The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1905-12-11
JUDGE FREEMAN INTERVIEWED
Gives Washington Paper Some Point
ers on Political Conditions
i'm New Mexico.

| mo, L am not here On a statehood
| mission said Judge A A Freeman
of New Mexico, who is stopping a
1907 G street. In my section of the
country, the lower Pecos Valley, what
age in the east which says thai
Blood is thicker than water but this
does not apply to the arid West
where water is thicker than blood
for water is blood; it is the life OF
the whole country. Our irrigation
works have been twice destroyed by
floods; the company has become
bankrupt, and we are appealing to
the government to save US.
I'VE have met a most prosperous
President and the Secretary of the
Interior. The work will be taken
hold of by the government, and our
valley, as beautiful as the Vale of
Temple and as fertile as the Valley
Of the Nile, will become again the
seat of many happy homes.
Speaking of Statehood, however,
the situation is just this: Practically
all the people would welcome a
change from the present conditions.
A large majority of the taxpayers,
the non-off1ce holding and non-office
seeking class, prefer being united
with Arizona. To understand this you
must know that in the Territory, as
it now exists, taxation under the
present administration has become
onerous beyond endurance; and this
too, while the government of the Un-
tied States is paying in the neighbor-
hood of one-half of our legitimate ex-
penses of government.
The most serious opposition to
Joint Statehood comes from those
holding official positions in the Ter
ritory. New Mexico can boast of the
closest official corporation this counA
try has ever seen. Every officer i'll
the Territory from governor down
to notary public is a candidate for
third term; and this campaign is
being managed with great skill. The
governor is, supporting all the other
officers, who in turn are supporting
him. The administration newspapers,
all of which are financially interest
ed in continuing the present situa.
tion, are supporting this term move
ment. There is not an administration
paper in the Territory whose proprie
tor is not holding some official posi-
ton or which is not enjoying the
benefit of some printing contract
There is not a disinterested newspa-
per nor a disinterested citizen who
desires to see the present propagan-
da continued.
Gov. Otero has been very active
in building UP an Otero party. He
has reappointed his entire corps of
islature, which was absolutely under
his control, added more than fifty
per cent. to the number of his appoin
tees, thus adding a large force to
his third-term campaign. The chief
justice of the Territory, who is also
a candidate for a third term, declared
at a banquet recently given to the
governor by his appointees that he
was in favor Of the governor not on
ly for a third term, but for as many
terms as he desires, and the governor
of course, entertaius the same senti-
ment towards the chief justice. The
Otero administration will go down
into history as the most extravagant
one that the Territory has ever ex-
perienced. The President will never
render the. people of New Mexico a
better service than his appointment
of Herbert J. Hagerman to the posi-
ton of governor. Mr.. Hagerman is
young man of extraordinary execu-
tive ability, quiet and unassuming.
and it will be great relief to the
people Of the Territory to have a
purely business administration take
the place of one characterized by pet
ty politics. Mr.. Hagerman's appoint
ment will give general satisfaction to
the people of the Territory
The great masses of the people
of New Mexico of both parties are
extremely friendly toward the Presi
dent; they admire his free, frank
and fearless manner. They are parti
cularly in favor of his policy on the
rate question. Being citizens of q
Territory rather than a State, they
do not enjoy the protection of the
present Interstate commerce legisla
ton.
eff we could be admitted into The
Union with Arizona, the New State
would soon become one OF the bes,