Albuquerque evening citizen., 1906-08-23

there Is no restriction upon freight
or passenger rates the laws of
either territory that amounts to any
tnng? Do you know that 1t Is o great
consideration to railroad corporations
to be free from state control over six
hundred and fifty miles in an east and
west direction from their trunk lines,
between California and Kansas and
Texas? Do you know that New Mex
leo returns about forty million dol
lars worth of property all told for
taxation out of nearly four hundred
million dollars worth of property that
the territory has, and that Arizona re-
turns less than fifty million dollars
worth of property out of more than
five hundred millions of dollars worth
which 1t easily possesses? | am say
ing nothing against railroads, as such,
although | could, with truth, IL
wanted to. as to their doing in New
Mexico and Arizona. Even now they
pay quite their full share of taxes,
but 1t is the whole system that is
wrong. Every year the big mine own
ers carry away from Arizona bullion
of almost the value of the entire tax
return of the territory, and pay not
one cent oil tax upon It, What do you
think of that? The big cattlemen, in
both territories. with few exceptions.
are against jointure. They do not
want the new state to select its
twenty millions of acres of land out
of the public domain for the benefit
OF schools and charge them a pasture
rent for 1t; they would rather have
the pas ure free, as they now have 1t.
Fellow citizens, the tax question
and tax burdens in New Mexico and
Arizona are an unspeakable outrage,
no one can justly the conditions that
exist, and, what Is more, no one tries
to. AS showing the control, whether
by sheer domination or otherwise,
that the big corporations have in New
Mexico and Arizona, state to you
that you may look through the SUI
preme court report of each of the
territories, through every volume,
from beginning to end, without find
ing a single decision that amounts to
a row of pins against a railroad or
other great corporation. This is too
remarkable a fact to be the result of
mere chance, and, of course, no man
can tell me that 1t as mere chance,
even admitting all the ability of the
great men in both territories who
have managed and now manage cor
porate affairs. There are a thousand
details in this same line that | might
go into, but | nave gwen you enough
TO show you that the two territories
are throttled into suffocation by pres
ent conditions, and that they can only
be freed with greatest profit to the
people, by accepting this great chance
which | have worked so hard to get
for the people of both territories, and
which they can vote upon on Novem-
ber the 9Th, next. Do you think tAat
there was any argument that appealed
to the minds of sensible men against
putting New Mexico and Arizona to-
gether as well as putting Oklahoma
and Indian Territory together? There
was no argument. Nothing but ne
power of the corporations in congress
made it possible to force this separate
vote on the question of jointure in
New Mexico and Arizona. so as to
give Arizona cnance to defeat it,,
and it will be done. The special in
terests can bring about that end. No
such separate vote was put between
Oklahoma and indian Territory, yet
thousands of people down there wish
ed it two years ago. Every labor un-
ion in New Mexico and Arizona to a
man, ought to vote for jointure. Every
father of family in either territory
ought to vote for jointure. Every
patriot within the confines of either
Jurisdiction ought to take off his coat
and work for jointure every moment
that is left in which to work.
Every corporation having interests
in Arizona or New Mexico, IL they
would look at this question in the
proper light, ought TO employ all their
| power to carry the election for joint.
ure. Let none of them charge me
with having any thing against them,
save that | object TO their methods
know the difficulties that have beset
their paths; | know how petty Of
ficials and politicians have bled them
know of the combination that was
made against them and the bluffs that
are put up against them by un
scrupulous men in power, and there
is often self protection in what they
| do. Two wrongs never make a right
If the great interests of New Mexico
and Arizona will only use one-hali
the effort and money that they use
now to keep the territories as they
are. to help bring about joint state
hood, and to help frame and adopt
good constitution, and to help elect
honest men to Office. who will give
them in common with all others, "a
square deal" the new state will be
indeed a commonwealth to be proud
of, 1t is strange to me. that the man
ayers of the great interests do not
see this in its proper light; the peo-
pies interests are really their inter.
ests, and they ought to be wise
enough TO see It. The great interests
of every community ought to be a
| blessing instead OF a curse. They
ought to be the guides of the people,
and friendship ought to exist between
labor and capital everywhere, and il
surely would If each would but regard
/ the rights of the other
| Whenever corporations and individ
uals render unto Caesar that which
| is Caesars, then all will be happy
| have always believed that the bribe
giyer is worse than the bribe taker
| Thai the tempter is worse than the
lcontinued on page four.)