Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-01-01

per cent. So where communities are old,
where everybody has gone to school and
one child drops out, there would be de-
crease.
MIR. Dillingham-After the school sys.
tenn was inaugurated there. which have
commended, and am glad to commend IT,
they began to get the population into
schools in such numbers that 1t made the
immense percentage which the senator
from New Hampshire has referred to-
Eut it is not to be taken as against his
own State nor Vermont, nor any other
where for a century the children Of those
States have been in public schools almost
wholly.
The senator went on to show that sub
stantially the whole of the American popu-
lation of New Mexico is contained in the
towns and that the great country regions
are occupied mainly by the Mexican popu-
lation. a large proportion Of whom are
herders of f,ocks, goats, sheep, and some
cattle. He said:
1'he sizable towns In that territory are
few in number. There are only five or six.
that had over $500 inhabitants in 1900.
They arc fine towns and growing towns.
undoubtedly For tho purpose Of ascer.
tanning tho status of the Mexican popula-
ton, their character and their habits, we
calico before us tne JuStlCeS Ol tlc peace
III every town where we stopped. An ex-
animation of the testimony given by them
will show that they were almost all Mex
leans
The records which they brought in for
our examination were kept almost ex-
cluSivelv in the Spanish language. Every
one of them, / think, testified that the
proceedings in his court required the SER
vices of an interpreter Deeds are largely
written in Spanish language. Some were
in English. The Justices testified that the
code of procedure which they had in their
office was printed in Spanish. We observ
ed that the legal notices posted about the
cities were printed both In the English
and the Spanish language. In the federal
and territorial courts the interpreter is
just as much an officer and Just as regu-
lar in attendance as the stenographer or
the clerk.
On the following day Senator billing
ham took up the conditions In Arizona,
showing that it's population of 122 1870 souls
is only one person and a tenth to the
square mile: that over % per cent are
foreign born, mostly Mexicans unable to
speak English and that the chief pur-
suit being mining, the male population
is largely transient; that the stability Of
the population is uncertain; the city of
Tombstone having formerly ~ 900 inhabit-
ants but now only 300; and that other
conditions do not invite immigration or
demand immediate statehood.
He found vastly different conditions in
Oaklahoma. Its population in 1900 was
more than double the entire population Of
New Mexico and Arizona combined, and
is now about Con no. of whom only four
per cent. are foreign born and only five
per cent. illiterate Its fertile soil invites
immigrants and 1t is sure of rapid growth
In view of these and other kindred facts
the committee recommended that Oakla-
homa be admitted and that New Mexico
and Arizona wait for a while, AS the sem
ator said the admission Of New Mexico
and Arizona in their present condition
would be not simply q: hardship but d
wrong to the nation. The admission of
State is something in the nature of a con-
tract, and State ought not to be admit
ted into the Union until she has either
reached a point where she is entitled to
it or unless the promise Of development
within reasonable time in the future will
warrant it. A mistake made by Congress
in keeping out a territory Is one that can
be remedied. A mistake made by Con-
gress in admitting a State that ought not
to be admitted is one that never can be
corrected. The act of admission stands
forever"
Senator Dillingham; was interrupted
thirty or forty times in the course of his
itl tow
generally by opponents of the conclusions
reached by the committee on territories
TO each he had a courteous and effective
answer; and his speech to which this alb
stract does but scant justice must have
raised him in the estimation of the SEN
ate, as a clear and convincing speaker.
and a fair minded and courteous debater,