Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-04-15
. Majority Traces History ofTsrritories and Says
: People Are Qualified For Statehood
THE SCHOOL QUESTION IN CONSIDERATION
Minority Accuses Republican Party Of Bad Faith and Urges
Admission Of Four States

Following are the essential features
of the majority and minority reports
submitted by the committee on terri,
tories to the house Of representatives.
Majority Report.
New Mexico was acquired from the
Republic Of Mexico by the treaty OF
Guadalupe-H -Hidalgo, February 2, 1S4S,
And BY the Gadsden purchase OF De
cember 80, 1853.
It is $50 miles north and south by
BAG miles east and west, and contains
122. $50 square miles, or 7S,451, 200
acres, on which. by the census Of 1900
i've population Of 1s5,31O, being 1,6
persons to the square mile.
As in the case Of Arizona the census
IS claimed to be inaccurate. and the
delegate from New Mexico claims a
!. population Of not less than 100000, but
! here again the committee does not feel
4 warranted In accepting speculative es-
Inmates.
Arizona was part Of the territory
,cquired from the Republic Of Mexico
y by The treaty Of Guadalupe Hidalgo,
February ?, 1s4s, and by1he Gadsden
purchase Of December 80, 1853, and
was a part Of the original Territory Of
New Mexico, from whichjt was separ.
ated and organized into q territory in
T 1863.
1t is 37S miles long by $3.50 miles
wide. and contains 113,929 square miles
or 73,0OO,00O acres. BY the census Of
1900 it has population of 122,931, Of
whom 26.4S0 are Indians, being IL
persons to the square mile.
Native Born Population.
This committee consider the criti.
cism as Ill informed which finds fault
with New Mexico because of its al.
fleged foreign population.
Out Of population Of 195,310 New
Mexico has only 1895 foreign-born in.
habitants, a smaller foreign-born per.
centage than most Of the states in the
union.
New Mexico was made territory
in 1850, and ever since that time the
people Of that territory have been
eIecting their own legislatures, max
ing their own laws. conducting their
own local government, and contribut-
ing revenue to the federal treasury.
Were 1t not that the two-fifths Of its
population, which are native born, but
Of Spanish descent, have been hereto
fore enormously referred to as foreign,
II would be an aspersion upon patri.
otic people even to refer to their 10y
atty. The remaining three-fifths Of its
population are Of the same character
as the people OF Arizona.
Patriotism.
During the civil war out Of total
population of 93,567 New Mexico sent
6.461 men to fight for the union, and
in our war with Spain 1859 men en-.
listed, Of whom 500 were Rough Rid
ers."
The assessed valuation Of property
within the territory Is $4S.0O0,000. but
it is asserted BY the governor Of New
Mexico that for purposes Of taxation
properly Is not returned at much more
than 20 per cent Of its market value.
It's indebtedness is $1,09s,30O, and
its cash on hand to meet its obliga-
tions is s2s2,517s6.
The Institutions.
The territory has capitol building
erected at cost OF 100000, a peni-
tentiary valued at 100000, college
Of agricultural and mechanical arts
valued at $4,000, an asylum for the
insane valued at $iSo0oo, school OF
mines valued at se5,oO0. a university
valued at 100000; two normal schools,
each valued at 100000; military insti.
tuition valued at s5O,0oo, and other In
stitutions for which large appropria'
tions have been made.
II has an excellent common school
system. the buildings alone being
worth 32,oo0.ooo. and the enrolment
OF pupils being $4,000; and besides Its
common schools and territorial institu.
tions II has over fifty ssstarisn schools
Nh "a M j, a