New-York tribune., 1902-12-11
REPORTS ON STATEHOOD BILLS.
Arguments Against and For Admitting New
Mexico and Arizona.

Washington Dec Ex-senator Beveridge. chair
man of the Committee Territories. to-day pre-
sented the report OF the majority Of the commit
tee against the Omnibus bill for the admission Of
Oklahoma Arizona and New-Mexico as States
and in support of the substitute reported oy Tue
committee for the admission Of one state TO en-
brace the area covered by the two Territories OF
Oklahoma and Indian Territory The admission
of New-Mexico and Arizona is opposed on the
grounds thta tthe population IN both territories
is sparse and insufficient in numbers that vast
majority OF the people Of New-MeXico are OF
Spanish descent and speak the Spanish language
onIy. that ruany Of the people ofboth Territories
are initerate and do not understand American IN
stitutionS The assertion IS made mat many OF
the people 90 not want Statehood
The report discusses at length the abstract
question OF the necessary qualifications Tor state
hood. and then takes up the preparedness OF the
Territories under each OF the requisites specineo
Accepting the unit OF representation rule. whlch
under the OF 1900 is 1ails2 it is found tnat
New-Mexico with 1875 80 people. would come in hut
that Arizona would fall considerably short OF the
requirement. The committee lays down the gen
eral rule that, while no new State should neces-
sarily be as large in population as any existing
State contended that It should be large enough
TO bear some fair proportion to the population of
the rest Of the republic and It IS declared that II
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 population for any proposed
State al the present tI1IIS u 1'oOo''NO-
CONDITIONS IN NEW-MEXICo.
Referring specifically to conditions found by the
subcommittee to exist in New-Mexico 1t is
serted that the proceedings IN courts the justices
OF the peace are practically all conducted IN Span
ish and that interpreters necessary in the other
courts. they in the legislature. in political
conventions and even in campaign speeches II is
further asserted that while both Spanish and Eng
Iish 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 Spanish
as the language OF their daily life. 1t is said that
many jurymen sign their marks.
The committee admits that there many
cellent people among the Mexicans and say that
when the Territory becomes more Americanized
no one will object to Statehood for this Territory
OF the so-called Americans, ii is said that of
them ARE not nearly so good citizens in conduct
or in the understanding Of our institutions as the
Mexican element. Such the riffraff. to use the
expression of United States Judge Mills, who first
follow the Introduction of railroads and such other
elements are always seen on any country s ex-
tending frontier"
The report says many people of the Territory are
opposed to its admission, but intimates broadly
that conditions make them fear to express their
sentiments.
STATUS OF ARIZONA
Speaking of Arizona, it is said that the educa-
tioual progress of the Territory has been fair
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 It
is said that while these elements important
and invaluable to the Territory and while their in
fuence is altogether for good and will steadily
grow it cannot be truthfuy said that at the pres
ent time they are in sufficient number to dominate
the mass of the inhabitants Of the Territory This
Is proved by the fact that saloons and gambling
establishments are by the of the Territory
permitted openly by night and by day. on
Sunday as well weekdays. and attempts to
neal this law have been futile. The report then
declares that even were all the people of the
Territory of the admirable class above described,
they would be far too few to Justify Statehood"
The resources and development Of the country also
are declared to be limited entitls the Terri
tory to Statehood.
Replying to the contention of the people of New
Mexico and Arizona that development has been re-
tarded because of the lack of Statehood. the COM
rnittee points out that Oklahoma has developed
without Statehood, and says that the Indian Ter
ritory, with form Of government at all, has
nevertheless attracted hundreds or thousands of
American citizens from the other States OF the
Union, who have opened its mines worked it's fields
and built up towns which astonish the observer
and confound even confident believer in
the energy of the American people, when the
toward conditions of the Indian Territory are con-
The COMMITTEES says the two Territories of Okla
hon1a and Indian Territory have combined popu-
ian Territory only eighty-six thousand are Indians
and attention is called to the fact that many of
Mexican, descendants of Indians as well as of
Mexicans and Spaniards. Contending for its union
that Oklahoma is too contracted in area for State
hood alone, and that nature. commerce and all
human conditions have decreed that they should be
united.
In coneiusien the committee says that IF it is a
the present time, it is a mistake which can be
remedied by any future Congress. If 1t is mistake