Arizona weekly citizen., 1888-12-22
sN i.slKLY CITIZEN
SATURDAY DECEMBER g, 1888,
ARIZONA ASA STATE


 that oortion of country shall have be come a free and sovereign state. We give the article ID question not as our sentiments nor as the sentiments or the people of Arizona, but merely to show the other end of the argument however much at vsrience it may be with the real wants Of ihe territory. Possibly SO far ss the interest of cattle men are con- cerned the measure advocated would present a moneyed advantage by placing them CD like footing in tho California markets with the stock growers of that state. Bat we must go beyond this aud consider the interests of the territory. which are large and variable as Whole' without due respect to any one portion or section thereof.
 Similarity of climate and like pro ductions of soil cut DO figure Tn the mat fer whatsoever. If they did, then east of the Rocky Mountains there should be but two or three great states instead of thirty odd Rs there nov gre. And truly we think the people Of Arizona Are as capable of mskinS their own laws as California or any other state, would be to make them for us. To say that We cannot do so would be an insult to the intelligence of our people whom we fistter ourselves are as intelligent ss our neighbors.
 The territory prospered under adverse circumstances, but even in her darkest hour, when her people bled from every pore st the hands of the Apache savage, California gave neither protection. sympathy nor help, and nov thst the territory is strong enough to get along without either it is hardly probable that her people will petition to be devoured simply to swell the corpulency of an ambitious neighbor. And so far as pro- tection from the perennial raids of the Apsches are concerned We must do as we have done heretofore, depend upon the courage of our OWL people, which never failed, and upon the general gos ernment.
 To be tackled on 10 Southern Califor- ma would simply be to lose the little prestsge and power We now have. It would advertise Q weakness and help lessness to the world We do not possess. It would say with trumpet blsre, that the territory was ashamed of its automy and desired to exist only through the suffrsnce of another of which fl would soon be the caudsl appendege. Ari- zons would always be Arizona and the thin glauo1r in the name of Southern California could never hide that fact.
 Whatever our reputation now Is SO It would and will continue to be until her own citizens shall prove to the world that she is one of the fGirest and most favored spots under the sun. Absorbed by Southern California the aroma of our frontier days would still be uppermcst in the minds of the capitalist and tendeEfoo. and the first killing done in any of the Mexican states. five hundred miles to the south, would be located here as usual, and instead of being known as Arizona we should speedily be dubbed the Barbary coast of Southern California
 Bat what we want is a state Of our own and on this proposition the terri tory will stand solid until her knock for admittance has been heard and Uncle Sam opers the door and politely bows her to her seat among the great sister hood of states. These are our sen;i- ments and We believe them to be the sentiments of the citizens of the tern- tory. Amos! to R man they gill stand for Arizona and against being feeder to Southern California.
 Arizona has computed citizen popu- lstion verging close to 9000O souls, and over S75. 900 900 worth of taxable prop erty. She possesses an area of ll3.9l6 square miles, made up Of wide plsteaus sloping from 7,500 feet to almost sea level. Her mountain peaks rise to over l4O0 feet and some of the great canyons skIrting their base are among the wonders of the world. Her rivers are long and grand; her tImbers among the finest ou earth and practically mex hsustable. All the minerals known to commerce, can be found within her lines; her climate is salubrious and her soils fertile and productive beyond con- pare.
 Arizona instead of becoming an sp- bondage to be vagged at the pleasure of Southern California, has the wherewith to become one If the greatest and vealthiest states ID tEe Federal Union, and it belIttles her capabilities and the courage of her people to consider her otherwise.
 We have nothing against California. She is 8 great and grand state with an interesting past and R glorious fu- ture, but so far as annexation is con cerned the Colorado river runs between her and our terutory and We pray that it ever will.
 The first step looking to statehood should be taken by the coming legis- Iature. They should and we believe they will, pass 8 joint resolution pray l ing that Congress will recognize the | claims Of the territory to become 8 | state and We think II will be hesrkeped | to and the clsims allowed. There will, We are satisfied, be no dissenting voice in assembly or council. for our leglsla- tors are foo patriotic 10 forget the duty they owe to the territory, themselves and constituency. We. therefore, urge upon them the consideration of thIs Im- portant measure,
 Arizonans are proud of their terri tory. They believe Tn Der for all that Is good. Thousands of them have bled that she might live, and those who lived and struggled on when the night WAS dark, will yet see her star shine rs shine she will, among the brightest ID the constellation that adorns our flag. Great is her destiny, and under the sweet name of Arizona will she become great.