Arizona weekly enterprise., 1890-02-22
AROUT ARIZONA.
! Her Glorious Possibilities And Desire for Admission to Statehood.

The Washington correspondent of the New York Herald, under date of February 18th, telegraphs the fol- lowing concerning Arizona:
 Arizona people feel that Congress is acting unfairly with them in not favorably considering their application for admission as 6 State. Delegate Smith, of that Territory, with whom 1 discussed the matter this morning said :-
 ''It (admission) is with us no politi- cal question. It is a question of self defence wherein republican and dem- ocrat are equally concerned. It is q question of good government, which all are anxions to secure. The sen- timent for statehood is virtually unanimous, for veal feel our ability to take care of ourselves and feel degrad- ed by the system of government under which we are compelled to live"
 "Are you qualified for statehood?" I asked.
 "We are," MT. Smith replied. "We have at least hundred thousand of the best educated and most energetic people in the United States. We have the most liberal common school sys- tenn in America. Our population is rapidly increasing Every industry is being rapidly developed A North and South railroad from the Southern Pacific to the Atlantic and Pacific is now in course of construction which will bring in close relation the fruit and grain products of the South with the vast lumber and mineral products of the North, thus lessening the cost of each to the consumer. We have at least $75, 100000 of taxable prop erty There are assessed 5,9S5 1858 acres in Arizona, five million of which acres are included in the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad grant, and being as sessed at twenty cents per acre and being sold at from $1 to $5 per acre. Our cattle will number near, if not fully two million. We market three hundred thousand cattle yearly, most of which are beef steers"
 What about agriculture?"
 "Our agriculture depends on irriga- tion. The lands covered by canals and ditehes, as shown by statistics compiled by the Commissioner of Inn migration, aggregate 566,464 acres The total number of acres now under cultivation is 306,900, which will be increased by 75,000 this year. We produced last year agricultural and horticultural products which were worth $9, 9,207 ,000, live stock $6,000,000, gold and silver $4,431 800, copper $2,000.0 and lnmber, wool, &c., $1 ; 500,000, making total of over $23,- 100000 worth of products, of which S13,OO0,O00 are exported. There are 1000, 200 acres of land that can be cultivated without irrigation and which will be settled when railroads make accessible markets. There are millions of acres that can yet be reclaimed by irrigation, with proper and sensible Congressional action which would be to give the arid lands to the Territory in fee simple, and We ona the most prosperous State and the pleasantest home in the Union All those rich lands lying south of the thirty-fourth parallel can be made available for the production of citrus and deciduous fruit, which makes land of fabulous worth.
 "With 112,000 square miles, with | resources far exceeding any other o the Territories, with a climate second to few places on earth, with pOpula ton equal to either Wyoming ol Idaho, with wealth far exceeding either-why should Arizona be reject ed and those two Territories admitted Idaho and Wyoming ought to be admitted, but should come in com pany with their fairer sisters, Arizona and New Mexico. I enter now, ant shall enter on the floor of the House nay protest against this unfair, unright eous and scandalous discrimination But I find that it keeps me busy try ing to keep what few rights we have The land shark is trying to gobble Ut the land and the sickly sentimental ism of friends of Indians is threaten ing to place Geronomo aud Lis ban( of assassins back on their old haunti ] and var traaii1hss Is 1t any wonder W, ask for vote in Congress and pra, for deliverance from present bond aOe?'