El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-03-07
COMMITTEE HEARS
FROM MANY IN
NEW MEXICO
Report Is Filled With Refu-
tation of Charges Made
in Election.

has just come from the government
printing office book of S92 pages.
entitled Proceedings of the Hearing
for the Approval of the Constitution
of the Proposed State of New Mexico"
Persons who desire statehood for New
Mexico can rejoice that two thirds OF
the book is devoted to petitions and
affidavits in answer to the allegations
of three persons, no one of whom had
even been in New Mexico. who sue
ceeded in delaying action on the con-
stitution for two weeks, If they &C
complished nothing else.
The house committee on territories
held meetings on February II, 49, Fl
and 81. The first three dates were
occupied with the arguments of those
who sought to have the constitution
rejected Then friends of the consti-
tuition got busy and wired to New
Mexico asking for a refutation of the
claims made by the opponents of the
constitution And if ever a refutation
was got under way quickly. that one
was. Monday morning, February u,
when the committee met, arranged
around the big table in the committee
room were stacks Of affidavitS and
kilograms from every county in New
Mexico. arranged by counties. The
committee was literaUv eva -nnsd with
refutations of the charges Of bride
coercion intimidation saioopS open, no
ballots. etc. which composed the gist
Of the arguments of those opposing
A few statistics compiled from she
900 naees OF the report of the COM
mittee may be of interest. There
were SIS affidavits of refutation re-
ceived February % and 81, and these
were signed by total of 1902 differ
emf persons These were received In
answer to kilograms sent February
81 vet a frequent plea Of the persons
opposing the constitution was for de-
Law in which to secure affidavitS sup
porting their side. the statement be-
ing made that they had only had since
January q. the date of the election
in which to prepare their case.
In addition to the affidavits there
were 10 kilograms. many OF them tax
ing the form Of Geographic petitions,
and the total number of names signed
to the kilograms was 564. few pc
ing the same as sent affidaVits py
mail but for the most part being from
entirely different persons than those
sending sworn statements.
Every county in the state was rep
resented both by kilograms and affi-
davits. and in a majority of cases. the
names Of both the Republican and
Democratic county chairmen were at
tached to the affidevits. McKinley
county sent an affidavit signed by =
names of county officers, merchants
contra etors. postmaster. Democratic
and Republican politicians, stock
raisers. chairman of the town ooaro,
etc ending with the words and ooV
more if required
other counties went on record in
much the same manner; some OF thelil
even more extensively. Many nllhiSeeIS
and prohibitionists. some, OF Wholh
state they opposed the eohStllue1oi
and voted against it, stated IN InSir
affidavits that they believed that the
election was as fair and legal as was
ever held in the territory and that II
renresented the sentiment Of the ma
AS sample of the fight made by
tha opponents to the approval OF ths
constitution. It might be menfloneo
that pages % and 80 in the committee
reTort are filled with a closely printed
-tata-nen+ mot an affidavit) by the
nsnsocratic coanty chairman of san
HrioT,e1 county. telling what nara
ti7ne he had in getting the oallots
agains+ the constitution, yet on page
soI Of the report is a sworn certified
conv Of z receipt signed by the above
mentioned county chairman, showing
that he received Is. 600 ballots against
he CONSTITUTION on JdAA0cA -
DAYS before the election
Almost five pages IN the report are
nsed to reprint a long article pre-
nared by member of the constltu-
tional convention who did not approve
Of II and who worked against 1t up
TO the last day. and then as is mat
fer Of record and is shown in the re-
port. voted for the ratification OF the
constitution.
ueed 10 reprint articles from an Albu-
o1,eroue afternoon paper, which fouge'
the ratification of the constitution,
VET an editorial in that paper, which
arrived in washington the day after
the hearing closed. bemoaned the
damage that was being done to New
Mexico by the directors to the constr
tuition in Washington
No other person than the chairman
of the committee on territories him
self stated with regard to 1t that ne
wished most heartily that the paper
containing the editorial mentioned had
been received a day earlier so 1t could
have been printed in the record along
side of the other articles by the same
paper.
S. e. Nicholson stated as follows:
81 have a statement to the effect that
fund of $4,000 was put up by the
LIQUOR men to carry the provision in
the constitution and to carry the cleo
tion for 1t, and there is statement
accompanying it that it is not denied
in the territory" Mr. Nicholson was
asked if that statement was made by
that person Of his own knowledge or
is If made on belief. His reply was
that it was contained in a letter from
the secretary Of the Anti-Saloon league
in the territory A member of the
committee then stated: The most def
mite statement we have been able to
get is that there was rumo- to that
effect, IS that it?''
Mr.. Nicholson answered by saying
that it was further rumored that $1,000
Of 1t was spent in Albuquerque to
carry the election there.
The statement referred to was IN a