Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1907-10-28
U. S. SENATOR FORAKER
FAvORS SINGLE
STATEHOOD
Reasons Given In Speech Ia
Senate During Session
In 1904.
OHIO SENATOR'S WILL
SUPPORT SEPERATE BILL

In a letter dated, Cincinnati, Oc-
tober 2S, 1907. from United States
Senator ]. B. Foraker, and received
by his brother, U. S. Marshal Creigh-
ton NJ. Foraker of this city, last SAT-
urday, Is the following statement:
Il send you herewith a copy of
the speech l made in the senate jan
uary 18th and 18th, 1903, in favor
of separate statehood for New Mex
leo. The reasons j then gave for
separate statehood are stronger to-
day then they were then. l shall,
of course, be glad to help the prop
osition i'm every way l can"
1t Will be remembered that Sena-
tor Foraker strongly championed
New Mexico in her right for state
hood a few years ago and the fol-
lowing extracts from the great
speech he made In 1903 will be of
interest at this time when the ter
ritory Is on the verge of a renewed
battle Cor the coveted condition Of
sisterhood with states. At the time
this sreech was Delivered the senate
hal under constellation the bill to
enable the TeOp'e e oklahoma, Ari-
stitutions and state governments and
be admitted into the union on an
equal footing with the original
states. Senator Foraker said;
when you come to consider the
question whether or not any par
ticular territory is entitled to state
hood, there are three general prop
ositions to be considered. One Is
area. Is the territory sufficiently
large, or is II too large? Nobody OBJ
iects to area in this case. The area
of New Mexico and the area OF Arl-
zona are large, but nobody claims
that the area of either territory Is
too large, and certainly nobody has
claimed that It is not large enough.
So / pass that by. SO far as mere
acreage Is concerned, mere extent of
territory, these territories are quite
acceptable according TO every prece-
dent that we have established.
There are only two other general
questions remaining. One Is, have
/ the people wealth enough within
/ that territory, sufficient property, TO
support statehood without unduly
| burdening themselves by taxation in
/ order to -aise revenue? If they
/ have, then the remaining question
and the only question remaining, Is
one OF population. Is that sufficient
i and Is II of the proper quality2"
In speaking of the taxable prop
erty of New Mexico the senator stat
/ ed II do not think that there car
/ be any difference of opinion as 70
/ the truth OF the proposition thai
]
/ lions Of taxable property in the ter
ritory of New Mexico. That is very
| conservative. Now, IL they have
/ 5000, 0OO,00 of property in the ter
ritory of New Mexico, that is much
more than we have had as a rule in
other territories which have beer
admitted TO statehood, and there Il
no question--every man can take {
| pencil and figure II for himself-tha
! il is sufficient 10 sustain the burden
OF statehood without any undue rat
Of taxation.
Consider now the railroads 1 saw
the statement only a day or two ag'
that they now have $500 miles o
railroads. / suppose II would be
conservative estimate 20 say tha
these railroads are worth $4,000
mile. III they have $500 miles o
railroad worth $4,000 a mile yol
can see at once what great aggre
gate OF value It makes"
In speaking OF the lands OF Ne'
Mexico, the senator said: I'VE nav
fConfinnod ON Page FiVe)