The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1910-12-31

Continued from first pagr)
steal them. I understand that imme.
diately upon being admitted a. q state
we get about eight million acres for
schools and other purposes. OF course
without statehood we get no lands. so
| am at a loss TO understand how We
can lose by this, unless some arch graft.
or gets OF with the whole thing in the
event Of statehood. This IL out Of the
question for the act Of Congress says
these lands 10 be selected cannot be sold
or less than ~ per acre In western New
Mexico and ~ per acre In eastern New
Mexico and that when sold must lee to
the highest bidder. Just To show our
good faith In this, 10 those on the west
side Of Albuquerque and Santa Fe who
contend that these rich lands will be
stolen we will stand back and give them
the first bid, and we will give them q
year of grace TO make up their minds
about IL. II is an absurdity. These
lands cannot be- sold nj the price men.
toned. We know this with the Exam.
pie Of Texas, having similar. and nd.
joining lands selling at 81 per acre On
forty years time at , per cent. How.
ever, these lands eau he and will he
leased, and together with the present
income from lands now owned BY the
fEaNRNnWN uuha.k .I.uI l. 900.
one hundred thousand dollars for the
public school fund, will Increase the in.
come from leased lands to nearly n half
million dollars per annum. This income
will much more than offset the addition.
al cost for judges, state officers aud
costs on account of statehood. Some of
these school lands now owned by the
territory, that is section Ii aud ~ ia
the artesian belt and where water rights
can be had, or developed, should he sold
while water rights can be- secured. Now
they will bring In many instances $50 To
s15 per acre. later when all the water il
appropriated they will only bring the
grazing land price.
Another objection IN the exemption
Of new railroads for six years. This il
the Law now, and most of the railroads
here have been built under il. and ap.
plies to each division from the time ~.
Grated. This may be an induccmcnt for
them TO build anu II may not be, but
the fact remains, that IL they do not
build, there is no exemption, or no taxes
after six years. And there Is another
fact. The railroads that are here would
like to see this Law repealed. They no
doubt think hat they have the terri
tory pretty well covered, and therefore
are not particularly anxious to Offer in.
ducements to others to build. II seems
to me We want that exemption to re-.
main now, and IL is not the question of
the wisdom OF such laws.
There is nothing to the negro school
question argument. That will satisfac.
torily settle itself in each community.
IL always mas. As TO franchise clause.
to which some object who are not ne.
quainted with conditions in New Mexico
and u few who are prcjudiccd, II is only
fair and just, ana as II should be. And
Il In n guarantee from the prospective
majority to the possible minority, OF
good faith aud justice for years T.
come.
Because the initiative, the rcfcrcn.
DUN aud the recall are no, in the con,
stitution, II II not sufficient excuse ioi
any one who really wants statehood, t.
oppose II. 70 say the least, these meas
ures are new. They have not been sui
fciently tried out that they can be ad
Judged entirely successful, neither ear
they be condemned. II il not II national
party issue, because as many Republican
states as Democratic states have adopt
ed the measures IN one form or other.
To reject the constitution will hurt IN
more way than one. II will hurt in d
business way, no doubt, more than tn,
81 pie realize. We will be adjudged un
ut. We will fall flat aud remain 80 fol
years to come, no far as immigration anc
Development by new capital goes. ",
viii be a health resort and nothing more
While on the other hand, to go in as a
new safe means an era Of prosperity
new enterprises, new developments, new
blood aud new money.
This is the history Of all the new
states and 1t seems to me W. have ev
erything to gain by statehood aud moth
Ing to lose. Those who oppose, and
have the effrontery to call thcmselve,
:" Progressives," should be enioined
But II nothing more 1t means that W,
are full'fledged mcmDers II Uncl,
Sans family. Ii II means one add.
tional breath Of freedom, Of liberty, OF
Ame ieanism, then We should be for il,
The people should rise up in their might
In this and say by their votes tina; we
are not going to De kept out Of our
tights any longer.