Evening star., 1902-02-11
New Mexico and Statehood.
, the Editor Of The Evening Star:

1 read with utter surprise the article in
this evenings Star entitled Senate is OPP
posed" wherein 1t is stated that there Is
little hope Of any Of the territories being
admitted to statehood by this present Con-
gress. Why is It said that New Mexico is
democratic? I am a republican delegate
from that territory, elected by the biggest
majority ever cast for delegate in the his
tory Of the territory, not even excepting
the majorities received by the present Sem
ator Elkins when he represented New Mex
leo in Congress years ago as delegate. My
predecessor, Mr.. Perea. was republican,
also elected by large majority. Why Is
New Mexico charged with being silver
community? Much to the regret of mi
nority Of it's citizens it is the rankest gold
standard community in the nation; the re-
publican party of the territory is rankly
gold standard. and always has been, and
the democratic party there split up, one
faction being gold democratic and the other
silver democratic.
New Mexico has Just finished making
what her people think is splendid show
ing before the House committee on terri
tories, In support OF her bill for statehood,
and her people have assurances or at least
the best reason to believe. that her claims
are being considered favorably by a vast
majority Of the members of the House and
Senate New Mexico has, her people think,
good ground for believing that right now
about two-thirds of the Senate are favor
able to her claims for admission. New
Mexico and Arizona combined have half a
million people, who love liberty as well as
any Of the citizens OF any state, and who
claim they are as well fitted to govern
themselves as are any people in the nation.
New Mexico claims to have within her
borders $4,000 people. The registration
tion of $4,000 voters. and computing her
population on the basis Of Ave people to
one voter would give the territory 100000
people. The territory has increased In pop
ulation since 1859 about 80. 900 people, owing
to railroad building and immigration, and
80 now claims and proves a population OF
$4,000 people.
Most Of the troubles OF the people Of New
the Union arise from the fact that the
people Of the east, for some unaccountable
reason, know 30 little about them. The
territory has per capita more money In
houses. and spends per capita more money
In the education Of her children, than any
jurisdiction in the nation. You will BEE
proof Of these statements in the governors q
school buildings and more than 900 teach
ers; the territory claims to have more than
800 ,O0O GOO worth Of taxable property for
The argument that the United States Sen
ate and the House OF Representatives will
put the rights Of people to admission to CIT
izenship upon q partisan basis is wholly
unwarranted. 1t would. indeed. be bad
condition Of things IL one OF the great CO.
ordinate branches Of this government would
refuse q million and half Of people their
rights as citisens just because by giving
them their rights they might under the law
get more representation In the United
States Senate than prejudiced people think
they ought to have. The Senate represents
the sovereign states as such. and the House
represents the people per capita. II the ar
gument In that Mne 10 good the national
Constitution ought to be changed. and-the
great states Of New York and Pennsylva-
MIA should get about fifteen senator's each
to nelaware's one.
Feb. 6. 1902. q. 8. RODEY.