Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-05-16
SATURDAY EVENING, MAY 10. 1870
AN ENEMY At HOME.

NV
New Mexico refused an official
welcome to President Roosevelt pc
cause Of his opposition to statehood
for the territory. Which is another
argument against the fitness OF the
New Mexicans for statehood"
uzasr the caption OF "A Character.
istic SANDER. the JournaIDemocrat re-
produces the above vexatious para
graph from the North Adams tMass.)
Evening Transcript. and terms II "A
fair sample Of the falsehoods ana
SANDERS that have been fabricated
and printed about New Mexico In all
parts of the United States"
Yea. its d falsehood and Il SANDER.
and such outrageous stuff has beean
circulated throughout the United
States. But does that fault lie with
the North Adams Transcript and OH
or outside papegs that prlnt such
trash To some extent, doubtless,
but there Is a more criminal offender
and he lives right here ID New Mex
leo. Morc's the pity. for tar and feath-
crs are too good for him Who n the
wretch, that he may DO hunted down
ana ariven from the territory? Who,
indeed. but the malicious and unprin-
cipled newspaper correspondent who,
Tor the sake OF his less than thirty
pieces of silver, Will betray Il whole
people and endangcr their most i'm.
portant interests. or all the iniiu-
ences that have operated 10 the detri-
ment OF this territory, not the poll
ticians themselves have proved as big
a curse as this reasonable wretch,
who arrays the press.-th most pow
erful of agencies, against the land
that affords him a living. and perhaps
his life.
Take the case in point Every one
In New Mexico possessed Of the slight
est giimmerings of intelligence real
lied fully that action OF the New Mex
leo legislature appointing an official
committee 10 receive the president
weeks after the adjournment Of the
body would have been improper and
silly. The matter when brought up
H.. az two onpttaman frnd off
hearing their own adjectives, was
opposed by the presidents most loyal
supporters. and notably his personal
Rough Rider friend, w. II. Llewellyn,
who had already been appointed
chairman Of the territorial executive
committee. Some INSCRIPTIONS ras'
cal in Santa Fe, knowing the true
state of affairs perfectly well, but see
ing n chance TO secure a little dirty
money, telegraphcd to the Denver
News. tn the st. Louis GlobesDemo
crat, 10 New York and Chicago pa
pers the outrageous lie that New Mex
leo. owing to the supposed attitude Of
Roosevelt on the statehood question
had refused an official reception. Il
isn't strange that a paper as slow AZ
the average New England publication
should have gotten around to the tale
by this time. Neither can much blam,
be given to the Transcript.
Probably 1t was the same malicious
Santa Re correspondent who sent on
the equally m%cndacious tale of the re
fusal Of Las Vegas 10 do honor TO til,
president because of his apparent re
traction Of utterances made. here sew
eral years ago. As the Journal Dem
ocrat says. the best witness we cal
call is Roosevelt himself. But let u
put the blame where IL belongs.
The amount Of harm the averag
correspondent e the big daily paper
Is capable Of doing us has never bee
sufficiently appreciated. II Is tim
that some defensive measures shoul
be taken against this pestiferous IL
diyidual. The Territorial Press ass,
citation has work 10 do here. Som
means ought 10 be concerted Of Q
fectually squeIching the ~correspon,
ent who has moi acquired the rar
and priceless virtue OF telling III
truth.
JUSTICE Fooled.