Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-12-23
Morning Journal Bureau,
613 Munsey Building.
IA Gh in Of on n - nnn % -

613 Munsey Building.
Washington, ID, c., Dee. 22.-
THE outlook for the passage of q
statehood bill admitting New Mexico
and Arizona to the union. has never
been SO entirely favorable as it is
right now This is the statement
made by a prominent republican in
the senate just before leaving for his
home for the Christmas holidays.
This particular senator western man
has always been an advocate of state
hood and could therefore be expected
TO take a rosy view of the outlook.
His opinion, however, is now endorsed
by other members of the senate, some
of whom in the past have been op-
posed to the admission of the ter
ritory, and others of whom have never
been optimistic ~ to the result The
general BELIEF in Washington now is
that the statehood bill which will be
introduced in the senate by Senator
Borah soon after the end of the re-
cess, will be passed at this session and
practically without opposition. Sena-
tor Borah is enthusiastic in his adj
vocacy of the bill. This alone means
much for its chances There have
been senators in favor of statehood
in the past, but there has never been,
up TO this time, a republican senator
who was ready to become its active
champion to the exclusion of other
interests. This, it is said, Senator
Il DO. HN- 4 n Dn tbara l.. III
tie doubt that he will be successful.
1t is now rumored that Senator Bev-
eridge is ready to abandon his oppo-
siton to the bill and one rumor goes
so far as to state that he may in
troduce the bill in the senate.
However this may be, it is quite cer-
tain that the feeling among republi-
can senator's is very favorable 10 the
bin and its passage is nearer TO being
assured than ever before
The senate bill will be a duplicate
of the new bill introduced in the
house by Mr.. Hamilton on December
14th, this latter bill having passed the
department of the interior with the
approval OF the department. The bill
has been rewritten and in many de-
tails differs from the bill introduced
by Mr.. Hamilton on December 6.
There are some changes as to details
concerning the donations of land for
common schools and the various in
stitutions, as well as to the manner of
selecting lieu lands and the revenue
and administration of lands which are
now within forest reserves.
The most important change, how
ever, is the insertion of a provision
which will allow the forming of
second constitution to be submitted to /
the people should the first constitu- /
ton fail of adoption. Under the or
iginal bill the constitution once sub !
mitted to the people must be adopted
or rejected If rejected. the entire ,
issue stopped. In the rewritten bill
provision is made that in case the I
people of the two new states should \
fail to adopt the first constitution I
submitted, the governor shall, within
twenty days after the vote has been
taken, call the constitutional conven-
tion to reconvene and form another
constitution which, in turn. will be
submitted to the people in the same
way.
Other essential provisions of the bill
remain unchanged. The new sec
tons covering the forming of the
constitution, the submission to the
people, the resulting procedure and
finally the election of officers and
forming of the state government, fol-
low:
Section 4. That in case n constitu-
ton and state government shall be
formed in compliance with the pro-
visions of this act, the convention
forming the same shall provide by or
olnance for submitting said constitu-
uon to the people of said proposed
state for its ratification or rejection.
at an election which shall be held on
,he first Tuesday after the first Mon
Jay in November, after the adjourn
ment of the convention, at which cleo
uon the qualified voters of said pro-
posed state shall vote directly for or
against the proposed constitution and
ior or against any provisions thereof
separately submitted. The returns OF
said election shall be made by the
erection officers direct to the secretary
VI the Territory of New Mexico at
santa Fe; who. with the governor and
ohief Justice of said territory, shall
.'hsutute "A canvassing board. and
'"ey' or any two OF them, shall meet
~ - said city of Santa Fe on the third
-"ohday after said election and shall
,ahNass the same: II a majority of the
,esai votes cast at said election shall Z
- ior the rejection of the constitu- ]
"oh. the said canvassing board shall
-oNhwith certify the result TO the !
sesernor of said Territory. together
WIN the statement OF votes cast there
~ ana upon the separate articles