Bisbee daily review., 1904-08-04
BY Ex-C0v. LIONEL A. SHELDON OF NEW MEXICO

In refusing statehood to Arizona and New Mexico. Congress ignored the principles that have. governed in the treatment of territories since the be- ginning of the government The fundamental theory of our political institutions is that people shall be committed to the control of their own focal affairs through state organiza- tions as soon as they shall be suffici- ently numerous and have the requisite intelligence 10 establish and success fully conduct a state government and when they possess sufficient wealth to pay the expenses without imposing too heavy burden on the taxpayers. The territorial relation has not been enforced for period longer than nee essary to produce the conditions de- scri5ed. It has not been deemed that people should be kept in territor- ial tutelage to learn how to govern themselves, for it is presumed that all Americans have acquired that knowl- edge before they emigrate to a terri tory. IL is not a question whether the government they may establish shall be the wisest. but is it republi- can in form and does it suit them? It is not improbable that mistakes will be made, but the local people will soon discover and correct them. Con gress as a rule has hastened to be- come rid of territorial responsibilities as rapidly as was reasonable. Hence the territorial relation has rarely been enforced for any great length of time. Congress has never been cap tious, but literally realizing that popu- lation and wealth would rapidly in crease. more rapidly under statehood that under surveillance by the gener- al government. Iii all cases what has been anticipated in respect to such increase has been realized with a single exception.
 There has never been a rule in re- gard to the minimum population a territory shall possess before admis- sion shall be awarded MT. Douglas in 1854 proposed that the population should be equal to the ratio of repre- Sentation prescribed in the states. but it was not accepted, and conse- 'quently the question was left to the discretion of Congress.
 New Mexico has more people than any territory had at the time of its duulSSIOE anu uCI IHuIe UTAH tuIcc, if any, mad as many as Arizona has. It is safe to say that none had as much wealth as New Mexico UT Ari- zona.
 Michigan was admitted with IA, 467, Minnesota with 157,02T.. inGisna had but 154,000 in 1920, four years after becoming a state Alabama was admitted in 1919. and :n 1890 mad a population of 127,901, the whites numbered S5,541 and the slvaes AZ 300 Including 11,254 slaves, Missouri had 70,647. Kentucky was admitted with 75,000, and Kansas, by the census of 1860. had 107,2O6, and was admitted in 1861.
 The area of the new states has never been made an item of serious ed to the area of the original thirteen None of the states except Texas and California has as large an area as New Mexico or Arizona, the one hay ing 10000 square miles and the other 113.900.
 There can be no doubt that Arizona and New Mexico have ample wealth tc sustain an efficient government with out oppressive taxation, and nu merically a sufficiently large popula ton. Both together and separately have been in territorial tutelag' longer than any other territory in al our history, the period being more