Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1902-04-22
NEED Of STATEHOOD.
Delegate Rodey Urges Admission Of
the Territories.
LETTER TO WASHINGTON TIMES

The pressing need of statehood Tor
the territories is that the people desire
IL, and their desire is irrespective of
politics. Both New Mexico and Ari-
iona have been out of the Union so
long that there is no question about
admitting them. 1t is fifty-five years
since the urea that now embraces New
Mexico, Arizona, California and part
of Nevada. Utah and Colorado was ac-
quired from Old Mexico.
Since the insular decisions the posi-
ton of a territory has been intolerable.
commonly because it is now known
that a territory is no part of the Unit
ed States in the constitutional sense.
The constitution extends over it only
by virtue of an act of congress, and the
constitution could be taken away as
freely as it is given. A tariff could be
imposed upon the product of any ter
ritory coming into a state or being sent
into another territory. 1t is doubtful
at the present time whether a child
born in q territory is eligible to the
presidency, for lack of being "a natural
born citizen of the United States"
and this doubt exists even though the
territory in which he was born is a
state at the time of his candidacy for
president.
A territory has no voice in the fran
ing of the national laws that may bless
It or ruin it. Usually it is governed by
carpetbaggers and played out polite
ians from the states, who W no ale
glance to the territory and care moth
ing for them. Congress can annul ev-
cry law a territorial legislature passes.
and so capital will not seek investment
where the laws are not fixed and GER
tain.
The territories now applying for ad-
mission furnished about two-thirds of
the presidents regiment during the
Spanish-American war, and, led by the
president. they did about as much
fighting to free the Cubans as any u
err regiment engaged in that conflict.
Now. Cuba is to be free before we are
citizens of the United States in the
proper sense, and Porto Rico and the
Philippines are made a present of a
large part of their w customs and
internal revenue collections for their
own use. On the other hand our terri.
tories have turned all their revenues
into the national treasury for more
than half a century. and have educated
themselves, erected their own public
buildings and organized their splendid
school systems at their own cost.
predict, as confidently as a ever
predicted anything. that Oklahoma
Arizona and New Mexico will send re
publican delegates to congress II they
are admitted as states. The democrats
in the house have risen above partisan.
ship and have agreed as a body to
vote for the admission of the terrific
ries, and republicans ought to make it
a party at once, because this
action of the democrats will stand to
their credit for a long time.
Oklahoma. New Mexico and Arizona
are progressing faster right now than
| any other portion of this nation. The
1910 census will show an increase OF
Is, 900. 900 people over the last census.
Where are those people going? Ger
tainly they will follow the line of least
resistance and will go where the most
unappropriated public domain is. New
Mexico will surely get not less than
500, 900; so will Arizona. There is nc
more danger of New Mexico or Ari'
IONA r~etrograding than there is Of Hi
nois. The president is the friend OF
the territories, and he does not hest
tate to say so, and the feeling is re
~ciprocated.