Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-18
STATEHOOD QUESTION
Delegate Rodey Talks Of New
Mexico.
THE PRESIDENTS VISIT
SOME OF THE NOTICES THAT
GREETED HIM.
Says the Territory Was Never So Pros
perous-Believes Congress Will
Act Next Winter.
THE PRESIDENTS VISIT

"Our friends have promised US another
blockade in Congress unless the statehood
matter is taken up and disposed of at the
next session." This was the statement to a
Star reporter today by Delegate Rodey of
New Mexico, who had just arrived In
Washington from his home in Albuquerque,
N. M.
president Roosevelt has just passed
through New Mexico'' continued Mr.. Ro-
dey, land received a most enthu-
siastic welcome on every hand. He was
greeted with decorations of the most pro-
fuse and elaborate kind. Such words as
these were impressed on him in letters four
feet high: Roosevelt-1904-and Statehood.
We Would Like to Have the Right to Vote
for Him. etc.
The Presidents Talk.
President Roosevelt talked irrigation
and Development continued Mr.. Rodey,
"but he did not say anything directly about
statehood. One alluSion he made in his
speech after he had pictured future
development, was this: He pointed to
young lady standing just on the other side
of a fence and remarked that when these
things had been accomplished my young
friend would be ready to come inside"
The phenomenal building of railroads and
the general prosperity of the territory, Mr..
ROdey SAID, were placing New MEXICO
among the busiest and most prosperous
communities in the United States. He con-
fidently predicts her admittance to the
Union, but indicates that it may be neces-
sary to form combination with Arizona
by which the two territories would come in
as one state. In this event it is most likely,
in his opinion, that there will be two United
States Senators and three representatives
in Congress. This would place each terri
tory on a much better footing in the ma
tional legislature than either has now.
Returning to the subject of the Presi
dents reception, Mr. Rodey said that it
most cordial and respectful. The lack
of any direct mention by the executive on
the statehood question, however, he re-
marked. robbed it of the enthusiasm with
which it might otherwise have been
marked.
President Roosevelt was enthusiastically
in favor of statehood when he was Vice
President" continued Mr.. Rodey "and 1
am confident that he now has a much more
correct impression of the wonderful re-
sources. large population. as well as the
intelligent character of the citizens of New
Mexico. We believe that the cause of
statehood has been materially advanced
through his visit to the territory"
Plans for Next Winter.
Mr. Rodey is in the east on matters of de-
partmental and personal business, and is
armed with collection of photographs of
presidential receptions in the territory
which show the proper spirit of enthusiasm
regarding the reception of the President.
He says that one of the first things which
will be brought to the attention of the
Fifty-eighth Congress will be the statehood
question. This will be presented first in a
special bill for each territory. In this con-
nection he calls attention to what he says
was not generally understood last winter
that the omnibus bill was not a measure
initiated by the territories themselves, but
was an expedient ordered by the House of
Representatives. That there will be a COM
bination before the matter is finally settled
he does not attempt to deny. The plans of
the statehood people, he says, are well ma
tured, and program of definite action has
been mapped out to the extent of planning
general tie-up of the whole legislative
proceedings until statehood is disposed of.