The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-11
Senate Committees Report Of- fgrs Many Objections,
POPULATION NOT SUFFICIENT
New Mexico and Arizona Are In Nu- merous Ways Unfit for the Honor They Seek, Says sena-
 tor 6eVerldse.

Washington, December 10. Senator Beveridge, chairman of the senate com mittee on territories. today presented the report of the majority of the committee against the omnibus bill for the admis- sion of Oklahoma. Arizona and New Mex leo as states and in support of the sub stitute bill reported by the committee Tor the admission of one state, to embrace the area covered by the two territories or Oklahoma and Indian territory. The ad- mission of New Mexico and Arizona is opposed on the ground that the population in both territories is sparse and insufri- cient in numbers; that a vast majority Of the people of New Mexico are of Spanish descent and speak the Spanish language only; that many people of both territories are illiterate and do not understand American institutions. The assertion Is made that many of the people do not want statehood.
 The report discusses at some length the abstract question of the necessary Quali- fications for statehood and then takes mp the preparedness of the territories under each of the requirements specified.
 Arizona Falls Short.
 Accepting the unit representation rule' which under the census of 1900 is 19A1S2, 1t is found that New Mexico, with 195,- S1O people, would come in. but that Ari- zona would fall considerably short of the. requirement. The committee lays down the general rule that while no new state should necessarily be as large in population as any existing state, it Is contended that it should be large enough to bear some fair proportion to the popu- lation of the rest of the republic, and 1t is declared that it would be well if the rule could be adopted that any new state should have population equal to the average population of the rest of the states This rule would require a popula- tion for any proposed new state at the present time of 1650,0eO.
 Referring specifically to conditions found by the subcommittee to exist in New Mexico, it is asserted that the courts of the justices Of the peace are practically all conducted in Spanish and that inter prefers are necessary in other courts, as they are in the legislature, in political conventions and even in campaign speeches.
 Children Spe-'t Spanish.
 It is further asserted that while both Spanish and English are taught in the schools the school children generally converse among themselves in Spanish, and that when the children finish their school career their tendency is to relapse into the Spanish as the language of their
 
 men sign their marks. The committee ad- mits that there are many ss;cellent people among the Mexicans, and says that when the territory becomes more Americanized no one will object to statehood for this territory.
 Of the so-called Americans, it is said that some of them are mot nearly so good citizens In conduct or in the under standing of our institutions, as the Mexi- can clement"
 The report says many people of the ter ritory are opposed to its admission, but intimates broadly that conditions make them fear to express their sentiments
 Speaking of Arizona, 1t Is said the edu- catienal progress of the territory has been fair, and that there is a large percentage of refined people who have been attracted by the climate and by the opportunities for adventure and enterprise. But 1t is stated that while these elements are im- portant and invaluable to the territory. and while their influence is altogetherifor good and will steadily grow, it cannot be truthfully said that at the present time they are in sufficient number to dominate the mass of inhabitants of the territory. This Is proved by the fact that saloons and gambling establishments are by the statutes of the territory permitted to be openly run by night and by day, on Sunday ss well as weekdays. and att tempts to repeal this law have been futile"
 Reputation Insufficient.
 The report then declared that ''even were all the people of the territory of the admirable class above described, they would be far too few to justify state hood" The resources and development of the country are also declared to be too limited to entitle the territory to state hood"
 Replying to the contention of the people of New Mexico and Arizona that devel- opment has been retarded because of the lack of statehood, the committee points out that Oklahoma has developed with out statehood and says
 ''The Indian Territory, even with no form of government at all, has neverthe- less attracted hundreds of thousands of American citizens from the other states of the union, who have opened its mines, worked its fields and built up towns which astonished the observer and confounded even the most confident believer in the energy of the American people when the untoward conditions of the Indian Ter ritory are considered"
 The committee says the two territories of Oklahoma and Indian Territory have a combined population of about 100000. Of the people of the Indian Territory only S6000 are Indians and attention Is called to the fact that many of the people of New Mexico and Arizona, while called Mexican, are descendants of Indians, as well as of Mexicans and Spaniards.
 Contending for It's union of Oklahoma and Indian Territory the report says that Oklahoma is too contracted in area for statehood alone and that nature, com merce and all human conditions have de- creed that they should be united.
 In conclusion the committee says that If 1t fs a mistake not to admit New Mexico and Arizona at the present time, it is a mistake which can be remedied by any future congress If it is mistake to admit and that mistaKe is consummated, 1t never can be undone."
 Quay Makes Report. Senator Quay presented an individual report in favor of the omnibus statehood bill. He says the republican national convention in 1900 adopted the following resolution:
 we favor home rule for and the early admission to statehood of the territories of New Mexico, Arizona and OlklahomaI'' | and calls attention to the fact that the President and certain senators whom he names were delegates to that convention Int AA AIa2 AA