Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1889-07-17
STATEHOOD AND coMsTivuvloMAl
 coNvEr,oN TALK.

The JoURNAL-MINER is already on record as being opposed to statehood at the present time. Some of the req sons have heretofore been stated, viz: that neither the population or the
 amount of taxable property will justify II at present. A liberal estimate of the
 population of the territory at presen,
 cannot place 1t greater than 6o,ooo,
 while the property shown by the las,
 years assessment is little over $s6,.
 ooo.ooo. With a large proportion of .se territorial expenses paid by the gen.
 eIal government now, the floating lndebt-
 edness is increasing and the bonding oi
 the indebtedness has been resorted to
 m order to redeem outstanding war
 rants.
 But admitting that statehood is desir-
 able, there IS no good argument that
 can be advanced. for holding the con-
 stitutiena convention, as proposed by
 ea-G~gernor Zulick, and as was ,ncor-
 lNrAted' tn territorial statute by the
 Fifteenth legislative assembly. as no possible good can come of holding such convention, while it will entail, from hrst to last. an expSnse of ifrom $so.- 900 to Soc. 1000 on the territory. Da- kota tried the experiment . few years ago. prepared and adopted a constitu- ton and even vent so far as to elect state officials and with all arr.neere-.e perfected for statehcod, tnocked at he door for admission. Its admission, however, was not g. d ~aen asked, but was delay, . years and when an enabling act was passed by con- s.ess 1t vas in an entirely different form from that asked by the territory. h. stead of one state, two states were pro vided for and new election for members to constitutional convention had te be held and the previous expense proved dead loss. In the face af all this, it seems strange this legislative enactment should receive the sanction of any tax payer in the territory.
 It is not strange tha, difference of opinion should exist in regard to state- hood. It is natural that politicians should desire 1t for the purpose of ad- their personal ambitions. The privileges conferred by statehood are also very desirable and it is not unnatural or strange that many honest citizens and taxpayers may de sire the enjoyment of them, even at an 1 additional expense. But the holding of 1 this proposed constitutional convention, ! he framing and adoption of constitu- ion will not hasten one single day | action in the matter and | l constitution without action from con- sress allowing it to become operative Till be of no benefit to the territory. Advocates of statehood should use their energies and influence towards securing ecognition from congress, in the shape # an enabling act, rather than thro ugh be expensive and futile constitutional
 invention. If the majority of the 'eople of the territory desire statehood, he JoURNAL-MINER is willing to bear Is proportion of the additional burdens D the way oftaxation, and more than vii ing to enjoy the priveleges it will confer, 'hile. at the same tune. holding the views xpressed above, but it is unalterably pposed to the proposed convention nti' sanction is obtaine from congress . encouragement given that the ob- ,cts of such convention can be con- |;