Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1904-02-29
THE STATE
HOOD TANGLE
Partisan Feeling Ran High at the
Last Meeting Of the CON-
mittee on Territories.
R0DEY'S LAST APPEAL
1t Almost Resulted in Arizona Being
Let Out AItogether-..No Bill Yet
Reported.

Special Correspondence New Mexican
Washington, Feb. 24-Tuesday tn,
23d instant was field day for the ter
ritories before the House committe,
of the House of Representatives il
Washington. A full meeting of boil
parties on the committee was called
to have Il conference" not caucus
to ascertain what sort of statehood
bills would be reported. The commit
tee whip brought in the full member
ship, The chairman and every mem
Der Of the committee expressed theil
sentiments, some of them taking fit
teen or twenty minutes to have theil
say, 50 that the conference lasted
from l 0 a. N. to after 8 p. m. The
three interested delegates sat speech
less and motionless in their seats
while the fate of their great jurisdic
tions was virtually being passed upon
Every Republican on the committee
favored nothing save two states for
the four territories, but there was
some difference as to the details of
how Oklahoma and Indian Territory
should be joined No one favored
joining them previous to 1906, owing
to existing Indian treaties. All the Re-
publcans favored joining New Mexi-
co and Arizona at once. Their state
ments when giving their views showed
plainly the deep seated opposition to
any separate statehood for New Mexi-
co or Arizona. 1t is now manifest that
if every state west of Kansas was yet
a territory, no one could get in but
California. Some thought that three
or four of the northwestern states
ought to be one state. Much to the
surprise of the delegates, Spaulding,
of North Dakota, who once lived in a
territory himself, favored the jointure.
Lilly, of Connecticut, said he favored
making one state of the four applying
territories, and only acquiesced in two
states because the majority of his par
ty was against him.
They all argued that every small
western state Gin population) that had
been admitted was mistake. Most
of them argued that while the consti-
tuition gave all states equal representa-
tion in the Senate, that fact grew out
of necessity at the inception of the
government, and it would not do to
admit too many thinly populated
states to have equal representation in
one of the national legislative bodies.
A - 4h<hn fC ftn ovroif
tee practically agreed with the Repub-
licans on the advisability of joining
Oklahoma and Indian Territory as one
state, but some difference of opinion
as to details and the time when the
enabling act should go into effect was
manifest. The Democrats to man
opposed the joining of New Mexico
and Arizona. Some of them offered to
leave Arizona out and let New Mexico
in alone, but this the Republicans
would not agree to. Much discussion,
sometimes approaching bitterness, oc-
cured. Finally the three interested
delegates were heard from. Rodey of
New Mexico. was heard first. The
members present were heard to re-
mark that his was one of the most
pathetic appeals probably ever made
before committee for what he con-
ceived to be the rights OF his consti-
tuents. He told of the universal de-
sire in his Territory for separate state
hood and the fierce opposition to joint
statehood in Arizona, and then showed
all the letters and newspaper editor
ials, which were many, that he had
in his possession favoring the jointure
as last resort, and also the letters,
resolutions and editorials from the
Territory resisting the jointure under
all circumstances.
Finally he confessed that as all
statehood, save jointure, appeared to
be impossible in the lifetime of the
present generation, it would be better
that the enabling act should pass for
the iointure if the terms were reason
able and the people of New Mexico
and Arizona be given a chance at the
polls to accept or reject it in the vote
on a constitution. At this point in his
speech, he turned to Delegate Wilson
of Arizona, and stated that the bar
gain between them, which was made
last summer, to stand together for
separate statehood until all hope of it
was lost, was at an end, and that for
the future each delegate must be free
TO do that which he thought was best
for his constituents. The scene was
touching one.
Delegate Wilson followed in one of
the most bitter and powerful appeals
ever made to committee. character
izing the position of the majority of
the committee as unworthy, untenable
and unjust, and asserting his determi-
nation to fight the jointure to the last
ditch, come what would. Delegate
Mcclure, of Oklahoma, followed in q
complimentary speech to the commit
tee for their kind treatment of his ter
,.;fo,v and acuuieScing In the jointure