The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 74, July 1970 - April, 1971 Page: 290

Southwestern Historical Quarterly

so that by 1912 most were freed from the control of the politicians
and better able to serve the new state of New Mexico.
After tracing the changing nature of the press Stratton devotes
a chapter on its relationship with the politicians, particularly during
the fight for statehood. He then describes its role in reconciling the
conflicting cultures-Indian, Spanish, and Anglo-by establishing
the bases for compromise. He devotes one chapter to the editorial
influence on developing railways, mines, ranches, irrigation, and
dryland farms, concluding that the papers hastened the flow of capital
and immigrants. After pointing out that the press led New Mexicans
in demanding an end to criminal violence and a respect for law and
order, the author summarizes the journalists' many contributions to
progress.
Stratton presents his story in a scholarly style and resists the
temptation to stray from his main subject. He allows some minor
inconsistencies and a few misspellings, and fails to include several
secondary works which should be in his bibliography. Historians
might argue with some generalizations, and this reviewer personally
wishes that he had spent more time on the colorful newsmen who
moved from one ephemeral mining camp to the other, too often
luring investors to ruin with printer's ink.
Such criticisms are not of major importance. Certainly, Stratton
has produced an important volume. His numerous footnotes give
invaluable information; it is unfortunate that printing costs forced
the publisher to place them at the end of the narrative. His com-
pilation of 732 newspapers published in New Mexico from 1834 to
i912, including the change of titles, is worth the price of the book
to any researcher in this area. Perhaps he will give us more in the
future about the interesting characters who involved their newspapers
and communities in the controversies that developed during New
Mexico's territorial years. He must, indeed, have many exciting stories
to relate.

University of Texas, Austin

290

JIM B. PEARSON