for the admission Of
new states has been preceded by cS-
preston OF desire on the part OF the
people for admission to the Union.
But the nmendmcnt submitted to the
Senate committee on territories incor-
pornted the Indian Territory with the
state Of Oklahoma without expression
OF the desire Of the people OF the In.
dian Territory to be either a state or
a part OF Oklahoma. So far rs your
committee has information. this ALL.
ance may be the union OF an unwilling
people and an undesirable connection.
In no case In the past have the people
OF any territory been compelled by
the enabling act to form n constitu-
ttion against their expressed will
However much the people OF Okla.
homa desire statehood. the Indians
have made no expression OF any such
desire"
Summing up. the minority report
says:
Each of these territories has com.
piled with every requirement hereto
fore made by the Congress for admis-
sion into the Union. Each has popu.
lation sufficient for representation In
Congress. Each has wealth abundant
to support all the expenses OF state
hood. Each has institutions In har-
MT ma
understood in the Union"
Liberal quotation is made from the
report of the majority on the state
hood bill. One of the parts quoted
Is that referring to n statement made
by n witness that some of the white
people in the territories are like the
riffraff who follow the construction OF
railroads"
Commenting on this statement. the
minority says:
1.-THE riffraff who follow the rail-
roads have been the sturdy 1rishmen
whose pick and shovel and spade and
labor have built the hundred thousand
miles of American railroad. Why that
riffraff should not be good citizens in
New Mexico, as they are in every
other state and territory. the report
does not advise the Senate. Presum-
ing the witness upon whose testimony
this reference to riffraff has been
made was greatly misinformed, we are
forced to conclude that there has been
n mistake somewhere between the
witness and the committee. since the
testimony has all the car.mnrks Of
purpose to convict of unpreparedness
on the part of Arizona and New Mexi-
CO, rather than to cnllghten the Sen
ate as to their republican form of gov
ernment."
The report is signed by Senators
Bate, Heitfeld Bailey and Patterson,
constituting the Democratic member
ship of the committee on territories.
The House public lands committee
has reported favorably on the "check-
er board" bill granting the railroads in
the West having land grants of alter
nate sections to bring their holdings
together in each county. The present
arrangement Is inconvenient for both
the government and the railways, and
does not permit Of the railroads fenc-
ing their property. for in doing 80 in
many instances they fenced govern
ment lands. The bill restricts the mo-
bilization to counties, in order that the
railways may not get together too
great an area of land. leaving too great
an area of government land in one
place.