Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-07-20
It appears certain that the demo

support joint statehood for Oklahoma
and Indian Territory, and separate
statehood for New Mexico and Ari-
IONA, and II that is acquiesced in
such a bill would at once pass. It
| will not, of course, be acquisced in, as
the republican enemies of statehood
will not permit it . Then the pressure
of the million and a half of people in
Oklahoma and Indian Territory will
be brought to bear upon the senate.
and an effort to do one Of two things
made. Oklahoma and Indian Terri
tory's friends will then try to get a
joint bill passed for themselves. leay.
ing Arizona and New Mexico with.
out any statehood at all; and failing
in that they will try to get the whole
bill passed just as it is, and by their
superior numbers and influence will
try to override and override Arizona
and such objection a may come from
New Mexico.
What will the republicans do about
this? Knowing their sentiments am
led to the conclusion that they will
say to the democrats. we will not
permit you to pass a bill admitting
oklahoma and Indian Territory as n
state, and leaving out New Mexico and
Arizona, because that would give you
q state that classes with Kansas and
is surely democratic at once"
The republicans would gain nothing
politically in the bargain, and, there
fore, AS you want Oklahoma and In
dian Territory to come into the Union,
and as it is surely a democratic state,
we will counterbalance it as far as
we can by admitting what we hope
will be a republican state, though it
has muth smaller representation
than your great state of Oklahoma,
that is, we will admit New Mexico and
Arizona as one state at the same
time that Oklahoma and Indian Terri
tory is admitted. You must accept
this view of it, OF all statehood will be
defeated" the republicans will say.
Now, any person who possesses any
capacity to judge of conditions can
see that this is exactly what will oc
cur in the United States senate next
winter, no matter what party wins
out In the national election. The
democrats cannot in the next dozeI
or fifteen years do more than wiz
the presidency and The control Of tn,
house of representatives. The senate
stands there like a rock, immoyablt
for a generation, to prevent any sor
Of statehood that does not suit thu
republican side Of that body. Thu
democrats stand in the same position
in the senate. The fact that the dem
! ocrats are willing to pass separate
statehood bills for the four territorie
) leads the republican senators to be
lieve that the four territories II I'd
! mitted would be democratic. The,
think this, first. because OF the will
ingness OF the democrats to admi
them, and, second, because Of GU
) geographical position. One Of tn
hardest things l have had to do dul
ing my nearly four years in congress
9 has been to convince the republican
! OF the house and senate that Ney
y Mexico is not democratic. In spite Q
q all my efforts. and Of all the showing
have made in private to republican
in the house and senate, | have faile
to convince a majority Of them tina
we are not democratic even IN Me-
s. Mexico. The citizens Of New Mexico
e understanding this latter statemer
T. of mine TO be the fact, can then Sc
e how important 1t is that New Me
leo should 90 republican, and ais
rt how much better IL would be If Ar
y IONA could go republican, Prominei
u senators have repeatedly told me thi
they believe New Mexico went repul
p lican Just to deceive congress into a.
Q, hitting Ill to the union. My patieae
of has been taxed severely at tima
d. when trying to answer such a stat
ID ment as that in polite language. y
rs New Mexico go democratic this ia
he and her chances for statehood 9
d. glimmering. Democrats in the teri
tory will answer. "oh. the repub
cans have carried the territory twi'
on the promise Of statehood, and '
u. are sick OF e." I reply to theI
well although we have carried
ne twice, we have only begun to co
ce vince the republican side OF the I'm
,e- ed States senate that we are really !
lie publican here" It behoves every
te- publican In the territory OF NJ
n. Mexico to vote his ticket at the Il
IN. oloctiop ~ the territory goes de