Arizona silver belt., 1891-09-05
rnr srArEnoop ABsURDrrY.

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 The convention which meets in Phn- nix on Monday next, for the purpose of giving effect to legislative enact ment relative to the formation of a constitution for State for Arizona, IS regarded, in this county at least, as speculative as the generality of Colonel Sellers schemes, as related by the in- imitahle Mark Twain Those iavoring the creation of State, so far, have advanced but the single idea that statehood will result in increased im- migration, and influx of capital for permanent investment, If that were true there would be less opposition to the utopian scheme, with the alleged view of mitigating our intolerable bur- den (s5, ,500, OO0) of Territorial, coun- ty, municipal and. school indebtedness.
 Cumulative compound annual inter- est, not taking into consideration the more than liberal appropriations of the Sixteenth Legislative Assembly for the maintenance of an emergency" militia of ten companies (infantry and artillery) subject 10 the call of the commander in-chief, armed and equipped, and ready in case of threatened or intestine war, to follow the ear piercing fife and spirit stirring drum, until halcyon peace restsupo the Territorial banner In addition to the emergency" boys, the Sixteenth authorized the Governor to raise and muster into the service of the Territory, for the protection of our southern border, one company of Arizona Rangers, to consist of a cap tain, ono lieutenant, one medical of tcer, and twenty privates, entitled to pay. The captain and medical officer each to receive SlO0 per month; pri- yates S55 per month" An additional annual tax for the further erection and maintenance of the University of Arizo- hzs IS made lien upon property, which attaches the first Monday of March it each year.
 Appropriations for the current and contingent expenses of the government of the Territory for two years ending December 31st, 1892, are heavy drain. A loan of S30, 000Is authorized to be negotiated providing twenty year bonds, bearing five per cent interest, can be flpated with view of an Arizo- na exhibit at the Worlds Columbian Exposition of 1893. And though last, not least the cost of the constitutional convention and the election which will necessarily follow the action of the convention, is also a lien upon the already impoverished pockets of tax payers.
 In order to kill two birds with one stone tine legislature, in providing for the holding of a convention for the purpose of framing State Constitu- ton authorized the convention, in it's discretion, to provide for the cleo ton of all or any portion of the officers of State government at the same time it provides for submitting the form of constitution for adoption or rejection. The uninitiated in politics will natural ly conclude that the framers of the bill were wise in inserting a clause which obyiated dual election; that economy was the object which governed them in their actions, which we very much doubt, but rather conclude that they wanted active workers in the field in terested in Arizona becoming State, in order to afford the opportunity ol feeding at the public crib, and as well might you expect the brawiers fo, statehood to admit that that was the case as to find landlord who would own to blgs in his beds.
 The people of Gila county have al- ways been opposed to statehood. Both the Democratic and Republican con ventions which met in Globe Sept. 6tl and goth, 1890, respectively, expressed disapproval of the step, and public sentiment has not since changed on the question. A very general lack of in terest is noticeable throughout tho Ter, ritory in the approaching convention, owing to the belief that Arizona is moi ready for statehood and that there is no chance of the Territory being ad- mitted by the present Congress.
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 Col. $. B. Bevans, an F. F. V, an appointee of Cleveland as U. s. timber agent, we learn from the Journal Miner