Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-03-22
MExICANs SHOULD LEARN
TO STEAK ENGLISH
Durango Banner.

Durango Banner.
Neither New Mexico nor Arizona
should be admitted to statehood, sing
ly or jointly, until the Mexican popu-
lation learns to read, write and talk
The American language. The natives
have had the opportunity ever since
those territories were settled by
Americans, yet the great majority of
them can not speak the American Ian
guage and are too lazy to learn
The writer travelled through New
Mexico from north to south a few
years ago, and became familiar with
he ignorance of the natives as to the
English language. Rarely is any one
found lin the little settlements and
villages who can speak English, un-
less it is the storekeeper. who is in
variably an American. a Jew or Ger
man. Americans from the time of
their first advent into those territor-
les have learned the language of the
Mexicans, and the latter have never
taken the trouble to learn the Ian
guage of the country they live in
Think of the spectacle of the legisla-
ture In the town of Santa Fe having
IN interpreter who rushes to the side
of a speaker and interpTets the
speech, following the speaker as rap
idly as possible, so that the two are
talking at once. He interprets the
Mexican members speech for the ben
eft of the Americans and the Ameri-
cans speech for the benefit of the
Mexicans.
Think of a lot OF lawmakers who
were born and raised in the United
States, whose ancestors back to the
sixteenth century were living in the
very same country, making laws pur-
porting to be equitable and just, yet
never having the get-up to learn the
language
How much sense of equity and JUS
tice could they be expected to have?
Just about the same degree that their
country men across the border in Old
E''aito hdNft NHtIt llty put lUt
train crew in jail whenever there is
wreck. And in that country. when
hey put man in Jail too often they
forget all about him and leave him
there to rot.
This brings us TO the subject which
led to this article. The other day in
TDnS a nf hn fytI
hanged as the penalty of having been
convicted of a murder in the Red
River section. From what can he
learned by reading of the hanging 1t
seems that the old man had to shoot
two Mexicans to save his own life.
He was tried by a jury OF Mexicans,
and with them II would only be neces-
sary to show that the man killed was
a Mexican to get conviction regard
less of whether the killing was justi.
hable or not, The old veteran stood
A poor show with a Mexican Jury. a
Mexican sheriff and the Mexican ma
emery OF the law, manufactured by b,
Legislators who were selected usually
because they owned large nocks of
sheep. The old mans attorney tried
TO get new trial but failed. He tried
TO have the case appealed, but the old
man mad no funds to pay for the tran
script of evidence. The stenographer
offered then to furnish the transcript
lree of charge, but sentence had by
this time been passed. The governor
was appealed to, but declined to act
except that he stayed the execution
Ten days in order that the sanity of
the prisoner might be inquired into.
Finding the man was sane he de.
clined to take further action.
1t Is charged that the foreman Of
the jury made the statement that he
found the old man guilty in order
TO save the expense of another trial.
If that be true all New Mexico should
blush for shame.
II is claimed that the Intelligent
population OF New Mexico should not
be made to suffer for the ignorant.
we say they should. If the advanced
10 not want to be held back by the liz.
norant they should compel them to
learn at least the language of their
Every Mexican who can not
mix the American language ought to
he disfranchised. 1t Is an outrage
On the franchise to let him vote. And
t is crime against Americans TO let
lim have any hand in making the
avs for those Americans.
Papers have declined a fair discus.
zion of this subject for 1t is a deli
'ate one, especially with papers that
nay lose large amount of business
~ too plain discussion.