Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1902-03-14
ARGUMENTS
FOR STATEHOOD
Delegate Rodsy Sums Up for the New York
Tribune the Arguments Made Before the
Committee on Territories.
REASONS THAT CONVINCE
The Progress and the Present Status Of the Territory
Brilliantly 0escrlbed-Mhy the Territory Should
Be Admitted to the SIsterhood Of
States

publishes the following masterful sum
ming up of the progress and status G
the Territory of New Mexico and al
, guments in favor of it's admission t
| statehood The article was written b
Delegate B. S. Rodey and is given
prominent place and large heading i
both the daily and the weekly edi
tions of the Tribune:
l listened to the showing made be
fore the committee on territories b.
both Oklahoma and Arizona. I sa!
without fear of contradiction that Ok
lahoma proved before the committe,
that she has every qualification ent
ting her people to state form of gov
| telligent, energetic and enterprisins
citizens of the United States within
her borders. She raises and exports
more live stock and farm products
than any other equal area of the Uni.
ted States. She has as fine cities and
towns within her borders, and as good
a system of public schools. as can be
found in many of the states. Her rev.
enues are more than ample to sup
port state form of government, and
still have taxes at very low rate. 1t
is the desire of her people to come into
fthe union. No other qualification is
necessary or ought to be required
| Arizona has an area nearly as large
as all of New England and New York
combined She has about 175,O0O citi-
zens of the United States living within
her borders, and they are the kind that
go to make the best citizens, for they
are nearly all live, energetic Anglo
Saxons from the states. She has not
less than $2O0,0OO,O0O worth Of property
to tax for state government; she has
the richest mines on earth within her
borders, and development In that line
can hardly be said to have begun, so
vast is her area. Her people desire
admission to the union, and, possess
ing all other qualifications, nothing
else ought to be required of her.
New Mexico proved before the COM
mittee on territories that she contains
a population Of not less than 100000
American citizens, more than three
quarters of whom speak, read and
write the English language, and more
than three-fifths Of whom are Of An
glo-Saxon blood. 1t further proved
that the citizens of the United States
living within it's borders Of Spanish or
Mexican descent were the best kind Of
people and fully equal in all respects
to the best citizens of the United
States anywhere in the union. 1t fur
ther proved that the territory possess
ed taxable property of the value Of
5000, ,OOO 900, and that. it's debt being
comparatively small, it would, when
admitted to the union, be the lowest
taxed community in the nation. 1t
further proved that at the present
time 1t is making more rapid progress
than any other part Of the nation. The
committee expressed utter astonish-
ment at the showing which it made.
I might here state some of the facts
presented. It's area is greater than
that of the state of New York and all
the states of New England and the
state of New Jersey combined. 1t is
first in the nation in the number of
sheep it possesses and raises, and In
the number of pounds Of wool it pro-
duces annually. 1t is second in the
nation as a cattle grower. 1t Is first in
the nation in the amount of money 1T
has invested in public buildings per
capita. 1t Is first in the nation In the
public school buildings
which 1t possesses per capita, and In
the money invested in them, and 1t IS
first in the nation in the amount Of
per capita that 1t spends an
nually in the education Of its children.
1t is first in the nation in the number
of newspapers per capita that are
published within its borders, and, al
though there were no statistics upon
the subject will venture to say from
my personal knowledge, that 1t Is first
in the nation per capita in the amount
of money spent for the purchase of
magazines and other per-
iodical literature.
The Territory of New Mexico has
been under that form of government
ever since 1850, and has been part of
the public domain Of the United States
for flfty-five years. It's people have
forgotten all other forms Of govern
ment, almost, so long have they been
In this condition of tutelage. They
have right, under the treaty of
Hidalgo, to be admitted in
to this union. They have the same
right under the Declaration Of Inde-
pendence and the Constitution of the
United States, and both political par
ties have promised it to them in their
platforms repeatedly. They possess
every qualification that can possibly
De required, and more, and even If a
political one is required by the party
n power, they possess that also. Then
why should they longer be kept out of
he union? The area of country that
'orms California, part Of Nevada, Utah |
Ind Colorado was acquired from Mex
co at the same time as the area now
In New Mexico and Arizona.
This government promised the people
4 New Mexico that they would be ad-
nitted into the union in reasonable
ime, and that promise was put in the