Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1896-04-08
ARIZONA JOURNAL-MINER
WEDNESDAY.........APRIL $, 1896
VICIOUS oPPOsITION TO STATE
 HOOD


 VICIOUS OPPOSITION TO STATE
 HOOD
 . her the question of the sdmis- sion of Arizona and New Mexico 1as befsre the committee few days sines Congressman Taft, of Ohio, male 8 very bitter fight against the territories. During the discussion he declared that congress could not bllnd its eyes to the fact that the admission of the two territories would add four votes for free silver t0 the senate. He argued that It wSs not fair that the existing status st the Union should be changed m the midst of a great controversy hke the financial question; that the question should be settled by the Union ss it now stands, and that ~s-und money" men should not be hSldieSpped by new silver states. Such aR argument as the above shows decidedly narrow contracted mind on the part of the person ,d- vanciag it. He ignores the question of right and justice to these terri tories and shapes his official action on his prejudices, or on what he fears these territories may do.
 We would like to inquire of this gentleman from Ohio, if New Mex co and Arizona are not as much az integral part of the United States as the great state which he rePre- ssnts aad are not equally interested with the people of his state in any question of pational import It Is trus our populate ;s nOt So great at present, and SO long as majority of the Taft stripe of congressman soatrols eongressiona. action, and keeps us in 3 condition of vassalage to the general government, we can scarcely hope to increase our pOpu- latisz very much. Ir the matter of the kRAReial question, We seriously doubt if MT. Taft represents the vievs of the majority of citizens of his sWn state. The great masses of the people there, the wage earners, WoalS be as greatly benefited by she free coinage of silver, as would the citizens of Arizous or New Hsxico. and they would receive greater benefits from this measure than those of the too territories would directly from :sriG legislation. Aside from the single article of wool, probably no G--eet benefits Accrua to the citizens of these territories from protective tsriH, and in some instances 1t may pcssib'v be detrimental to them to a certain degree. Yet the rePubli- cars of these two territories are 10 less loy.l to the principle of pro lection, or to its great apostle, Gov eraor Mckinley, of Nr. Taft's state, than are the republicans of Ohio, arl vhJi Because they believe in it a. . sound national doctrine, and do no. con6ne their views to thst of tslf interest.
 But NIT. Taft in his argument be-' fore the counittee not only showed hat his judgment WAS warped by prejudice, but in order to maintain his position uttered an infamous ='sDdsr ol the citizens of the two J=-ritories by saving that D per cent Sf he inhabitants of Arizona sad S3 per cent of New Mexico are illiterates. Whether be intended bv this assertion to Perpetrate @ te hberste, slanderous falsshood, or whether he made the assertion through ignorance We do not at- tempt 10 state, but in either ca-e 1t was ineIcusable. Arizona in tle matter of her public schools " ll compare favorably with Ohir, ou as ts the percentage of iliityrac, among the whie inhabitants. which PrSdominates largely hera. We vii challenge a comparison with that of MT. Taft's state.