Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-18

are intelligent and highminded. They
know no country but this and are as
devoted to the principle of democratic
government as the best class of the
American people.
New Mexico has free non-sectarian
public school system, not the best, but
quite as good as existed in the greater
number of territories at the time they
were admitted as states. The MeXlcanS
of that territory are not disorderly, on
the contrary they are law abiding. The
bulk of crimes are committed by otneT
classes. The territory has much Nalu
able agricultural land on the Rio
Grande. the Pecos, the Membris, the
Canadian and Mora rivers, and along
numerous smaller streams. The area
Of pasturage for cattle and sheep is
immense 1t can produce enough
to supply million people to say noth-
ing of it's coal and mineral resources
No Worse, If True
1t is alleged that the territories of
Arizona and New Mexico are under
the controlling influence of corpora
tions. railroads and mining. If that
he true they are not worse than New
York. New Jersey. Pennsylvania and
other states. Those who oppose their
admission separately on that ground
are simply like the pot calling the
kettle black.
For the first time in our history the
doctrine has been announced that the
people of a territory are not entitled
to a voice i'm respect to their becoming
a state. In the early days that would
have been regarded as monstrous doc
trine. Until now the subject of party
politics has never been permitted to
influence the action of congress, eX-
cept during the controversy over the
slavery qneston. For time there was
tacit understanding that territories
should be admitted in pairs, one free
and the other slave. Were the men alive
who were parties to that arrangement
they would be ashamed of it.
The real basis of the opposition to the
separate admission of Arizona and New
Mexico is preservation of the domina-
ton of the power of the east-to pre-
serve the importance of Delaware and
little RhodY, that are mere pocket
boroughs, and of such small states as
Connecticut, New Hampshire and Ner-
mont The west, especially the Pacific
coast, is looming up too potentially,
and there is shutting of the eyes to the
fact of all history that the march of
empire is westward.
New Mexico has been an organized
territory for nearly fiftY-siX years. 1t
statehood. 1t was sought before the
Civil War. but the effort failed
In the Forty-third congress stephen
B. Elkins, now Senator from West
Virginia. was the delegate from New
Mexico. and Jerome r. Chaffee was
the delegate from Colorado, The two
Joined their efforts to have both terri
tories admitted. The senate passed
bills separately for that purpose which
were sent to the house and placed on
the speakers desk. 1t was arranged
to have the vote taken on the last
night of the session. The house had
been polled and a majority pledged for
each bill-Colorado had little opposi-
ton and the poll showed majority of
but five or six for New Mexico.
In the preceding afternoon Burrows
of Michigan, a new member. made his
maiden speech, and it was a savage
attack upon the south When he sat
down several members went to him and
congratulated him. AT that moment
Elkins came in from a side door and
not knowing a word that Burrows