The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-07-15
NEW MEXICO AS
AN ALIEN COUNTRY
Why Territory is Not Ready
for Statehood
THE REASONS SET FORTH
There Are Counties Where the Bal
lots Are Printed In castlllan.
Laws In Spanish and Every
One Speaks Mexican.
THE REASONS SET FORTH
From the Kansas city Star.

CnelSea, Ok-Ihe likelihood OF the ter
ritory of New Mexico becoming a part of
the proposed new state of Arizona is
awakening among the people of 1.-The
| states new interest in the people of
the southwestern territory.
The residents and institutions of New
Mexico present a field for consideration
by the alienist and the sociologist that
heretofore has been comparatively neg
lected. In the territory there are counties
in which the Spanish language is taught
in the public schools to the exclusion OF
our own language; where justices of the
peace, born within the United States can
neither speak nor write English and re-
qure the services OF an interpreter when
,, Americans seek relief in their courts;
where the territorial laws are published
only in Spanish where American ballots
are printed In Castilian; where American
Americans are outnumbered more than
two to one by Mexican Americans; and
where ignorance of the English language
and of the constitution of the United
States is a stepping stone to public office.
Jesus Maria Tefoya, Spanish speaking
witness. testifying through an interpreter
before United States Senate sub-com-
mittee of the committee on territories, at
East Las Vegas, N. NJ, November IL, 1902,
stated that he was 50 years of age, ma
tive of New Mexico, having been born at
Santa Fe; that he had been justice of the
peace several times. He exhibited his
| docket kept in Spanish and stated that
he used the Spanish language because 1t
| was his mother tongue"
Enrique II. salasar, postmaster of Las
Vegas, told the subcommittee that the
inhabitants of the town were almost all
Spanish speaking and that was the reason
most of the grocer meat markets and
other signs were Spanish,
| Diamo Dec Sena, speaking through an
| interpreter, testified that he was census
| enumerator in 1900 in country district in
| San Miguel county ana that out of SOC
people enumerated, about twenty-five
spoke American"
A. H. s. Wooster stated that in polti-
| cal campaigns In the country districts this
speeches were all in Mexican, and al
the tickets printed in Mexican"
The Statutes Printed In Spanish.
Felipe Bacay Garcia was another justice
of the peace In Las Vegas, born In New
Mexico, who spoke and kept his docket
exclusively in Spanish. He stated thai
| when English speaking witnesses ap
peared before him he employed an inter
prefer; that he had never read the con
| stitution of the United States; and thai
the statutes used by him were printed In
the Spanish language.
]. Francisco Chavez, superintendent OF
public instruction, told the subcommittee
at Santa Fe that there were some districts
in the territory In which Spanish was the
only language taught In the public
| schools.
| Miss Barbara Perea Risarri testified
1 that she was a census enumerator in 1900
| In Santa Fe county, and that she took
| the census In Spanish.
Jose D. Sena stated he was employed
as an interpreter in the territorial courts
that he served as interpreter in the re-
publican territorial convention which nom-
mated Mr.. Rodey as delegate to Congress
| in 1902 He added that interpreters were
used in both bodies of the territorial leg.
| islature.
Jurors Made Their "Mark."
Pedro Sanchez, 70 years of age, was cen
sus supervisor of New Mexico in 1900. In
November 49, 1902, 1t developed that Of
the seventy-eight enumerators appointed
by him, nearly all of them were Mexi
| cans and that the American enumerators
called upon him for interpreters to ait
| them In their work. The taking of th'
census In that territory required th'
services of one German interpreter, seven
teen Indian interpreters, one italian inter
prefer and thirteen Spanish interpreters.
C. NJ Foraker United States marsha
for the district OF New Mexico, testified
that he recalled on one occasion wher
nineteen grand Jurors out of twenty-one
signed receipts for their fees by mark
and that in another case twenty-one petit
jurors out of twenty-four did likewise.
According to William e. Gortner. court
reporter in the fourth judicial district
out of five counties there was only one
In which an English speaking jury was
used-Colfax county Testifying further
he said, I'm the county of Mora I
the juries. both the grand and the petit
| Jury out Of the twenty -four in
/ that county, probably two Americans, the
balance Mexicans The Americans
always try to get off the Jury. and the
Mexicans want to serve. They want to
get the 81 day and mileage"
Don't Know What Statehood Is.
Very few American names are found
upon the roster of elective public officers
| in New Mexico, and a majority OF these
belong to persons whose mothers were
full blood Mexlcans. Mr.. Gortner, in
speaking of a race prejudice existing in
the towns of Las Vegas and Albuquerque
| stated that the two elements were divide
| by two towns at each point, and that
| there seems to be a race prejudice there
more than in any other part of the world -
Martinez Amador. who had lived at Las
Cruces for ffty-five years, gave an opin-
ion to the subcommittee TO the effect that
the majority Of the residents of New Mex.
leo are not ready for statehood, and wher
asked concerning the feeling of the native
Mexicans, replied: There are a good
many that do not know the difference be
tween a state and territory. The create,
part Of them do not know how to write
| or read"
We have read at length the alIenist't
views concerning the immigrant who ar
riyes at Castle Garden-the immigran
who is usually prompt in adapting him
self to American conditions. including oul
language. What has the alienst to sa,
for the native New Mexican. who. durin:
a life time residence within the United
States, makes no effort to learn GU
tongue, and who finds no form of Ameri
canism essential to residence or the hold
- vt,ftfc afffca f1nder oytr oovar,