Arizona republican., 1905-02-09
What VIII New rIexIco Dor

If New Mexico succeeds ir getting
admitted into the union, the progress
and policies of the new state will be
watched with interest by the people OF
this territory. The success or failure
of the statehood experiment in our sis
ter territory will have a direct bearing
on Arizona's statehood chances. While
political considerations control in the
creation of new states, eastern politi-
clans are reluctant in any case to in
crease western membership in the SEN
ate, and if the New Mexicans fail to do
themselves credit their failure will be
seized as another excuse for barring
Arizona from admission. New Mexico
will be pointed out as a horrible ex-
ample" 1t will be with an interest pc
culiarIy selfish, therefore, that we
shall note the first steps OF New Mex
leo as a state.
1t is not worth while to conceal the
fact that there are reasons for uneasi-
ness on the part of Arizonians. The
citizenship of New Mexico is of
mixed quality. The level of politics Ov-
er there is not high. The bribery of
voters and the control of the masses
by bosses are established Gus
toms. 1t is true. perhaps, that New
Mexico is no worse in that respect
than some of the older sections of the
union. In Rhode Island, for example,
voters of the sO-caIled respectable"
class sell themselves by hundreds The
highest offices are a matter of barter
and sale. In Delaware it is the same.
and in some portions of Indiana the
votes of citizens in large numbers are
openly on the market in every state
and national election.
In New Mexico the voters are not as
intelligent as a class as are the vot-
ers of the states just mentioned, but
they can scarcely be more vulnerable
to bribery than are the voters of Rhode
Island and Delaware. But il is not
alone in the matter of purchaseable
voters that New Mexico has earned
an unenviable reputation. She has
some politicians of unquestioned integ-
rity. but there are more of the other
class. and therein lies the great
est danger. 1t is to be feared that the
restraining hands raised against ex-
travagance and corruption will be few.
These things are fully known in Wash
ington. Senator Beveridge's commit
tee reported, after making a tour Of the
two territories, that the citizenship of
Arizona was much superior to that of
New Mexico. The fact is generally
known and conceded. Indeed, the sole
reason why New Mexico instead of
Arizona was selected for admission was
because of the political complexion OF
that territory. Had Arizona been re-
publican, this territory would have
been preferred as an offset to demo-
cratic Oklahoma. 1t will be a grim
joke on the republican majority in con-
gress if New Mexico makes flop to
the democratic party-and that is as
likely to happen as not. Thousands
of New Mexico's citizens have little
understanding of the political issues in
this country, they have no fixed par
ty allegiance, and they have been vOt-
ing the republican ticket in late years
because their bosses trained with the
republican party. If these bosses
should take the democratic side New
Mexico would go democratic.
1t is to be feared that all these
things will initiate against Arizona in
the future, notwithstanding that con-
gress is fully informed that this ter
ritory is typically American and New
Mexico is-different.