Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1906-02-21
Statehood Debate.

the W0mens Library association W
well attended and ths debate one 9
the most interesting ayer held In g.
city. @1
The question for debate wab
Resolved that the Public Interest q
the Nation and of the. Territories de
mand the Admission Of New Mexic'
and Arizona Severally. a. Eeparat
States and not Jointly as one State.
The debntors were Judge n. v. Loni
and Charles W. G. Ward on the affir
native and A. o. Larraxola and w. q
Hayden ON the negative. eecundln,
Romero acted Oh presiding officer AMI
A. T. Rogers. j., w. J. Lucas ant
Antonio Lucero were the judges.
G. w. g. Ward opened the debat,
at $40 p. M by giving the list ol
points In favor Of separate statehood
upon which ne and his associate
Judge Long. intended to elaborate.
MIR. Ward made an excellent address
and surprised his hearers by hlI
ability as public speaker. His part
was especially difficult. AZ he waa tht
first ON the program. He spoke Of the
efforts Of congress- To force Joint
statehood measure upon an unwilling
people, and the effect Of the pre-
cedent OF forcing the people Of thu
territories into form OF government
without their consent. He stated that
the territories had been promised
single statehood. that Minnesota had
only one-fOrtieth and Indiana one
twelfth Of the population Of New
Mexico when they we're admitted, that
there were natural barriers OF trade,
Interests and industries between New
Mexico and Arizona and that the two
territories united would be too large
and unwieldy for one state.
| Attorney w. g. Hayden followed
with a very interesting talk inter,
spersed with short anecdotes and
stories illustrating his points and he
was well received. He said that ne
and MIR Larraz0la had the unpopular
side but had the adyantass. of having
President Roosevelt and Senator ney.
eridge with them, He held. that New
Mexico and Arizona was not the kind
OF country 10 support 4 large number
~ people and to becOme gr3aE state
they should be united and that two
good senator's and congressman could
do as much for this country as four
senators and congressman or mediocre
ability He believed that joint state
could be more economical, and that
the tax rate would be greatly reduced.
He said that he was In favor Of q
joint state from economical and IN
dnstrial reasons and not from politi.
cal.
Attorney Larrazola followed ii the
debate and made q very brilliant ad-
dress. He began his argument by ex-
pressing the conviction that two sena-
tors and congressman were better than
two licensed beggars - 1t present.
He admitted absolutely that the terri
tories had just and moral right to
admission into the union ~ separate
states and confined his argument ~
most entirely to the subject Of eco
nomics. He said thai Ohio, Maine
and Iowa had been dragged into the
union practically against their wishes
and that the constitution stated that
the territories we're nothing more or
.less than chattels Of the United
States and could be disposed of as
congress pleased ana that The boun-
daries could be changed In any man
ner TINT congress thought best. One
large stats he said could b. governed
more economically than two, and that
the new state would be too large for
any ring or clique to control It.
Judge Long wound up the debate
with closing asonment which many
th0u&At sealed the doom Of the mega
tive side. He brought forth new rea-
aopa Why joint statehood was not de.
11ble snd ably answered the argu.
neuts Of his opponents. Rings and
cliuues thrived In big states, he said,
and Enve as exssmples the states u
New York and PennsyIvanla. Mr..
Laryas0la, he said, admitted that NV |
Mexico had . right. to admission N 81
separate state, and what was Just and |
right was always best He denied the |
right Of congress to dispose Of the
territories n they wiIled, but said
they were only held In trust. All
though In the history Of the nation
many states and territories had been
divided. never had two been j0inted
together. He concluded BY sayingI
that there would be- very lille saving
IN expense Of government o there
would be jrst Is many judges and
legislators n at present.
The judges then retired and after
A very short consultation returned
md announced decision. in favor
n the negative or Of joint statehood.
The audience was greatly divided
n opinion ~ to the justice Of the de-
sision. 8. Il