Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1906-07-30

The esteemed LIS Vegas Optic, in
a Courteous reference to a paragraph
In this department Of the great Peeos
Valley weekly. does me the honor %
mingie my identity with the editor.
a tribute which I appreciate perhaps
better than the man who has the
right To use the nronoun we" AMI
desires 10 know shat I have drawn
from the depths u my profound wis.
dom rs 10 the result NJ the stasehooi
fight. To 70 disnified a query { am
pleased 10 make response. In my
opinion statehood will carry In New
Mexico BY At least an 50 per cent
vote. In Arizona the antis will Sc.
cure by greater or less margin the
1900 odd votes necessary 10 defeat
jointure. although II Ia distinctly o
BILE that the rapi NY weakening senti.
ment In favor Of the measure NAV
gain force enough To carry the day.
All Of which Is devoutly 10 be hoped.
but II the measure falls II will all be
to the benefit Of New Mexico. and
bring II before the winter session AZ
congress With a claim for single
statehood that can hardly BE- ignored.
For this reason alone. every citizen
lot New Mexico should consider Il his
personal duty 10 vote for joint state
hood. and TO make every vote for 1t
that he possibly can. New Mexico
stands TO win either way Il goes. and
the personal obligation upon e
patriotic voter Ia plain.
Personally I have always believed
In making one state OF New Mexico
and Arizona, and would only accept
single statehood In event union
could not be secured. In many papers
In New Mexico and Arizona I have
expressed this belief Tor the past
twelve years. and for much Of that
period. so FAR as I know. I was the
only newspaper writer to do so. and
received all sorts of chatting on &C.
count OF Il. The Optic Itself several
times did me the honor To copy these
articles. and others Of the larger pa.
pers did the same thing. When the
agitation for single statehood began
this last time, I carefully refrained
from urging my old views until such
time as II became apparent that dou.
BILE statehood was the only rational
and attainahle way that independence
could be attained.
No matter whether jointure carries
that fall or not. my opinion In the
matter will not be changed Ia the
least. though to be sure II II fails |
will ~cheerfnliy work for single state,
hood as the next best thing. My rea'
sons for this attitude are very simple,
and to me at least satisfactory. The
state Of Arizona would be consider
ably smaller than the state Of Texas
which must be conceded to be the
best governed state In the Union
This. applies In every department oil
the government. and especially In the
matter OF railroad regulation. one o.
the crying NECESSITIES II thsrterrito
ries as they TOw "suknd. and which
has been the greatest agent In re
tardjng tbey legitimate growth~and de
velopmens et~ths .southwestg- As out
state. the Very size Of Arizona would
protect ~ frgm the enemteg Of good
goyernmentC Goyernor fiosg said
that Il "the boys from the
forks OF the creek that protect Texas
they are the unpu2chasabIe eiemen,
In the legislature" and the SAM
would be true In the new state, eac,
part OF which 10 the past has chief,
had to fear the professional polite
ians from the larger eenters Of popu
Iation. Then again the school feature
Ut the proposed state Is one that ap
peals irresistihly. Education Is IN,
great essential to our present popula
ton. and the formation of the nev
state would lay the foundatioN for
system founded along that OF Texas
which IL q model for the whole coun
try. and is backed by a fund that out
classes a kings ransom. Simple AMI
effective laws on franchise. taxation
and the public welfare would be man.
1sihnes more costly attatnable with III,