The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-12-08
ARIZONA AS A STATE
Delegate Smith Says the Outlook
for it is Very Good.
Enabling Acts to be Introduced for Her and
New Mexico WOlfley Tried to Be-
little the Territory.
HERALD BUREAU,
Cor Of Fifteenth and G streets. n. w.

WASHINGTON, D. C., Dec. Especial tele-
gram TO THE HERALDl-Delegate Mark Smith,
| OF Arizona, has returned to Washington. He
Is very happy over the outlook for statehood
for the enterprising territory which he has the
honor to represent He will introduce bill to
tins effect upon the reassemOling of Congress,
and he believes that Mr.. Joseph the Delegate
from New Mexico, will introduce similar bill
for that territory. Both bills will be intro
duced in the Senate and fathered there by such
OF the western Republicans as are favorable to
| the proposition.
| MI. Smith anticipates no difficulty in secur-
ing the admission OF the territory this winter
BE has reason to believe that such OF the west
ern Republicans as Stewart and Jones, of Ne
Vada, Plumb. of Kansas, and possibly Stanford
and FELTON,, of California, will vote for admis-
sion. He has also been assured that Messrs.
Carey and Warren, of Wyoming, and Dubois and
Shoup of Idaho, are also similarly disposed.
he does not see how any of the Senators from
the new states can refuse to do otherwise
Mr.. Smith remembers as does everybody else
who was here during the Forty ninth Congress.
the vehemenoe with which the Republicans
who we're urging the admission of the two Da-
kotas, Washington and Montana, protested
against the exclusion Of those territories as
states because Of their Republican affiliations.
Ihey claimed then that these territories,ought
to be admitted as states without any regard to
political considerations, and that the question
OF admission ought to be put on higher plane
than that of party expediency. 1t is.hardIy
probable that these gentlemen can afford 10
stultify themselves now, by refusing admission
to Arizona and New Mexico simply because
these territories are likely 10 remain Demo-
ratio. Mr.. Smith says Arizona possesses
every possible condition favorable to
statehood. She has a population larger
than either Wyoming or Idaho, and her
material advantages are such that within few
years she will be far beyond either of these
states in point of population. Two years ago,
when the territorial convention passed bill
providing for constitutional convention Gov
ernor Wolfey vetoed it on the ground that the
territory was not ready for statehood Mr..
Smith tells me that Governor Wolfey used his
influence to belittle Arizona's population as
much as possible during the taking of the re
cent census. He says it is currently reported
IN Arizona, and 1t is quite generally believed,
that the governor, who had virtually the ap-
pointing of all the enumerators, gave these
gentlemen tacltly to understand that he did not
wish the population of the territory to exceed
fifty thousand. The enumerators it is evident,
carried out the governors instructions for in
several Localities no enumerator appeared, and
there are abundant evidences that the census
was taken manner that was calculated To
make the poorest possible showing for the ter
ritory. Yet. notwithstanding this fact. the Off.
cial returns give the territory something in ex.
cess of sixty thousand population.
asked Mr.. Smith to-day what advantages
would result from statehood. He replied tina,
they were numerous TN the first place" said
he, sit would enable US to dispose of the Indian
question. Our Indian troubles in Arizona have
operated greatly to cur disadvantage in keen
ing out immigration. People are afraid to risk
their lives and property in a new country that
is liable 10 incursions from bands of hostile In
dams. While we remain under a territorial
form of government we must look to the fedora
government alone to subdue the Indians snf
keep them in order Once we become state
the remedy lies is our own hands, We can dr.
then as Texas did when Texas became n state
/. They have had no Indian troubles in Texa,
} worthy Of the name since then. 1t would be Sc
in Arizona The next Indian uprising would be
met with a proclamation from the governo,
calling upon the militia to put 1t down, and the
militia would do it, Give US statehood. and VIC
will not be long in disposng definitely of the
Indian troubles. 1t will give US also, as every
resident OF the territories can understand \
better local government in its most compre-
hensive form. Look at Washington and Mon
tana and the two Dakotas They were prosper-
ing before they secured statehood but see how
they are prospecting now. Give Arizona state
hood and we, too, will shate in the general
prosperityn