Arizona republican., 1896-08-27
EXECUTIVE OF ARIZONA
Governor Franklin Ar eet-, | .T..W&[s elp4;- F. At4l4 ,sa .f5iss4 T. u, riMeS at Frisco. griaF1
He Is Interviewed by the
 r.4 Chronicle.
Gives His Views of Affairs as They Now Exist In the Ter
 rltory.

rltory.
 San Francisco Chronicle: Benjamin J. Franklin, governor of Arizona, ex- congressman from Missouri and ex- United States consul at Hankow, China, arrived in the city yesterday in a private car with a party of friends. Accompanying him on his tour are J. T. Fitzgerald, ex-judge of the probate court at Phoenix and now a leading merchant of Solomonville. Ariz.; c. P. Leitch, auditor of the territory; Colonel Frank Cox, attorney for the Southern Pacific company in Arizona and judge advocate general on the governors staff; ex-Judge Webster Street, a prominent lawyer of Phoenix, and Dr. Butt of the same place.
 Governor Franklin and his party have come to California on a pleasure jaunt. They have apartments at The Palace.
 Franklin was appointed by Presi- dent Cleveland in March last to fill the vacancy created by the removal of Governor Hughes. Hughes, as will be remembered, was appointed governor of Arizona few weeks after President Cleveland's inauguration in 1892 Be- fore a month had passed bundle of charges against him were filed with Secretary Hoke Smith, and charges continued to spring up periodically during the three years that followed no1n ,IoJA .0f crats went to Washington to urge Hughes removal, and Hughes went to Washington several times to answer the accusations. The incessant war 6naly culmfnated in his removal in March last and Franklin, who was then 6 practicfng attorney of Phoenix, was selected as his successor. Franklin was deemed to be qualified for office in many respects, not the least of which was his attitude on the money question. He is a sound money Dem ocrat, but prefers to refer to himself as a Cleveland Democrat.
 Franklin was elected to congress from the Kansas City district of Mis- soun in 1876 and served two terms. Upon his retirement from congress in 1880 he took up the practice of law and followed that profession until he was appointed consular representative at HankOw, China, in 1885. Hankow is situated on the Yang-tse river, 600 miles from the mouth an dis the great tea market of the world The appoint ment was quite an honor, as the post Is an important one Franklin re- tanned it for five years. Three years ago he took up his residence in Phoe- nix, and, although a comparatively new settler in the territory, he is as thoroughly in love with everything pertaining to Arizona and as enthusi- astic over the future of that section as the oldest inhabitant.
 People who read the funny papers get very incorrect idea of Arizona" he said when seen last evening why. Arizona is the garden spot of the whole country. As for Phoenix, it is the pgettiest, the most orderly and strictly moral community of its size in the country. To be sure, gambling goes on openly, but there is no drunken ness, no boisterous conduct and no dis turbances. We have but three police men in a town of 12 ,000 inhabitants, and they nave an easy time of it. t'As tor the Salt River valley, 1t ex- oeeds anything in Palestine and is richer than the valley of the Nile, while the climate of the whole terri tory is mone delightful than any to be ! found on the shores of the Mediter- ronean."
 Governor Franklin says that the recent heavy rains have brightened everything in Arizona. The cattle l industry is booming. Last year, he zona nearly 22S,O0O head of cattle, which brought a return of $3,000, 900. This did mot include the cattle slaugh- tered tor home consumption.
 1 Governor Franklin is working ear nestly for the admission of Arizona into the Union and declares that con- gress at it's next session will enable the territory to assume the dignity of statehood.
 'eWhy shouldn't we be admitted to the Union?" he queried, with some feeling. we have a greater popula- tion, more wealth and better prospects for the future than nine-tenths of the territories that have been admitted. Territorial vassalage was never con- vemplated by the constitution and I am thoroughly opposed to any further de- lays. The admission of Arizona is favored in both platforms this year, but there is popular warning that it
 is dangerous to ride on a platform. However, we will wait patiently to see if congress is going to be true to the
 pledge. Silver or anti-silver politics