Arizona weekly enterprise., 1890-05-24
Statehood For Arizona.

the Union of States, and I claim ths the Territory is ready and qualifie for self-government.
 l. Because of sufficiently lare population.
 1 2. Because of ample fnancis strength.
 5. Because the standard of intell gence and education will eompar favorably with that of any other sut divison of the Union.
 4. Because the progress and pros perity of the Territory are retarde, by the dependency of the Territoria relation to the General Government. D. Because our large area of schoo lands would become available for. tn benefits of our educational system. 6. Because a degree of conlidenc in stability of institutions and the re liability of values would be attaine, that does not now exist.
 | 1. Because our natural resource would be more rapidly developed ant our wealth proportionately increased 1 with the right to tax ourselves for pub lie and internal improvements that i now denied us by congressional limi tatlon on the ground, presumably | that we are wards of the government | and do not know our wants, or tha we are incapable of regulating them $. Because we are legislated fol without representation, which is con trary to the spirit of free govern ment, at least after it is demonstrated that we are entitled. to representation ,. That the advantage of being able to name and elect our public servants, men known, tried, and in- ierested, officials of whom the people have knowledge and in whom they have confidence, conducting the affairs oi the government. experimenting the expenditure of the peoples money, and intelligently promoting the peo- ple's wishes, would a hundredfold more than compensate for the increas- ed expense of government.
 10. The general government, through its agents, cannot possibly have the knowledge nor the interest in the affairs of the commonwealth oi Arizona that the people of the Terri tory possess.
 II. The people of Arizona are thoroughly patriotic and loyal to American institutions, and they sim ply ask the heritage of law-abiding freemen, and that Is the right of repre- sentation when taxed, which is be- lieved the general government by its policy means to protect.
 Arizona has an area of 4l3,0O0 square miles
 The population, in my judgment numbers over 90,OOO (the State o Iowa had 5000 people when admit ted) The taxable wealth of the Ter ritory amounts to $90,000 ,Q00. 1 base my estimate upon the present assessed valuation which is $30,000,- 900, and it is admitted that the prop erty is not assessed at over one-third of its actual value. The hepresent censu: will determine both the population and wealth of the Territory
 The bonded debt of Arizona is $631, 900; the floating debt, $S0,00O or q total debt, approximately, of $7ll. 900. The average rate of interest or the above debt Is per cent, and we pay our interest, which is proof of oul solvency. We have asked Congress te allow us to refund our debt into long term bonds at a low rate of interest It IS doubtful whether or not we vii be allowed to manage our own affairs in this respect, which is another req son why we desire to be a state, Tht assets of the Territory for which the debt was created consist of univers ity, normal school ,penitentiary, insane asylum, and numerous bridges ant highways, constructed at public OK pense. The tiaating debt, which is evidenced by outstanding warrants amounts to the sum named, not be cause much of the late legislation fo public improvements has not beer authorized to be covered by specia tax, but paid for in warrants on tn, general fund of the Territory.
 The public institutions are credit able buildings, constructed with req sonable economy, considering location and expense of materials, The CT, l which has been sometimes raised b, rival partlsans, of extravaganza ant unwieldy debt, for political effect, de serves no consideration and has Il, foundation in fact. The Territory Ina an immense area of arabic land, nearl, equal in extent to the State of Illinois all of which could be made productiv, with irrigation, while hundreds 0 thousands of aares are already pro ductive and covered by irrigating ca nals, representing millions of dollar of capital, A great timber belt crosse from north to south the central part C the Territory, which for the purpose of home consumption, cannot be eS hausted by densely populated Stat in a hundred years. We have grazin uplands and mesas for the production of beef cattle more than sufficient fo home purposes of large population and ample for profitable export ir dustry for many years. The miners wealth of the Territory is unque; toned and is rapidly increasing wit development, and in this respect AT zona can not be excelled by any othe part of the Union. The fruit land are more bountifully productive, an larger in extent than other section { the country,
 With incpeased transportation facil ties, and internal improvements no contemplated (and which will be assu ed if we are allowed statehood,) brinj ing different localities representa- different industries into closer con munication with each other, and mai ing all the resources of the Terrjtor available, Arizona will be an empil in herself, with the balance of con mercial traffic so largely in her fave
 that few subdivisions of the natio
 will equal and none excel her i wealth. It might not be improper { suggest, in this connection, that q
 doubt may be dispelled, fl any exist as to the responsibility of the Terr tory, by the general governmer donating to Arizona all the publ ) lands within her borders, and let Int reclaim, develop, and utilize them [
 suit herself, the same as Texas, thel would be no question as to her abilit to take care of herself, and the go l ernment would be saved the neeessit