Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-03-09
QUESTION or FRANCHISE
NOT 4 SERIOUS ONI,

our liking, nut the most oDJeclonablt
feanres have been eliminated
QUESTION or FRANCHISE
NOT \ SERIOUS ONF
"The question Of the franchise quail
fications. which has appeared In the
local press dispatches. is not an i'm
portant feature Of the discussion be-
fore the senate committee. 1t all
originates from the provision in the
| Reveridge bill nullifying the Arizona
| election law ot 1903. You will recall
1 that this law was passed by a demo-
! cratic legislature and carried proNis-
/ ions which virtually disfranchised the
! Spanish speaking people of that ter
ritorN Former Delegate Mark Smith
| has uroed its retention but he is prac-
tically the only Arizona man who APP
peared befor the committee 20 argue
for it, while many prominent Arizona
men were present to point out its in
justice. Moreover, from all | could
/ learn democrats in the senate are not
! disposed to make the question an is
sue. so that it vii not delay the bill.
! The matter is ono which does not in
terest New Mexico. The only langu-
age qualification in the bill affecting
| this territory is that requiring that all
stale officers shall write and speak the
English language a provision which
every one will approve This provis-
ion does not extend to county officers
There has been a great deal of
objection 70 the provisions Of the
original Reyemdgc bill extending over
our unappropriatcd water rights and
our power sits, and government super
vision. amounting practically to gov
ernment ownership and drpriying The
new state OF tho right to administer
its own affairs. This provision has
been entirely eliminated lrOm the bill,
so thai thar cause ot objection no
longer exists.
There has been a very general OBJ
lection 10 tln provision requiring the
general election IN 1910. 'fhis would
have brought four general elections
within single year ana would have
been too great a strain ana burden
upon the people Readily seeing the
injustice OF requiring us to elect all
our officers Tor term Of six months
and to hold three other elections be-
sides, this provision was eliminated
and the offers elected III 1905 Will
hold over until the state government
has been formed. Under this proyis-
Ion there would be no session of the
legislature in 1911.
'Ihc provision giving power to con-
gress to reject the constitution is rc-
tanned. but the limit of the right to
reject is fixed at March T. 1911 TN
less congress rejects the constitution
up to that date, il will stand While
there has been objection to this pro-
vision il is, in reality, exactly what
has been required Of almost every
other state admitted ana a right
which congress has always exercised
In the case OF Nebraska congress ac-
tually sent back the constitution to
the people for amendment before al
lowing il to come into the union
a., IL
constitutions to congress. thus en-
.abling congress to exercise the right
Ct supervision This is really what
New Mexico should have done 4
year or moro ago. r. B. Catron of
Santa ifc, and others advocated the
forming OF Il constitution to be sub
mitted to congress. Had we done this
we would doubtless have been adj
mitted much sooner
Carefully considered the right to
reject our constitution is not unjust
and is no more than has been rcqur-
ed Of many of the other states. 1t
does not in any way take away from
us the power to form our own con
stitution. 1t merely gives congress
power to guard against ultra radical
constitution making which might he
dangerous to the future welfare of the
new state.
decided as to appropriations of land
This applies particularly to the APP
preparation asked Of 100000 acres
to pay outstanding county and terri
torial Indebtedness. There have been
objections to paying the outstanding
railroad aid bonds OF Santa Fe and
Grant counties. but. while the terri
tory viii be required TO take care of
these bonds, ] am sure that a suf-
ficient grant of land will be made 10
do this 1t may not be the entire
three million acres, but | am con
vincud that il will be a very consid
erable part of it. Postmaster General
Hitchcock, who understands our needs
here as well as any many in Washing
ton has been particularly helpful ia
urging this feature Of the bill on the
senate committee and individual sena-
tors
There will be no change in the
provisions for representation in the
constitutional convention. save an
amendment to provide for representa-
tion for curry county The appor-
tionmcnt originally made in the Bev-
eridgc bill is considered Just all
aronnd ana 10 wait for the census Of
1910 ns the enemies Of the bill have
urged. would serve 10 seriously delay
10