Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1908-01-03

To C0NGRESSMEN
Circular Letter. Ask.
ing them to Favor
Statehood
CONTAINS FACTS ANOF|GUREs
Every Member of Both
Houses Mailed a Copy by
Secretary Burke.

Previous to his departure last night
for Washington, Edward G. Burke. as.
sociale secretary of the Territorial
statehood League, mailed a big batch
OF circular letters to the various
members OF the Senate ald House OF
representatives OF the Sixtieth Con
sress, calling their attention to the
determined efforts being made TO Sc.
cure separate statehood for New
Mexico. The letters bear the sigma
ture OF w. S. Hopewell as president
of the Territorial Statehood League.
They are self explanatory and a copy
is herewith appended:
Circular Letter.
Il take the liberty of addressing you
on a mater of vital Importance to
the people of New Mexico.
"On recent visit of Governor Curry
to Washington, in the interest of sep.
|arate statehood for New Mexico. the
president assured him that he would
lend his aid towards securing the pass.
age of our bill, and Is satisfied that we
Ihave sufficient population and wealth
to entitle us to be admitted as a sep.
arate state: but. of course, the mat.
ter lies in the hands of Congress and
the people Of New Mexico will appreci-
late it very much if you will see your
way clear to do what you can to as
sist us in securing the passage Of this
measure.
Our people are united, and when
We go to Washington this winter there
will be few, if any, dissenting voices
i'll cur eGtir territory; and assure y1u
that should your valuable aid and sup.
|por be eyended in our behalf you will
have earned the gratitude of over AGO.
1000 loyal American citizens.
Although the population of New
Mexico in 1900 was only one hundred
and ninety-fve thousand. today it ex.
leeds four hundred thousand. and Is
rapidly increasing One county alone
which at the taking of the last census
contained only 500 people. We now pre-.
sent as an object case: it now con.
tains over 10000 people; property has
increased from 200 to 800 per cent in
value, and many new settlers are COM
ing in every day; this Is not an isoia..
led case, but similar instances could
be quoted, showing the wonderful
growth Of New Mexico in the past few
years. New railroads are being built.
coal mines opened. large areas of land
being taken up and irrigated, and a
general era of prosperity is evident on
|every hand; condition similar to that
|of our sister territory on the
least, Oklahoma, which mas aiso
more than doubled in population since
the last census was taken.
1--WE have been making the fight for
statehood for many years; We voted
to accept jonture with Arizona, but
Arizona refused to accept the same.
and we certainly feel that we are en-
titled to statehood on the merits of the
case.
"a delegation, representing every
county in the Territory will 60 to
Washington early in January prepared
to furnish statistics on our conditions,
which will substantiate our claims in
every particular; and when the time
comes we earnestly pray that you will
have joined our ranks, which our rap.
idly filling up. and aid in securing the
full rights of citizenship for your fel
low countfymen in this territory who
have never enjoyed the same"