Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1911-02-23
CHARGES POSITIVELY SILLY
CONSIST OF MEASUREMENTS OF
FACT IN PRACTICALLY EVERY
INSTANCE
INSPIRED BY SECTARIANISM
ATTEMPT MADE IN MEMORIAL TO
AROUSE JEALOUSY OF
PROTESTANTS

Albuquerque, N. NJ, Feb. 23.-Evi
IDENTIFY becoming aware that their ei
forts to defeat or delay statehood fl
New Mexico are about to come Il
naught. Rev. J. l. Seder, super:hten
dent of the New Mexico Anti-Salool
League, and several other temperance
workers and reformers of this city
have resorted to baser methods II
accomplish their ambitions. The stel
they have taken is as unfair and as
uncalled for as could be imagined
1t is more unprincipalled and con
temptible than those which preceded
it. In short, it is a plan to arouse
religious antagonism against New
Mexico's constitution.
The Rev. Mr.. Seder and associates
have issued a memorial and petition
against the acceptance OF the constl-
tuition, which they have sent to many
people throughout the territory. The
petition attempts to arouse the hatred
of Protestants against the constitu-
ton by stating it makes provision for
the financial aid of institutions OF the
Roman Catholic faith to the detri-
ment of Professionalism. To carry out
this allegation the petition states the
constitution permits appropriations to
various institutions throughout New
Mexico. Then it states that the last
territorial legislature provided funos
for eleven institutions, six OF which
were Roman Catholic while five were
civic or non-sectarian. The majority
of the institutions are schools and
hospitals. All are doing efficient work
at present The hospitals especially
are doing much for the cause OF
charity. No attempt is made to dis
prove the fact that they are worthy
Many of those classed as civic inst1'
tutions are governed by boards oil
control made up entirely of Protest
ants and are really Protestant institu'
tions. Many of the hospitals on the
preferred list are receiving support
of both Catholics and Protestants. In
their charitable ministrations 1t
would be impossible for them to con
tinue their work without aid from the
state. Absolutely no discrimination
has ever been used in the apportion
ment of funds, the legislatures mere
ly recognizing the merits of the in
stitutions and giving them needed and
deserved assistance. The religious OBJ
jections to the constitution, if such
they may be called, were brought VI
solely for the purpose of attempting
by deceit and misrepresentation to
induce faithful Protestant citizens to
subscribe to an attack against state
hood in which they would never en-
list on the grounds upon which
Seder and his associates began theil
campaign.
The stirring up of religious or race
prejudice is contemplate procedure
but the foes of statehood have moi
been averse to seizing upon it in
order to further their cause. The
petition contains also reiteration o.
the attacks on the constitution which
Seder and others of his workers have
made before.
Accompanying the petition is q
small circular, signed by it's authors
Evidently those gentlemen are not
too proud of their methods. They
even advise those who are to circu
late the petition to prevent them be
ing read by those who sign them, the
intention evidently being to secure
signatures by telling the people tha
the petition is movement for purel
government. The following lines from
the circular show the spirit of tht
communication: 'In order to Obtain
best results do not give out contents