Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-03-18
THE CONVENTION AND STATE.
HOOD.


pabilczn conyeztlon viii ievofs s0sae
time to . discussion Of ard action Us
% The oae question Ehich il of para
raoant Interest 90 the territory today,
namely. ser MEXICO and statehood
The county conventions ahGrh nave
net dnrtsg the East thirty days have
IL many Instances pus themselves %
recsrd Al against Joint statehood rlEn
out anT senons consideration O. dis.
cussion of the facts Involved. II II
moi 70 be thought that the convention
torrorrow viii handle this question In
any such reckless anner.
Il y wei knosn thst here are
among the delegates who viii Be
prominently heard II The convention,
uaany men who believe that Seu Mex.
icois only hope for statehood for
years To cone Is Ia josnt admission
win Arixona. and who believe join,
admission with terms sufficiently "a
sor1bIe % u 70 bc greatly prefer
FabIe 20 territoriallsm.
These men will not compromise
themselves and their beliefs BY silence
a. q moment which may decide the
fortunes M our commonwealth for a
generation. For where resolutions de.
nouncing Joint statehood have been
acquiesced in or .inked At III county
conventions As '.unimportant' or on
the ground that they did not amount
% anything IT can not be disputed
that the action Of the territorial con.
senfion will be important. Not be.
cause II sill have any eject on The ac.
ton Of The party Ia congress. but be.
cause Il will have q decided influence
upon the sotes ~ the republicans In
New Mexico In case the issue comes
before them for settlement
New Mexico has been fighting the
battle for her rights for a quarter N
4 century She has made d persis..
ent and courageous fight she has al
different times In The past Ten years,
appeared On the verge Of victory: she
has suffered the natural and necoss.
sary effects Of war for the attacks of
her enemies have been malignant and
ii times brutal.
She bears the scars of conflict To-
day and Il Ii safe to a that II will
her years TO outlIye the result
Of the abuse which has been heaped
upon her head by those who resent
cd her efforts 10 gain a place among
the sisterhood Of states. But today do
We find her about to step over the
threshold into the family OF
sovereign states? BY no means.
The house committee on ter.
riiories which a year ago declared
In favor Of the separate admissign Of
New Mexico has recently denied the
Of our delegate and friends and
recommended Joint statehood and
nothing ore. We have lost ground.
10 the press OF the United States.
which a year age contained some.
advocates Of separate admis,
sion. nj friends are content now to
urge rs 70 accept jointure as being
The only hope which ia left to IL.
The only exception 10 this are the
democratic papers which still cry out
separate admission, In order 10
confuse and otstruct the issue.
Our delegate In congress who has
had the patience OF n Job and the
courage Of a Daniel IN his fight FOR
separate admission. has given ii up
Is ready 20 accept jointure as 4
compromise. The president OF the
United States had declared himself as
the admission OF New Mexico
md Arizona AZ one state. The lead.
srs In both house and senate. includ.
ing many OF those who fought sep.
srate statehood, have declared their |
willingness 10 pass a Joint statehood
Ill, The house committee Is even now
the provisions OF such a Bill
which Is 70 give the new state q
endowment of money and
public lands The most reliable re-
from Washington Indicate prac
icaliy a united front IN the repubIi
majority Ii favor " a measure
md a united front in The democratic
minority. Against the measure.
rhe republicans Of The territory have
iced to consider well any declara,
ion which commits them III The fasej
{ these facts I
This united republican majority u
Imposed o. Two classes of congress
nen those who have long been QUE
and who would give up ssn
rate statehood II II were within tneir
'ower bat who recognize that II istl