Bisbee daily review., 1910-07-24


OF the commonwealth of the Union.
irrespective of population. Hereto
fore. as territories, Arizona and New
Mexico have been presented only IL
the house Of representatives. each By
one delegate who has had the power
TO speak, but never to vote.
Greasers Must Learn English.
A further innovation in this state
hood bill is clause requiring that
the schools Of the new states shall
be conducted in English" This is
aimed at the Mexicans of Arizona
and New Mexico, who ever since the
cession OF these territories to the
United States have persisted in
teaching their children only Spanish
from generation TO generation. In
deed, in many counties Of New Mex
leo il. is impossible to impanei a ju-
~ all of whose members can speak
English and an interpreter has to be
employed in most of the courts to
translate the testimony OF English
speaking witnesses.
Further impetus to the learning of
English Is given by a, clause pres
cribing ability 20 read. write. speak
and understand that language as
necessary qualification for all state
officers and members OF the legisla-
lures But the statehood act ig-
nores the principle of two acts pas
sed by the legislature OF Arizona
at its last session and both vetoed by
the governor. acts prescribing ability
TO intelligently read the constitution
in English as an educational test"
for voters. This was directly aimed
at the Mexican element, and the
senate committee reporting the state
hood act condemned it as an attempt
ito disfranchise a large number Of
those who are among the oldest and
most substantial citizens OF the terri
tory"
The large "Greaser' element in
these territories-as the Mexicans
are termed-was one of the princi-
pal objections to statehood raised
by its enemies who visited the two
houses of congress. According TO the
last reports of their governors. Arizo-
ma contains 20 600 Mexicans. while
the majority" Of the 1000 people
of New Mexico are descendants OF
the Anglo-Saxon race and the balance
are Spanish-American citizens. In
other words, somewhat less than 200
600 are Mexicans.
The Indian Population.
The Indian population of these pro
posed states. which are inflexible ele-'
ments not altered by immigration.
were estimated by the last census to
be 2s.5O0 in Arizona and 1880 in
New Mexico. and IL is probable that
this total of about 10000 Indians has
not changed much in the past de-
cade
In both territories are found In
dams of the Pueblo tribes who are
living today amid the primitiveness
Of pre-Columbian days. and these in
clude the rattlesnake dancers of the
Moqui settlements, also the dog eat
ers of Zuni The Indian reservations
Of the proposed states remain. how
ever. the territory Of the federal gov
eminent. and their red denizens will
not be qualified as voters in Arizona
and New Mexico. OF these reserva-
tons there are ten in Arizona and
seven in New Mexico.
Arizona will not be the least popu-
lous state in the Union. but. with its
200, 900 inhabitants. viii have double
the population of Nevada and consid-
erably more than Wyoming. which
boasts of only 100 600, these estimates
being all made by the three respect
i've governors at the beginning Of the
present year. All estimates in ad-
vance OF the 1910 census are. how
ever. Of little value. Arizona's pOpu-
lation has shown an increase Of near
" two-thirds. while those Of Nevada
and Wyoming have more than doub-
led II their governors are correct.
New Mexico's governor estimates its
population to be about 100000, or
more than twoee what It was at the
last census: and II his estimate is
correct it is about as great as that
Of Montana or New Hampshire.
Mighty Sparse Population.
Arizona will be the most thinly
populated state in the Union except
Nevada and vii have more than a
half square mile for each intabitant
whereas Nevada has about a square
mile for every citizen. How spsrsely
settled Arizona will be can best be
by two comparisons. You
could cut more than ninety Rhode
Islands out OF Arizona, yet little
Rhody" has more than two and a
half times as many inhabitants as
Arizona. whose area, again would
supply two and one-third New York
states, but whose population would
have to be multiplied about forty
four times to equal that Of New
York. The little cities of Toledo or
Columbus, o.. boast Of as many peo-
pie as does Arizona. whose population
would only FIJI a twenty-fourth Of
New York City.
New Mexico and Arizona are about
the same size. although New Mexico
claims double the population. the dit
as seer. being probably made