Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-04-13
STATEHOOD ONCE MORE.

SOCORRO, N. M, April 12.-
1t is die for the advocates Of state
hood to longer ignore the fact, that a
very considerable portion Of our heav-
lest taxpayers are-opposed to the
movement They claim that since u
recen legislature has given aid 10 Mr.
Beveridge, in demonstratineAour-un-
fitness for absolute self-government,
the opponents of statehood may we'll
be more pronounced In the p~resenta.
ton of their arguments. They point
out that the representatives at SAN
ia Fe were chosen by the people. In
full knowledge of the TACT that the
enactments Of that session would be
scrutinized aiza test of our capacity
to legislate Alright under peculiarly
favorable circumstances, and In face
OF the strongest inducements. Many
of the members had served before,
and their characters had been de-
termined by their notorious practices.
The people did not act In ignorance
they were merely careless or indif-
ferent. They might have chosen apa-
BILE and honest men. had they. taken
the trouble to give the matter proper
attention. Pursuing his-finezo-rgu-
ment,T the opponents Of statehood
urge, that, under the well known facts
in the case, our recent legislative
body must be accepted as fairly rep
resentatives of the people of New
Mexico. They, further, insist, that,
were another election to be held to-
morrow, %two-thirds of the same mem
bers would undoubtedly be return.
ed.
If, then, the legislature stole $685.
900 from the Territorial treasury,
with which to compensate unlawful
employees, and thus pay political
debts, it was, in reality, the act of the
people of the Territory. Even the
three or four members who made
capital by posing as models, and who
p~rofessed high notions of honesty, in
the end gave this steal the support
of their votes, and unblushingly dis
tributed the soft places among their
friends an~drelatives End the sew
eral constituencies of these models of
integrity, while extolling the especial
| virtues of their representatives, con
done or ignore their participation in
this bald and disreputable act of rob-
berry. And, it is further urged, that,
while the general boodling enact
ments were SO awkwardly manipulate
| ed, that the Territorial treasurer must
seek the aid of the courts, in order to
enable him to act within the law and
his duty, it is becoming apparent that
the various communities to be ben
Gifted by the appropriations, are
hardly in sympathy with the conser
walton action of the treasurer or the
courts; but simply want the money,
regardless of the law and of the ul-
innate consequences to themselves or
to the Territory at large.
The entire case, say the a.nti-state
men, is a demonstration of like man,
like master" That the people OF New
Mexico elected hat Legislature in full
knowledge Of its capacity for evil,
that, at no time was any public eff
fort made to restrain pernicious legis-
lation, and that the results must be
accepted as in accordance with the
wishes of the people. The fact that
the work was so bunglingly done that
it was difficult to decide which of the
appropriations a be made available,
or whether all are in jeopardy, is
loudly resented by the communities to
be benefited by the distribution, but
ia themselves, these attacks upon the
treasury. and even upon the sinking
funds. seem t O call forth no whisper
of condemnation. And, it is insisted,
that the legislature and the people at
large have struck a blow from which
the cause of statehood connot recover
within the next decade.
OBSERVER.