Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-01-03
.BURs0M ANSWERS
FREEMAN LETTER
No Trade Between
President and Or
ganization.
TO hD JOINT STATEHOOD
Members New Mexico Dele
CATION Not Asked to Com
promise Themselves.

| The Albuquerque Fakir Journal ir
Mondays issue stated as fact thai
ia delegation of New Mexicans, con
sisting Of Solomon Luna, H. O. Bur
sum, w. J. Mills, J. w. Reynolds, and
W. II. II. Llewellyn, was present when
an agreement was made between the
President of the United States on one
side and Mr.. Luna and Mr.. Bursum
on the other that the Republican or
ganization aud the Republican party
of this Territory should support joint
statehood In the passage of the Ham.
ilton- -Beyeridge bill and in elections
thereafter If the President re-appoint.
ed the pesent territorial officials
which were then being considered and
recommends, by the organization.
Raynoids Talks.
A representative Of the New Mexi.
can called npon Secretary ]. W. Ray.
lnolds MS ashis statement. The Sec.
retary said:
Il was NOT present at any meeting
between the President and Messrs.
Luna and Bursum or anyone else at
which the questions of the appoint
n1ents and Of statehood were dis.
cussed. never saw the President In
company with Messrs. Luna and Bur-
sum and had no part in any trans
actions or agreements that took place
as alleged, between the President and
these gentle'ien, III any such took
place. In fi4at,, ] was in Washington
simply for the purpose of securing my
appointment and took no part in
statehood mi .lers or anything else.
"Messrs. Lena and Bursum, did not
consult me upon the statehood ques-
tion and / hai nothing to do with the
actions Of these gentlemen In the mat.
ter aid know. nothing personally Of
their cont. ran n with the President
upon ,his subject. -
5ursum's Statement.
A representative of the New Mexi-
can called upon Chairman H. O. Bur.
sum Of the Territorial Republican Cen.
trail Committee and stated that the
New Mexican would like to inform the
people of the facts and the true inside
Of this affair, as Judge Freeman had
taken occasion to publish his side of
the story in an open letter which had
been published by the Albuquerque
Journal. The chairman laughed and
good humoredly said;
Certainly, since Judge Freeman has
seen fit to publish letter directed to
me and in which he stated that an
agreement had been made between
the President Of the United States on
one hand and Mr.. Luna and myself
on the other hand, pledging the sup
port Of the party organization to joint
statehood in consideration of obtain.
ing the appointments of officials recon.
mended by the organization. / think
In view Of the publicity that has been
given the letter of Judge Freeman
that 1t is due to the public to know
the facts.
"The President did not exact any
pledge in any shape, form or manner,
either from Mr. Luna or from myself
either in return for his recognition of
the party organization in this Terri.
tory or otherwise. was present when
the matter Of selecting the appointees
for the various offices to be filled In
New Mexico was, brought up and dis.
cussed with the President.
Statehood Not Mentioned.
"Not one single word was expressed
by any Of the members Of our delega.
ton at that conference with reference
to statehood, either joint, separate or
otherwise We, of course, understood
and understand today that the Presi.
dent Is heartily In favor Of joint state.
hood, but as for any barter or trade
having been made or suggested by
either the President or myself or Mr..
Luna as representing the Republican
organization Of New Mexico. this Is
absolutely without foundation In fact.
"As stated few days ago, 1t will
be time enough for the Republican
party to take the question Of statehood
under consideration for action when
Congress has passed an enabling act.
AS chairman Of the Republican Terri.
5torial Central Committee, shall be
guided by the desires Of a majority
of the Republicans Of this Territory.
HI No Trade Made.
x am at loss to account for
Judge Freeman.a authority in his as.
sumption that any barter or trade was
entered into between the President
and the organization, and In view OF
the fact that his assumption so stated
IS erroneous, / cannot see any good
reason for calling the central com.
mittee Of this Territory together at