Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1903-04-11
RETURNS FROM WASHINGTON

zen reporter this morning, and had the
following to say with reference to his
labor before congress:
II am indeed glad to be at home and
get some rest from the strenuous fight
that was made In Washington on the
statehood question | regret, of course,
as sincerely as any one can that the
statehood hill was talked out in the
short session OF the Fiftyseventh con
gress. II Is not dead by any means,
but is in splendid shape. The leaders
of the republican party in the nation
realize that talking the statehood bill
to death in the Fifty seventh congress
is a serious mistake and they have,
therefore, made up their minds to cure
the bunder before the arrival of a
presidential year, and, therefore. it is
understood amongst the leaders that
the statehood bill must he passed In
the long session. next winter.
There will be strenuous EFFORT
made to join New Mexico and Arizona
as one state. and that may be forced
down our throats, whether we wish IL
or not understand that Arizona
does not like IL very well. and, to tell
the truth, | don't like il myself From
the expression of our people during
the latter part OF the session OF con
gress just closed, am satisfied that
| New Mexico would agree to single
statehood for the two territories. de-
sire to say that when one considers
IL, the proposition Is not at all a bad
one. much as we may desire to have
statehood for New Mexico alone.
The great state would still be $4,000
square miles less than Texas, but sec
ond in the union. We would have two
United States senators and three rep
resentatives, or a delegation Of five in
congress. That would be for the two
territories a great boon over our pres.
ent two voteless delegates. We would.
also have two United States district
courts, two revenue districts, two
United States marshals, probably ten
United States land Offices, with a reg
lister and receiver in each, probably
two surveyor generals, and the same
educational and public institutions that
we now have in each territory, with a
tremendous endowment OF land going
directly to the eastern and western
portions OF the new state for both edu.
cational and public institutions. The
capitol would probably be placed at
Santa Fe for at least ten years, II not
permanently.
The statehood bill had at least
twenty-five majority in its favor In the
senate throughout the whole session
Il was simply talked to death by about
Ave senators. The delegates have
; taken steps to see that the committee
: on territories In the coming house Is
not packed against statehood. We are
assured that II will not be, and, there
fore, we expect the bill will easily pass
again. New Mexico came out OF the
fight better than she went in. II was
} the greatest fight ever made in con
, gress on a similar subject The terri
tory received more advertising through
the statehood fight thar IL ever receiv
J ed in all its history previously. and II
r is getting the benefit of that advertis
' ing now by the splendid progress 1t Il
! making. ! spread information OF oul
= resources everywhere, and | hav,
knowledge of enterprises that will b,
+ commenced in the territory during this
/ summer and fall that would astonisf
/. our people II | had the time to tel
: about them.
3 II have put In two and a half year,
of my life for New Mexico's benefit
3 and worked as hard as | was capable
e of working. or its effect our peopl,
+ must be the Judge.
. THE enemies of statehood not onl.
!. talked statehood TO death, but the,
3 killed whole lot of other Legislation
{ which the country needed, and forced
n an extra session of the United States
Z senate. The Philippine tariff bill wal
e needed badly, the Aldrich Hnancia
: bill was needed still more, and both o
G these measures shared the fate of tn,
4 statehood bill. The friends OF state
hood get a little grim satisfaction on
e of this fact. even though most OF VI
z were in favor OF the Aldrich fnancia
e bill. because II would have turned loos,
4 hundreds Of millions OF dollars nov
A uselessly held In the United States
e treasury. The statehood fight will b,
I a landmark In our national history an,
!, will. In my opinion. result In som'
A modification of the senseless rules o
the United States senate. That body Il
not government of majorities, but Il
a government, negatively, OF minori
ties. Any five healthy United State,
senators capable of talking four or fiv,
hours a day each. and repeating Il
every fourth day, can prevent the pass
age Of all legislation in our congress
during the period Of their natura
lives.
There were two or three reasons
for talking the statehood bill to death
The FIRST one. and the one most ad
vanced by its enemies, IL false one
that is. a fear that the new jurisdic
lions would be democratic. The enc
mics Of the measure knew that claim