Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1906-11-05
STATEHOOD RALLY
DRAWS Big CROWD
West Side Club Has Membership Of
Over Two Observation-Disclosures by
Messrs. Jones, Ward and Romero.

aug "wh Vi Las vegas mas tnE
strongest statehood club In the terri.
tory. II is likely that there are many
people In the city who will be sur.
prised TO hear this. The club has not
been making a large public TODD. but
has been working Systematically and
quietly creating a favorable statehood
sentiment. Two hundred and ten Of
the residents of the town belong TO
; this club. and a pleasing feature Is
that the majority of the members
are earnest. active young men who
are full OF enthusiasm over their
cause.
The meetings are held every sun.
day evening at st. Joseph's. Theo.
dore Chacon Is president and Cast.
miro Molina. secretary.
Last night the hall was crowded
until standing o could not be
found. The meeting was addressed
by Attorneys A. A. Jones and c. W.
q. Ward and by Hon. margarine Ro.
nero.
Mr.. Jones delivered a mastery ad.
dress. treating In a logical and accur.
ate manner the development OF gov.
eminent from the earliest times,
dwelling particularly upon that era In
the development of nations when the
monarchial form OF government an
swered ethe needs and wishes of the
people. He traced the growth OF the
democratic spirit which prompted
men to govern themselves and which
impelled them to refuse to be ruled
by a king. He referred to the exam.
pie set by the American colonists,
traced the growth of the governmental
idea in the United States and then
leading up to the situation under a
territorial form Of government show.
ed that 1t was a continuation Of the
old monarchial idea which could not
be tolerated by a people who loved
liberty.
In an eloquent peroration, Mr..
Jones urged his hearers because OF
the principle involved as well as be.
cause 1t would DO for their highest
interests to vote for self government.
Mr.. Ward pointed out that to such
an extent had the idea of self gov.
eminent developed among the nations
of earth. that in all Europe, with the
exception of Russia and Turkey. the
theory that the. king could do no
wrong meant only that he was so
hedged about by the will of the peo.
pie that he had no power to do them
wrong. Many of his own ideas of self
government had been gained BY asso-
citation with English people, but he
believed they were just as deep and
Just as genuine as one could hold.
Canada, Australia, New Zealand were
not ruled from England but made
their own laws and elected their own
p~arliaments. The monarchiai idea as
forced upon the territories had no
parallel among the civilized nations of
the earth. The speaker likened the
present condition of the territories
with the condition Of the colonies
at the time of the revolution. The ter.
ritories thought not of rebelling, but
We're determined to show the people
of the nation that they were as cap.
able of self government as any peo-
pie and that the condition was too
grievous to be borne by a people who
priced liberty.
Mr.. Ward urged the fitness of New
Mexico for separate statehood, but
said the choice was between jointure
and remaining In a state of fntoler.
able slavery. IL New Mexico voted
against statehood now that II was
offered 1t would be years before an
other opportunity would occur. II
New Mexico voted for jointure even
though she preferred separate state
hood. congress was likely to pass the
Hamilton bin no matter how Arizona
voted. The speaker refuted the SLAM
ders that were being continually ut
tered about New Mexico, but said
they wer in large measure due to the
fact that it was not easy for the peo.