Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-04-15
House Committee Findings
On Joint Statehood Bill

"We favor the admission Of the re
naming territories at the earliest prac
ticable date, having due regard for thu
interest OF the people OF the territorie.
and of the United States"
The sans party in 1900 had this dec
laration:
We FAVOR nome rule for. and the
early admission to statehood of the
territories Of New Mexico, Arizona and
Oklahoma
These pledges are plainly violated
in the failure to report a bill in favor
of statehood for each OF these terri
tories. Such q bill passed the house
of representatives in the last con,
gress, and each Of them certainly has
a much stronger claim for recognition
now than it had in 1902 when thai
statehood bill passed. The delegate
from Arizona, near the beginning b
this session, presented a bill for the
admission Of Arizona as d state. This
delegate from New Mexico presented
a similar bill for the admission of New
Mexico. and the delegate from OKLA,
homa likewise presented a bill asking
for the admission of Oklahoma to state
hood, and in the hearings before Ihe
committee each Of them insisted that
the bill presented by him reflected the
wishes Of his people and insisted upon
a favorable report thereon.
The people Of Arizona and New Mex
leo especially have repudiated the &C.
ton Of the committee in trying 70
make joint statehood for their terri,
tories. Why should the committee on
the territories change its base with
reference to this matter. What excuse
can be given to the country for this
utter disregard Of party pledges and
failure to consider the wishes Of the
peoplee
Under this bill Arizona, being mum,
eraeilly the weaker, could be forced ipl
to d union with New Mexico, even
though every vote in Arizona were
cast against the consolidation and
this applies with eqv&i force to the
proposed union ofsOkIahoma and In;
dian Territory The stronger Of the
two territories can mercilessly coerce
tke other into union.
lit has long been a settled doctrih-
81 American polity. founded M wisdom
and Justice. that a territory OF the
union is, upon organization clothed
with the inchoate right Of ultimate
statehood-a right to be exercised 4
the discretion Of congress when the
territory is capable. BY reason OF Its
resources and population, 70 ASSUME
the dudes fnd obligations Of q free
state.
The denial Of this right. the reversal
Of this policy BY an arbitrary exercise
Of power BY congress In forcing an I'm.
natural union Of territories against
the will OF their people, the forcible
union Of people distinct In customs
habits, manners and religion, Is I'll
traradical and revolutionary. II Is Q
pitiful illustration OF the degradation
to which a party may fall when yiolat
ing, for party principles, its plighteo
faith made to the people in the ma
tional platform.
Should the republican party pass
this bill, wicked as II Is In the denial
of equal rights In representation and
partisan in all Of It's material details
it will but afford andfhcr indecent ok
ample of the suppression Of individual
territorial, and national rights to sub
serve partisan ends. Even more thar
that, It Is the surrender Of the power
that four sovereign states would exer
else in the union IL constitutional
methods were orderly followed inltht
admission OF states. II Is the last sef
fort to minimize the influence % ~
west and southwest In the citadel D
federal power. the United States sen
ate.
We are Of the opinion that Il will VI
Itimately be better for the union thai
the territories opposed to consolida
tion shall be denied statehood undcl
the theory Of this bill indefinitely thar
that the conditions that will be forcet
by an unnatural union should exist,
The report Is signed by mem
bers OF the committee.