The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1908-10-24
RALPH G.. ELy.

saw u llllt pON WOI hlHk W way
out OF a culvert beneath the street.
He had crawled some sixty feet
through dirt and difficulty and
doubt, but emerged into a little
light on the opposite side, when
he might Just as well have walked
across on top and had an easy
path and clear sailing from begin.
ming to end. You a make your
own application.
We are here at this time not to
talk politics but to talk statehood.
We are here not to discuss whether
we want 1t OF not, but how We are
TO obtain it. We are here to con-
slider not whether it is desirable
to exercise the right OF citizenship,
but whether these rights can I've
best obtained through the instru-
mentality OF one, or OF another.
The doubt, and the difficulty all
the way is mol the thing necessarily
to be considered il there is a short
direct and certain course which we
may to able to pursue Statehood
is not a right; It is a privilege.
We have no right to demand 1t;
we have no right TO expect IL; we
can assume it. There might I've
possibly a way OF obtaining it by
revolutionary means, II we were
big enough, and we might consid-
81 u right in forcing our way in.
to the American Union.
This Territory was created 10y
a treaty which saws that sometime
in the Tar of distant future that
the people should have the right o
citizenship; these people have been
asking and begging for the riglt OF
citizenship now Tor hall a century,
but we have lever been able to
convince the people OF the East,
the lawmakers OF the Nation, that
the people were rich enough, or
wise enough or were people who
were ut TO exercise the right OF
citizenship in Justice 10 themselves
and Ia justice to the members OF
Congress.
We do not ask 10 become a state
Tor the benefit OF the people in New
Mexico; but our member OF the
Senate will not think OF us as
wards; he will think OF his people
as constituents; he will think Of US
as people to be protected; he
will look after our welfare,
help our interests and advance the
prosperity OF the people whom he
solely represents, and so il is alb
solutely necessary that We present
the question OF statehood TO them
in the most favorable possible light,
otherwise, they will do as they
have done, reject il.
Upon first one excuse and then
upon another We will TAIL TO get
statehood until the Congress OF
the United States and its president
are absolutely satisfied that the
Territory OF New Mexico may be
admitted as a state with absolute
Justice to all people Of this COM
which makes up part Of
our Union.
We believe that we have at least
four hundred or five hundred thou
sand people IN New Mexico today.
believe that We have resources
surprising what we ever thought
we had before, ! have "A new cam
paign button, II is not a Republic.
can button, IL is not a Democratic
II is a button for New Mex.
leo, and ! am happy to wear it.
| found 1t today IN your own IN
am happy to wear a sam
pie OF the agricultural products Of
New Mexico, 10 hold it above me
and before YOU as a type not only
OF what New Mexico is, but OF
what New Mexico IS to be, and
when We car make the people OF
the greater east bslieve that New
Mexico a raise cereal products
which will make II rich, without
irrigation, and simply by good
farming we car produce abundant
harvests; when We can make them
believe that out OF these one hun.
dTed and twenty-five thousand
square miles We have hundreds
and hundreds OF acres OF valuable
land; when they can see our wheat
without irrigation, as YOU
tind II here, and know that our
agricultural wealth is increasing
all the time; when they send a rep.
r~esentatlve into our rugged valleys
and see valley after valley, acre
acre, mile alter mile as beau.
titul, as fertile, as picturesque as
the valley OF the Mohawk; when
they can know that we can dupli.
the richest valleys IN the
world, in our valley OF the Rio
Grande and the Pecos valley; when
they can see that our hills are filled
full in many places OF copper, sill,
yer and lead, and when they can
know We have the largest deposit
OF zinc IN American mines, even
surprising those OF Missouri; when
they can know that our wealth is
not a iancitul that it is absolutely
established when they viii know
that the Territory IS not making a
beggarly petition. but is A Young
New York, a young Nebraska, a
Pennsylvania, but a young
that rs not only ia grow