Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1903-03-05

| Arizona desire statehood Wlthln the
next few years they must consent to
coming in as one state, otherwise they
will remain territories for some years
to come. 1t is now with the people of
these territories to say whether they
want to come in as a state under that
condition, and to let congress and their
political leaders know of their acquies-
cence in joint statehood"
Judge N. B. Laughlin, who returned
yesterday afternoon from Washington,
D. c., where on behalf of the Democrat
ic party Of New Mexico, he has been
working for statehood, supplemented
the above words by saying: zone of
the senators assured me and said that
I might so state in the newspapers,
without mentioning his name, that If
we didn't agree to compromise we
would not be admitted as separate
states for another ten years"
Judge Laughlin said that there is
absolutely no chance for New Mexico to
be admitted as a separate state by
March 4, 1904. But the proposition to
admit New Mexico and Arizona as one
state, and Oklahoma and Indian Terri
tory as another state, the former not to
go into effect until after the next pres
idential election, and Oklahoma not to
annex Indian Territory until 1907, after
the Indian treaties had expired, has a
very good chance of success.
"Some of the Democratic senators ia
vor the compromise measure but some
of them, including Senators Teller and
Patterson are uncompromisingly oppos-
ed to it. The main opposition to separ-
ate statehood for each territory lies in
the standpoint of the eastern senators
who are opposed to an increase in the
number of senators from the west and
will consent to a compromise measure
only because they realize that some day
the territories must be admitted to
statehood and that by admitting them
now as joint states only four new SEN
ators will be added to the senate while
If statehood is postponed, that number
may be increased to eight.
Speaker Henderson Of the house,
when the committee on territories re-
ported the omnibus statehood bill, said,
1 will see to it that at the next session
the committee on territories will be so
constituted as not to report such a
measure favorably. But Speaker Hen
derson steps out and SO does Congress-
man Knox of Massachusetts, chairman
of the committee on territories, who, Is
one of the best and stanchest friends
of New Mexico in the east and who un-
til the last day stood ready and will
ing to do anything in his power to. ad-
init us as a separate state or as a joint
state. If any person doubts the posi-
ton of the eastern senators In their de-
termined opposition to admitting the
territories, he should get the Congress
sional Record and read the unjust and
unreasonable speeches that they made
against statehood.
tee when 1t arrived at Washington,
realized Immediately that the omnibus
statehood bill had no chance of being
passed by the senate, in fact, never did
have chance. Being convinced that II
statehood was refused to the territor-
les at this session under any circum-
stances, that it would hurt the territory
and defer admission for some time to
come, the committee set to work to
bring about a compromise. We inter-
viewed Hon. Mark Smith, delegate
from Arizona, but he was bitterly op-
posed to any compromise whatsoever
AS he has considerable influence with a
number of Democratic senators and
representatives, the Democrats did not
care to take up compromise measure
IL he opposed it. We then set ourselves
in communication with a number o1
pron1inent citizens Of Arizona and some
of them expressed themselves favora'
bly, to compromise, but the president
of the Arizona senate and the speaker
of the Arizona house of representatives
replied that they would not consent
under any circumstances, but finally
the Arizona legislature passed resoiu'
tion agreeing to compromise, provld'
ing that Arizona be given equal voice
and vote in the constitutional conven'
ton and in other matters with Ne"
Mexico. About this time, the Republi'
cans submitted to the Democrats anc
the statehood Republicans a compro'
mise to admit New Mexico and Arizona
as one state, Arizona to have a cholcf
of sena rate statehood when New Mexi
co had attained population OF 4OO,OO
and Arizona of 100000. The Democrat
rejected this and made the counte
proposition for joint statehood unit
Arizona had 100000 people to be deter
mined by an annual census to be takel
on May / of every year, the matter thel
to be decided by the majority Of thes
zoo, 900 people. This the Republicans re
jected and that killed statehood as ia
az the session Of congress just past wa
concerned
Judge Laughlin believes that II NeN
Mexico had acquiesced. in compro
lmise somewhat earlier and Arixona hal