Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1906-01-17

whatsoever to have any voice In It's
government. then why does the house
committee waste any time In listening
to the delegation from Arizona? But.
irrespective Of their statehood views,
we believe few will admit that the
Citizens contention Is true.
In addition I. this declaration
which our forefathers made and whica
has been generally subscribed To by
our people. there Is a constitutional
provision that no single state may ne
made from two or parts OF WI with.
out the consent Of me people II both
states. This provision, an the Kan.
sas City Journal says In an editorial
quoted elsewhere. should IN equity and
In morals apply 10 the people OF ter
r~itories as well as OF states.
The determined effort the people
Of the territories nave been making
for home rule for many years-an ef-
fort which has been very successful,
Is further evidence that the people.
not only Of the territories, but Of the
United States. subscribe to the doc.
trine Of the consent OF the governed
as applied TO the territories.
In It's conclusion the Citizen de-
clares thai the United States ARE" q
closed corporation. Those outside
can get In only by consent Of the o
p0ration, and more TO the same effect.
But what closed corporation 4 the
wide world holds In abject and Ia
slavish bondage powerful commercial
interests which have not one word to
say regarding their own welfare! The
Citisen's analogy Ii unfortunate.
Some things may have been done
by the ruling powers Of this country
that seem 10 Justify the accusation
that eDvernment IL doing Its best
to throw to the winds such noble
principles rs that the people should
have a. voice In their own govern
ment. To hnd an up-todate paper Of
today coming out In bold support of
such = medieval policy Is distinctly
surprising.
We readily admit that It Is
true that we have allowed autocra.
tic methods TO replace the voice OF
the people In our highest representa-.
tive body to such an extent tat the
will Of n man can at times abs2-
lutely dominate the nation. 1t ID
true that at times a small oligarchy
ruled by wealth has been able to
control our destinies.
But because these things are true
they are not right. they are not to
be perpetuated by u awakening
people, they are not to give sufficient
excuse to an editor or a leader OF
thought In any capacity to find justi-
f~ication In them.
For It Ia also true that there has
never been q public violation Of the
principles Of the consent Of the gov
erned in this nation that has not cali
ed forth indignant protest from the
masses. There has never been an
instance Of the enforcement Of usArked
arbitrary Or oligarchlcal methods
that has not been censured..
The American people may move
slowly regarding matters relating to
their own governmental interests, but
they move surely. At times we
have let unscrupulous bosses steal
way from ms the power that Is In
herent In us to lay It upon the al
tar Of wealth and high place. But
there Ia every indication at the pres
ent day Of a thorough awakening Of
the people. This Ii nowhere more
evident that In the case OF the state
hood bill. In Massachusetts. in New
York, In corruption shackled Rhode
Island, In the states through which
rolls the Oregon, in almost every |
OF this nation, papers and mag.
axines that two years ago were In
Of forcing Joint statehood upon
New Mexico and Arizona are revising
their opinions. They are saying "but
It Is not right TO force these terrific.
ries, or either Of them into a union
with each other against their will,
they are saying. This nation can
not AFFORD to do violence to the prin.
riple Of the consent Of the governed"
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