Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-03-06
FRIDAY EVENING, MARCH 6. 1876


DEfGAIGO
The Democratic senatorial caucas
last week decided to reject the COM
promise statehood plan and continue
the Eight for passage of the omnibus
bill. IL is now certain that this meas
IRE will receive little further consid-
Grafton and that congress will ad-
journ without action upon it.
A Democratic senator who is q mem
Der OF the committee on territories, on
being asked for a statement OF the reae
son for rejecting the compromise pro-
position. wrote the following, which,
after submitting it to several OF his
colleagues. he gave out for publication.
THE Democratic caucus rejected
the proposed compromise statehood
bin for the following aso When
Arizona n New Mexico were made
territories their areas were establish
ed for ultimate statehood purposes
and all the interests and expectations
of the people of the W territories
have been in anticipation of the two
states.
lit would be gross injustice to the
people OF both to join them n
state. From east to west, as railroads
must be built. it would be 100 miles
across them. The proposed state
would be as large as Texas. and Texas
is too large for. its convenient govern
ment.
MANY Democrats feel that the Re-
public fight for statehood has not been
sincere, they having used the state
hood bill as a buffer to prevent trust
Democrats now having almost a solid
body for the admission of the three
territories. to accept the proposed con-
@tss tsn dds" ~ hS NH, N AaSf frd nsfS caba Y
sThe people of Arizona are unani-
musly opposed to consolidation with
New Mexico. and the people OF both
territories SHOULD be consulted.
1.-THE provisions in the consolidated
bill for ultimate separate statehood
are n snare. The question of separa-
tion into two states must be submitted
TO the voters of the entire state, and
experience has taught that after the in
terests of any area have been consol
idated as a single state, a majority
cannot be secured for separation.
THE Democrats have stood for the
statehood bill as 1t passed the house
They believe that &c is entitled te
statehood. and they have stood loyal,
by the Republican minority In theil
efforts to give them statehood; blu
ihey will not inflict the injustice, tina
probably never can be repaired, of en-
forcing the people OF the two terrific
RIGS into q state so large that it would
forever continue a burden they cOuls
not and should not bear"
The bill in relation to h Office o
mayor and other city officers is pub
Iished elsewhere in this issue. Thu
changing of the terms of Office of thu
mayor 10 two years and that of cot
ciimen and school trustees to two an,
four the first ear and for four year
thereafter is q wholesome change an,
will meet the approval of almost ever
t1tt~ ttppiC SNtiNiuiiy I'll W0ANOAA
the change as the holding Of a cit.
election every year with a county cleo
ton every two years is altogether to-
much politics for he average mar
But there is one feature of the bill
that IS very r~eprehensible and that /
thai it abolishes the election thi
spring. In other words the mayor an
city councilmen are to hold over
year by legislative enactment withou
The people having anything to sa
about it. Ii is a care of utterly ignol
ing the wishes of the people: a cas-
legislating to office instead of cleo
ing to office If the bill has called 70
the election next month no objectio
could nave been made to it.
In New Mexico it is getting to b
a care of government of h politician
by the politician, for the politician.
One of the most important stat
elections of the year will come on !
Ohio, and the first of the contest
leading up TO it will be the Clevelan
city election, which comes In Apri
says the Springfield. Mass, Republican
Mayor Tom Johnson will undertak
10 succeed himself, and il he shout
do so he will stand out as the ma
TO be named for governor by the der
ocrats later in the year Johnson
feared and hated by the corporate
interests for which Senator Hanr
stands. and if he can carry Clevelar
again on a radical platform the Indie
ions would be that he might carr
the state on the same kind OF q pls
form. The best thing to do ab0'
Johnson, then. Is to kill him on In Il
city election. and to this work N
Hanna is to give himself as soon
he can get away from Washingto
He will have the assistance Of Co
gresham Burton and the whole !
publican state organization.
1t turns out that Senator Tillma
who delivers such violent harAngu,