El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-03-11
IS
PROMISED
IN 1872
New Mexico May Get Soma
torial Approval at Extra
Session.
EXPECTED
TO LAND BY DEFAULT

that the excitement of the last Few
days of the sixty-first congress has
died away, the exact status of the
question of statehood for Arizona and
New Mexico may be more accurately
determined. New Mexico, it can be
said with absolute assurance, will be
a state, at the very farthest when
the session of congress which, meets
next December adjourns, probably in
June, 1912. while senatorial approval.
all that is now lacking, may be secured
as early as the first few weeks of the
extra session, scheduled to take up its
work April 4 Arizona, in the absence
of formal approval or disapproval be-
fore that time, would also become
state when congress adjourns In the
spring of 1912, provided the president
has approved its constitution by that
time. or congress has enacted legisla-
ton making presidential approval un-
necessary.
Arizona and its constitution prom
Use to be among the leading issues in
the coming extra session. That Is,
progressive and popular government.
IS represented by the Arizona consti-
tuition, now has SO many adherents
among both Republicans and Demo-
Gratis that while they may not be able
to force a vote of approval on Arizo-
ma during the coming extra session.
still they are so strong that they can
and probably will prevent the senate
approving New. Mexico. unless Arizona
is also included. A vote Of disapproval
in the senate against the New Mexico
cons titution is not to be thought Of,
and will never be taken, unless. per
chance, some unfortunate combina-
ton should be made, such as including
Arizona. and antagonizing senators
otherwise favorable to New Mexico, but
this is unlikely and even then would
not bar New Mexico from statehood
in June, 1912. A vote of disapproval
of the Arizona constitution is also
unlikely because the combination Of
friends of Arizona who wish 1t state
regardless Of the constitution, with
the progressives of both parties could
and would prevent it. So it would
seem that what almost amounts to a
deadlock on the subject will exist in
the coming session, and rather than
force the issue all sides will probably
agree to let the two territories come
in by the expiration of the period dur
ing which their constitutions may be
disapproved, ending, according to the
attorney general, with the close of the
session in the spring of 1912
Arizonians Are Busy.
If, however. the president does not
approve the Arizona constitution, or IT
becomes known that he may disap-
prove it-in any event if it becomes
evident early In April that he is not
going to send his approval TO con-
gress, friends of Arizona are already
planning to make presidential approval
unnecessary. Just how it will be done
Is only tentatively sketched out as yet,
but it is a certainty that something
of the sort will be tried If presidential
sanction is withheld. It is contended
that because the constitution does
not conform to the ideas of a stand
pat conservative president, is no rea-
son for disappearing it. He is not
asked, they say, whether the constitu-
ton suits him or not. in fact. that is
not his province in the matter at all.
All he has to decide. according to such
men as senators Bourne (Rep), of Or
egon, and Owen (Dem.) }, of Oklahoma.
and representatives James. of Ken
lucky, and Martin of Colorado. both
Democrats. is. first is 1t the will Of
the people; second, does it conform to
the enabling act; third. is it republican
in form; fourth. is it not contrary to
the declaration of Independence If it
ident can not do otherwise than Nap-
prove it. they insist. regardless of his
personal opinion on some of the ideas
developed in the strife for popular gov
eminent
Congress, Not Taft.
The progressives hold that congress,
not the president, is the one to pass on
the constitutions, and If. as said above,
it is seen that presidential approval is
III. -c1-
power to congress alone will be at
tempted. This would necessftate the
repeal of the enabling act, and the
framing of measure in which the
sayso of the chief executive was not
required but whether this is a threat
or not, such are the plans as they are
now made public.
Beveridge's Passive Opposition.
1t is not known just how the new
congress will line up on the question.
ard if the new corners in the senate
and the house~are favorable to both or
even one of the constitutions. the sit
uation Will be helped and probably
brought to a close during the extra
session. There is no denying the fact
that the cause of the territories was
helped by the fact that 80 senators re-
tired March 4. Senator Beveridge was
chairman of the committee on terri
tories in that body, and his committee
could have been holding hearings on
the New Mexico constitution coinci-
dent with the house committee had he
so desired. This would have greatly
facilitated matters and had the bill
be en- introduced earlier, senator Owen,
with his lone fiHbuster, could not, have
kept New Mexico out. The Indiana
senator showed his hostility more by
a passive course than otherwise refus-
ing absolutely to call meetings to con-
slider the resolution, or to introduce 1t
onto the senate floor Friends of New
Mexico, as they saw the session draw
ing to a close begged him TO act. but
he would not. and finally senator Dill
bingham reported the resolution about
a. m. Saturday morning. just II
hours before the session came ito
close. To do this he had to poll the
as he could find them, Bev-
eridge refusing to call q meeting for
that purpose.
Strong friends of New Mexico in the
house committee on territories are
Hamilton of Michigan, Cole of Ohio,
Lloyd of Missouri. and Houston of Ten
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