Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-01-01
Senator Dillingham; on the Statehood
Ri11

AS our readers know, the junior senator
debate on the so-caled Omnibus bill'' for
the admission of the territories OF Okla
homa, Arizona and New Mexico, as full
nedged States of the Union. In his OPEN
ing speech December Is, Senator Dillng-
ham presented some of the important facts
obtained by the sub committee of the Sen
ate committee on territories. OF which he
was a member in their recent trip through
those territories, They visited the princi-
pal towns and called before them officials
and leading citizens of the respective ter
ritories.
In New Mexico" said the SENATOR
''in every place we visited we subpoenaed
all the census enumerators whom we were
able to reach. We also called out infor-
nation from all the sources at our COM
mand, particularly in New Mexico, which
has large Mexican population, regard
ing the language used by the masses;
that which was most in use. the character
of the population, their education, their
intelligence, their habits, the modes adopt
ed in legal proceedings, and the language
used; also the language used in political
speeches and at nominating conventions,
ton regarding the vcxed question OF the
Intelligence and the fitness for Statehood
of the great mass of the people of the ter
ritory of New Mexico. To these various
| ends we also called the clerks of the
courts; We called Interpreters; we called
justices of the peace.
The committee found as to New Mexico
that with a territory as large as the
whole OF New England, New York and
New Jersey combined, II has population
of less than 10000, the last census giving
it 1880, Arizona had In 1900. l22, 9Sl. and
Oaklahoma 39s. 331 inhabitants.
In this connection, said tho senator.
1t may be profitable to know what proper
ton the population of certain States, at
the time of their admission to the Union,
! bore to the population of the entire ma
| ton at the time of their admission. The
| first two States to be admitted were Yer
mont and Kentcuky. Vermont contained
30 per cent of the entire population of
| the nation and Kentucky 10 per cent.
| Missouri had seven-tenths OF per cent
Michigan had L. Iowa. when admitted
had by the census of 1S40 (she was ad-
mitted in 1s45, I believe) three-tenths of /
per cent, and by the census of 1850 eight
| tenths of per cent showing a very rapid
increase in her population. Wisconsin had
l.3 per cent.
| OF the States more recently admitted
Kansas, Nebraska and North Dakota
| each had three tenths of ! per cent.
while South Dakota had hve-tenths OF
! per cent. Taking Arizona with her popu-
lation to-day and she has only two
| tcnths of ! per cent, while New Mexico
has twenty-five one hundredths of l pei
cent
New Mexico has been organized sub
stantally for fifty years. Arizona has
been organized for thirty-nine years, since
1853. They now present themselves fol
admission to the Union with the popula
tons | have stated. On the other hand
here in Oklahoma, which was opened NJ
to settlement only twelve or thirteen years
ago, and yet the character of her soil wa,
go well known and the amount Of hel
rainfall 80 well verified that as soon as 1
was opened for settlement there was
grand rush of enterprsing men from al
the Central States of the Union. The,
took possession of the country, and to -da,
Oklahoma Is a well settled territory, with
magnificent farms, with nne buildings
with an ample stock OF cattle, and will
) every element which constitutes a grea
agricultural State,
Why have not New Mexico and Arizona
with their longer existence as territories
developed to the same extent? Simply be
cause their climatic condition 10 such tina
there can be no considerable agriculture II
those territories except that which 10 bull
up by artificial irrisa ton and when maj
, attempts to solve the problem o
general irrigation, with the OBJ
stacles which confront him In those ter
ritories, he has undertaken n task whicl
has challenged the best thought of tn
best thinkers on that region, and tn
problem is only solved in part at thl
time. and that very small part,
! Senator Dillingham; cited authorities l.
: show that only 02G per cent. Of its area i
actually irrigated, and only IL per cent