Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1902-12-20
CLAIMS Of
NEW MEXICO
Forcibly Presented in an In
terview in the Washington
Star by F. W. Clancy.
CR|TIC|SES THE REPORT
Says the People Are Law Abiding
and Worthy to be Admitted
Understand American
Institutions
cR|TIc|sEs The REPORT

eQue, territorial district attorney loI
Bernaillo, Valencia and Mckinley
counties, is in Washington where he
has a number of cases pending in the
United States supreme court. The
Washington Star of Monday, December
Is, contains the following interview
with him in which he urges the claims
of New Mexico to statehood and says
the people of the territory are law abid-
ing and worthy to be admitted. He
criticises the report of the majority OF
the senate committee. The Star says:
Frank w. Clancy, who lives at AL
buquerque, N. NJ, and is member of
the bar of that territory, is in Wash
ington on business pending in the SUI
prem court, and Star reporter has OBJ
tanned from him some expressions of
views as to statehood for New
Mexico. Mr. Clancy formerly lived in
Washington, but has lived for many
years in New Mexico, and his character
and standing are such as to make any
thing he says of value, in view of his
knowledge and familiarity of New
Mexican condition. He was questioned
as follows:
"'What do you think of the PROPOSE
tion to unite New Mexico and Arizona
and admit them as one state?'
1T requires no thought. Such bill
is not seriously considered by any one.
1t cannot pass either house, and If 1t
could the people of the territories would
not even elect delegates to a constitu-
tional convention, and no man could be
found willing to be candidate for cleo
ton to such convention. 1t would be
more reasonable to talk of making four
states of New Mexico and Arizona, as
Senator Morgan once suggested 1t can
not be that the president ever express
ed approval of such PLAN
i "'What is your opinion Of the obJec-
tions to New Mexico set up In Senator
Beveridge's report?'
SENATOR BEvERIDGE'S OBJEC-
TIONs.
"In advance of seeing the report,
which Is still withheld for revision, al
though it was due on December 8, 1t is
difficult to answer that. From what I
have learned, however the objections
appear to rely for success upon an ap-
peal to the ignoble prejudice which Is
assumed to be always present in the
Anglo-Saxon mind against all other
races. 1t is represented that a large
part of our population Is of Spanish de-
scent that many of them cannot speak
English and that some Of them are H.
literate. These things are true, but 1t
does not follow that these people are
not good citizens. AS matter of fact,
they are, as a whole, orderly, peaceable,
law-abiding, with greater respect for
all lawfully constituted authority than
the average citizen of English descent
Those counties in New Mexico where
they are largely in the majority have
less crime and disorder than those in
which so-called Americans predomi-
nate, and less than in most counties
anywhere in the United States.
"They are progressive in the best
sense Of the word, ready to adopt new
ideas when shown their value, and ca
ger for the advantages of education to
an extent that is touching to see. And
the existing illiteracy is diminishing
with marvellous rapidity. Under our
school law school districts are allowed
by vote to levy special taxes upon their
property for school purposes in addi-
tion to the large general tax, and 1t is
in the Mexican communities that adj
vantage is taken OF this provision.
These are the people, who, shortly after
the American annexation, confiding in
the promise of the treaty that they
should be incorporated into the union,
held a convention more than so years
ago and framed a state constitution
which prohibited human slavery In any
form. Those of the present day are
much further advanced in every way,
but they have the same love for liberty
and freedom which animated their
fathers in 1850, and have developed
strong devotion to our institutions and
government as best calculated to graft
fy that desire.
"'I speak Of these things because It IL
undoubtedly the fact that there Is q
general lack Of knowledge as to the
character and disposition Of this part
of our nonu1a ations
TESTIMONY TAKEN BY COMMIT
TEE.
"'It is not the fact that the testimony
taken by the committee shows New
Mexico's unfitness for statehood?'
j" No one has yet seen that testimony
outside of the committee, but it cannot
possibly prove anything Of the kind. !
have no doubt that 1t makes the worst
possible showing for New Mexico, as it
was evidently taken for that purpose,
and not with any impartial and judicial
intent. The complaint Is universal in
New Mexico that the committee called
only such witnesses and sought to elicit
only such testimony as were expected
to reflect discredit upon us. and what
ever they obtained Of different char
acter was accidental and undesired.
They stayed part Of a day In Las We
gas, day in Santa Fe and three days