Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1910-06-24
INCIDENTS Of
STATEHOOD FINISH
President Taft Does Not
Want Bryan to Write
Constitutions
FOR HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Sad Coincidence of Death of
George B. Paxton Who
Furnished Pen.
Special Correspondence of The New
Mexican.

Special Correspondence of The New
Mexican.
Washington, D. c., June 24.-The
statehod bill was properly enrolled
this morning, and Delegate Andrews
took the bill, accompanied by the
house enrolling clerk, to the speaker
Delegate Andrews said: Mr.. Speak
er, here is the statehood bill, duly en-
rolled and ready for your signature"
The speaker replied: Give it to
me and l will sign it very quick" And
following his action according to his
word he promptly affixed his sigma
ture to the statehood bill, as he re-
marked: There now Bill, you can
take it over and have Vice-President
Sherman sign it before taking it to
the White House."
Delegate Andrews hurried with the
bill, accompanied with the house chief
clerk to the Senate side, where the
latter announced that the speaker had
signed the statehood bill.
In the presence of Senator Elkins,
Delegate Andrews said Mr.. Vice
President we would like to have your
signature on the statehood bill"
Vice-President Sherman said:
every well, l will promptly sign it,
Bill to help you along, and am very
glad to have the chance to do so;" and
he signed.
Delegate Andrews, accompanied by
Chairman Hamilton, Representative
Guernsey, of Maine, and Cole, of Ohio,
of the committee on territories, T. B.
Catron, of Santa Fe, and Joseph VIII
son, the house enrolling clerk, then
rapidly sped to the White House, in
an auto, followed in another auto by
Delegate Cameron, of Arizona, and H.
l. Latham, a prominent citizen of
Phoenix, Ariz.
At the White House the party was
met by Postmaster General Hitchcock,
James T. Williams, OF the Tucson Cit
izen, and Ira NJ. Bond, your CORE
spondent. All were at once admitted
to the office of the President where
cordial greetings were exchanged as
the President gave each one a warm
and hearty hand shake.
AS the President prepared to sign
the bill, Postmaster General Hitchcock
handed him a valuable gold pen and
Delegate Andrews handed him an
American eagle quill pen with gold
bands around it. The President, with
! the gold pen wrote: Approved, June
goth, W. H." and with the quill pen:
Taft"
AS the President signed the first
part with the gold pen he handed that
pen over to Postmaster General Hitch
cock, and as he signed Taft" with the
quill pen he handed that pen to Dele
gate Andrews, and as he did so sold:
Now | have tried to please all as to
signing the bill"
! Delegate Andrews returned the quill
pen to the long leather covered box
Mr.. Morton, the secretary to the Pres
ident, held a blotter, with which he
blotted the signature, saying as he did
SO: Il take great pleasure in present
ing the blotter to my kind friend Dele
gate Cameron, who at one time did me
a great personal service"
AS all were again shaking the hand
of the President upon signing the bill
and pleasant words were being ex-
chaged, Mr.. Bond unexpectedly drew
the President out by saying as he
shook him by the hand; Mr.. Presl-
dent, have worked for the signing of
this statehood bill for about forty
years." The President quickly replied:
Now all must work and work hard to
secure a good constitution, with no
freaks in it. And | hope it will not
! be necessary to send Mr.. Bryan out
there to write the constitution" All
very promptly, from both territories,
earnestly assured the President that
there would be no freaks in either
constitution; that they would be equal
to the best in the Union. And with
these assurances the President was
especially pleased.
At this time an artist appeared, and
/ the President taking the gold pen, as
when signing the statehood bill; all in
the room formed semi-circle to the
left of the President, and two pictures
were taken of all present
/ The President then called for a
number of his own nhOtoS and after
writing some appropriate words, and
! signing his name gave them around.
Delegate Andrews requesting one
for New Mexico the President wrote
upon it: ''To my friends in New Mex
leo. With congratulations on their
certain prospect of early statehood.
w. H. Taft" Delegate Andrews said
that he would place the flag waved
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