Albuquerque evening citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1905-11-01
why THE JOINT STATEHOOD
BILL SHOULD PASS CONGRESS
From Harpsr's Weekly.

Of the federal legislature. but which failed last winter
to become a law, will be again pressed with energy in
the first session Of the ffty-ninth congress, and there is
reason to fear that it may be resisted with equal vigor.
though from motives unavowab @. The bill provides. #
viii be remembered, for the admission Of the territories
of New Mexico and Arizona to The union as a single state.
and of Oklahoma and Indian Territory as another state.
1t is of urgent moment that the American people should
become thoroughly alive to the merits of This measure,
and should impress the duty of recognizing them on their
representatives in congress. The bill Is a just DilL, con
ceived in the interest of the country as a whole. IS well
as of the four territories directly concerned. No objection
can. be made to it that is not local selfish or corrupt.
This we found it easy to demonstrate last winter. when
the measure was under discussion. but it may be ell to
restate the facts clearly and succinctly at this time. when
another resolute attempt to pass a righteous bin is i'm
pending.
Let us look first at that part of the joint statehood bill
which contemplates the admission of Arizona and New
Mexico to the union, not as separate states. but as one
state. AS we formerly pointed out, the population OF
Arizona, according to the last census, was less than
$4,000, and that of New Mexico less than 10000. To
permit an aggregate population Of less than 100000 to
be represented in the United States senate by four sena-
tors would be glaringly unjust to New York and Penn
sylVania, which in 1900 had between them more than
~lS,57OO0O inhabitants; or to Illinois and Ohio, which in
the same year had nearly 100000 inhabitants: or to
Missouri and Texas, which, according 20 the same cen
sus, had between them nearly 100000 inhabitants. Yet
it is not difficult to understand why certain railway and
mining interests would desire to see Arizona and New
Mexico acquire a representation in the senate out of all
proportion to their collective population. The railways
which are Interested in securing for New Mexico and
Arizona the largest possible number of voices and votes
in the United States senate are the Santa Re, the South
en Pacific. and the network of mining railroads in the
last named territory. Not only these railways, but all the
other railways in the United States wish to have in the
United States senate the largest possible number of sen.
ators who will do their bidding. In the judgment of men
well informed as to local conditions. the railroads would
have no difficulty, provided Arizona and New Mexico
should be admitted as separate states, in controlling the
election of senators, and would thus secure four additional
agents in the United States senate. On the other hand,
If the two territories should he admitted a. N state
it is doubtful whether the railroads could control the cleo
ton OF even a single senator, and in any event they
would gain only two senators instead of four. 1t was to
be expected, therefore, that the railroads would leave
nothing undone to defeat the admission of these two ter
ritories as one state, and, on the other hand. would do
everything they could to bring about their admission as
1.-TWO states. Against the statehood bill are also arrayed
the mining interests, from motives not avowed, but
equally unmistakable. For years the territorial legisla
ture of Arizona has been trying to pass a buliontax law
which would compel the mining interests to pay a part
of the Just debts owed by them to the territory. With
less than $4,000 voters in the territory. however. of which
not $4,000 are Americans by birth, it has not been difficult
for the mining interests, combined with the railroads
to control the Arizona legislature. They know, at the
same time, that if Arizona and New Mexico were united
in a single state, their domination would be doomed
Consequently, the mining interests are determined thai
Arizona shall be admitted as a single state, or else retai1
the status of a territory.
1t is satisfactory to learn, nevertheless, that. durinl
me last year, the cause of joint statehood has made nota
bic progress in Arizona itself as well as in New Mexico
- N'NNSN hSNopdpNlo are HON duNOCdliHR II
joint statehood bill, towit: the Nogales Oasis, the Tucson
Daily Star, the st, Johns News-Herald, and the Coconinc
Sun, published at Flagstaff. In New Mexico, the sam,
measure is supported by the Daily Citizen. the MorninI
Journal, and the Industrial Advertiser, all published a
Albuquerque; the Las Cruces Citizen; the Alamogordt
Journal; the Roswell Daily Record; the Silver City En-
terprise and the Silver City Independent; the Syringe
lstockman; the Carlsbad Current; La voz del Pueblo
published at Las Vegas; and the Mckinley County Repub
mean, published at Gallup. Nor should we omit to men
ton that within a twelvemonth ten or fifteen leadin,
| men OF ArlZlnA haVa hnpn. QnnyartaI a. haifaf in iDin
statehood, and are urging the adoption of the measur,
IN letters to the press and speeches on the stump. Thi
! encouraging; for the statehood bill has no selfish inter
ests behind it, and is commended to acceptance by trutl
and justice alone. 1t must, Notwithstanding, he acknow
lodged that the joint statehood project is still opposed
in both Arizona and New Mexico, not only by the railway
and mining interests, but by two classes of individua
selfseekers-towit first. the politicians, who want t.
retain the territorial offices which they now fill. bu
which they would lose If joint statehood were conferred
upon the two territories; secondly, the politicians WHIT
governors or other state officers, when statehood shall
have been brought about, and who, manifestly, woulC
have just twice the chance of attaining their object if tn,
two territories We're admitted as separate states.
Now let us look at the case of Oklahoma and Indiar
Territory, which, like New Mexico and Arizona, were
originally one. Economically, these two territories still
constitute a single commonwealth. As at the date of the
last census they had, between them, nearly 100000 in
habitants, a number which, by the way, is rapidly in
creasing, there is obviously no objection to their admis
sion as one state, and consequent requirement of two
senators, on the score of inadequate population. Never
theless, when a joint statehood bill was introduced int
the senate three years ago, in order to defeat Quay
nefarious proposal 10 make a separate state out of eaci
of the territories, scarcely anybody in Oklahoma anC
Indian Territory was in favor of the former measure
All the politicians were against it, for the same reasons
that have led the politicians Of New Mexico and Arizona
to oppose the reunion of those two territories and thei
admission into the union as one state. The people o
Oklahoma and Indian Territory were open to argument
however and the ultimate outcome of an earnest discus
sion of the subject was, that the politicians in those ter
] uloIlCS mad TO abate their resistance to the Joint state
hood bill, and in the last session Of the ffty-eighth con
gress an overwhelming majority of the United State
senate was won over 10 its support. Since the adjourn
ment Of congress, nevertheless, the mining and railwa.
interests Of Arizona and New Mexico have undertaken T.
defeat the joint statehood bill by starting in Indian Tel
rtory itself an agitation for separate statehood. On tn