The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-02-23

maintain a good government in New
Mexico? Does anybody doubt that
Does anybody doubt for a moment
that there viii not be as much OBJ
servance of law there as there is in
Wisconsin or Colorado or anywhere
else?
Mr.. President, let US be fair. These
people belong to a section of the coun-
try of which IL is complained that it
is likely to dominate and control
am not speaking of the Mormons. We
are told that the west is getting to
have too much influence and to be too
dominating, and that you cannot ad-
nit state like New Mexico. with 2O0,-
/ 600 people, with representation equal
| to that of New York. 1 will venture
\ to say that d fair census would make
1t $4,000 or 100000.
/ / do not believe they have had a
| census which covers half the popu-
latiOn. Take my own state, and l
/ Will venture to say that a correct CEN
sus will put 100000 more on the list
than we were credited with. But we
are told that the 100000 people in New
Mexico are to offset in representation
the state of New York. There are six
New England states with less popu-
1 lation than the states of New York or
1 Pennsylvania, and they have twelve
representatives on this floor.
Are you now, after hundred years
| of Americas existence, to apply to the
/ people in the west rules that you did
I not apply in the east: Because a man
has gone west of the Mississippi river.
has he lost any of his American rights2
| Is he not Just as much an American
| as if he were in New England? The
state which / in part represent Is
/ filed with men from New England and
New York, and they feel as feel that
| we have laid down none of the rights,
nor escaped any obligation, that you
| have, and that we are entitled to all
| of the consideration that you are.
After this long period of territorial
existence, when the population has
reached point which has justified you
in taking in other states, you cannot
satisfy the American people by say
ing that you keep these territories out
because they have not sff1ucient pop
ulation. You are keeping them out be-
cause you are afraid sof their infiu-
ence. Shall it be maintained that New
York is entitled to representation on
this floor in proportion to its popula-
| ton? That is not the theory of this
government, and it is not the theory
upon which it was established, and If
it had been applied when the govern
ment was organized. the union of this
government would never have existed
You were compelled to give to Del
aware. Rhode Island. Vermont and
New Hampshire the same representa-
ton in this chamber that you gave
to New York and Pennsylvania. and
unless you are prepared to abandon
the theory of equality of the states.
which has made this country great.
and the preservation of which is eS-
sential to it's greatness and its future
glory you must base your objections
on something besides the lack of popu-
latiOn. when the territory has enough
to have at least one vote in the house
of representatives, and that is all il
will be entitled to under the law.
Mr.. President, l did not mean to say
word about this matter. I have said
all have said perhaps in very crude
way, but whatever the senator may say
for himSelf-and l am not going 10
impugn his motives ner his object
can only say J., here, trying to do my
duty as an American citizen, feel I'M
der an obligation, a constitutional OBJ
legation. a moral obligation. to give
! this people the right. of statehood and
full American citizenship, for l know
what it will do for a struggling com
immunity insthe west ~ - 49, -
Il know that when Colorado became a
state, with population not as large as
that of New Mexico, every man in the
4 state stood higher in his own estima-
ton, and what was more important, OF
i equally important, higher in the esti-
nation of the rest of the country, than
he did under territorial existence. He
had become a full-hedged American
He could participate in every act per-
tanning to the general government as
well as any citizen of any other Sec
ton of the country. a privilege which
has been denied TO him and which you
are denying now to a population equal
ly entitled to it, equally capable of dis
charging the duties of citizenship with
anybody in Wisconsin or New York OF
Massachusetts, or anywhere else.
Mr.. Spooner-Mr. President, do not
wish to prolong the discussion. 1 came
accidentally into the debate this after
noon
The senator from Colorado CMr. Tel
ler) has spoken with a great deal Of
feeling and undoubtedly with absolute
sincerity. / congra tulate the country
on his speech. not so much for what
he has said, but for the fact that HI
has spoken. This bill has been pend
ing here a long time and l believe the
senator is the first Of the solid phalan1
. which has been behind il, as is assert
ed. on the other side of the chamber
| to break silence. and to advocate the
passage of this bill
Mr.. Teller-May / ask the senator i
he thinks the advocates of statehood
are afraid TO debate this question?
Mr.. Spooner-Oh, Mr.. President. I d.
not say they are afraid to debate il
but I say they have not debated it
They have sat here for weeks in silence
, Mr. Teller viii ask the indulgence,
that I gave the senator TO let me sa,
a word in his speech.
MIR. Spooner-Certainly.
Mr.. TeHer-We have. not debated THU
subject because we wanted to get {
: vote
Mr.. Spooner-Yes, / understand.
Mr. Teller-Because we believe We
know enough about it. and we believ'
that nothing we could say would
change the minority in this chamber
as I believe it is, and induce it to giv'
us a vote.
have on my table at home the reso
buttons of convention after convention
national Democratic and Republican
have the speeches of senators in thi,
body who are going TO vote in the neg
ative here, advocating the admission o
these very territories into the Union al
states, and if 1 should come here anC
read them and take two hours, it woult
not, in my judgment. make any diff
ference in the vote, and I do not pro
pose to be drawn into assisting in TIT
delay that seems to me has been pre-
concerted and pre-arranged and stu
diously followed ever since have beer
here for a week past.
Mr.. McComas-Before asking a ques
ton of the senator from Colorado,
wish to make a statement. I do not i'm