Las Vegas optic., 1912-01-15
new MEXICO HAS ASSUMED THE full DIGNITY Of STATEHOOD

- O~A NAeA6NAo. W . nave DCOOluGg III
stead of people with no rights, sub
ject to the will and caprice of an ad
ministration at Washington, a free
people in the full sense, and dignified
with the power and influence of q
state, supreme in the control and man
agement of its internal affairs, ex
cept so far and to the extent that such
control has been granted to the ma
tional government under the consti.
tuition of the United States. Upon the
intelligence and integrity Of the peo-
pie of New Mexico will primarily de-
pend the position that we shall oc-
cupy in the sisterhood of states.
We have formulated and adopted a
constitution as our fundamental law,
defining and limiting the powers of
the different branches of our state
government. Under this constitution
you have chosen your legislature,
state and county officers, and today
we are assuming the responsibility
and entering into the full dignity of
statehood. Much criticism have VIE
had for many years while struggling
and contending for the boon to which
we believed we were entitled long
ago. and often have we been disap-
pointed because congress, for one rea-
son or another, decided that we might
not be capable of self government
be safe from ourselves-as seen
through the eyes of prejudice and mis-
information at Washington. Only a
short time ago we were warned not to
be in too great a hurry, that we did
not fully consider and realize the re-
quirements and responsibilities of a
state government. But we now under
stand the glory and dignity of that
bright star added to the flag of this
great nation of states, and we shall,
we must, provr<to the world, that fear
was gropndlesEssaand warning gp& s.
sary. N7fi
This is the beginning of changed
but not entirely new order for New
Mexico. We have passed from the
condition of citizens under the direct
control of the federal government, to
a position as citizens with equal rights
and privileges in the government of
The United States. While we naturally
feel jubilant in the present and hope
for the future, at the same time we
must not forget that our emancipa-
ton from federal interference, except
as the power for such is granted in
the constitution that makes us one
with our sister states, has put us on a
different footing with the world. New
obligations and great responsibilities
are to be met and borne successfully.
The confidence of youth combined
with the wisdom of maturity will
carry us far if we act wlIn caution,
born of the experience of others that
have gone before.
Your governor is looked upon today
with more consideration than is due.
The guiding hand must be strength
ened and upheld by the will and voice
of just and intelligent people when
it is firm with the purpose of serving
them, and should 1t prove weak or
false, the force of public condemna-
tion should render it powerless for
evil.
The principles of republican form
of government, based upon the con-
sent and cooperation of the governed,
were enunciated by the fathers, vic
torious over the forces of wrong and
oppression, which would have bound |
them as dependent province of a
powerful nation, and we, the free, in
dependent citizens of New Mexico,
have at last come victors from the
battles, waged for full citizenship in
a sovereign state, in that nation estab-
lished by their wisdom AS we look
into the future, bright hopes of prom
ise appear to some and dark foredan-
ger may dim the horizon of others.
The past is history, the present is the
dawn of the future 1t is to the future
we look md that future wlll be what
we make it.
l may often be misled through err
rors of judgment, based upon mis-
taken or incomplete information, or
by the natural defects of mind well
Sometimes things that
may at first appear mistakes, may
later, and upon investigation, prove
the error of hasty conclusions on your
part, further encouraged by pos
sibly weak or venal source Of infor-
nation and instruction. shall ask
your indulgence only to the extent
that you consider the whole situation
and decide any grievance after view
ing it in the light of all that is obtain
able to reach a fair and just conclu-