The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1906-09-01

the Record has been favored by
Judge B. S. Rodey with the following
translation of letter written by him
to the Spanish papers of New Mexico:
San Juan, Porto Rico, Aug. %, 90.
Dear Mr.. Editor:
l feel that it is my duty at this
time to write a letter to our native
citizens in New Mexico for publica-
ton in your and other newspapers
AS all our people know, about three
1 months ago the President of the Uni
ted States appointed me Federal
Judge of the Island of Porto Rico
and | am now here filling that off
ice among people the vast majority
of wnom are Spaniards and mixed
races somewhat like our own people
in New Mexico.
i am sure that my conduct
In the quarter of a century l have
lived in our Territory towards the
native people is such, that they will
believe that l am sincere in what
ever 1 say to tnem. Therefore, l want
to give them my advice on the state
hood question
My advice is for them to vote for
joint statehood on November the 9Th
next. l give them this advice from my
conscience, believing, as l do, that it
is for their best interests have de
Tended the native people of New Max
leo at all times and in all places
against all their detractors, and L
have never permitted an aspersion to
be cast upon them wherever l heard
it in Congress or out of Congress- in
the Territory, or out of the Territory
without resenting it. In fact, | pride
myself that 1 changed public opinion
in Congress and over the Eastern
States somewhat in favor of our ma
tive people by my writings and the
speeches.I nave made. can see moth
ing but good in Joint Statehood. 1
look at it this way. A State Govern
ment is immeasurably superior to the
Territorial form of government, and
it will be particularly so in our case
because of the splendid and liberal
Enabling Act which, as modestly as
! may, / do claim is almost entirely
my work.
/ know, of course, better than any
body else in New Mexico, and think
this will be conceded, what sentiment
in the Nation about us is, and there
fore, l. tell our people that we will
not get into the Union as a separate
State in the lifetime of anybody now
living in New Mexico. The Nation has
stopped admitting small numbers of
people as States.N Area counts for
nothing; it is number of people and
extent of resources that counts.
Oklahoma and Indian Territories
fought just as hard as we did to each
get separate Statehood. The Indian
Territory wanted to come into the I'm
ion with the Indian of Sequoia; Ok
lahoma and Indian Territory each has
more than three time the population
of New Mexico, and the two togeth-
er have four time the population of
New Mexico, and Arizona put togeth-
er; yet they found out, that neither
of them would be let in separately as
a State, and therefore they acquies
ced in the proposition of Congress to
make the two into one State; and so
the Indian Territory loses its iieriti-
fy and its name.
Now friends; and I say that f bm
my heart, because all the native peo-
ple of New Mexico, am sure, my.
friends, as certainly am their friend,
/ secured in this bill for you and for
the rest OF us, twice the quantity Of
land that the people OF any other pro