The Arizona sentinel., 1897-09-18
IN HONOR OF THE PRODUCER.
A Speech Delivered By Gov. McCOrd
 at Prescott on Labor Day.
Mir. McCord spoke as follows:

Mir. McCord spoke Gs follows:
 Mr. Chairman; Ladies and Gen tlemen: For this hearty and cor dial greeting l return my sincere thanks. am not vain enough to think this splendid ovation is in tended as 6 compliment to myself but rather. as a tribute of respect to the position which 1 temporarily occupy. I said upon assuming the duties of that office that l hoped the people and the press of the Territory would give to my acts fair and impartial consideration, approving where approval is merit ed and censuring only where cen sure is deserved. I repeat that request here. By giving to the people good government, with the lowest possible taxation consistent with commendable progression and that spirit of public enterprise that ought to animate the breast of every citizen is the only way l can hope to merit the confidence and esteem of the people, and reward the many true friends I have found all over the Territory.
 believe the possibilities of this Territory are great. If we are to take the word of the Hon. Whitelaw Reid there is not, climatically con sidered, a more favored spot on earth. This of itself is a source of wealth, the magnitude of which it is impossible to compute. AS 8 profitable mineral producing coun- try there are few superiors. There is no place in the United States where cattle, sheep, swine and horses can be produced more cheap ly or with greater profit than in Arizona. There are few places where all kinds of rural bus bnndry can be carried on more successfully and profitably. What we want is more railroads to open greater fields of industry; more irrigation canals to reclaim our rich desert lands; more industries developed to furn- ish to labor employment, and markets for our products. More money to uncover our hidden wealth; many thousands more in dustrious and honest people. We want our public affairs managed wisely and economically. All this will come with statehood. It is the history of nearly every state that has been admitted to the Union that it has doubled in wealth and population within the first four or five years after admission. l dc not believe Arizona would be an exception and if not, statehood would be the means of supplying all the wants 1 have enumerated } Is not statehood then worth striv ing for? Can we not afford to lay aside our prejudices, even oul politics and all labor for that end
 Not only would statehood doubl' our wealth and population, but i would give us, what is better thar . all, the right of self government.
 believe today our paramount neeC
 is statehood; all others are second.
 ary and will come with statehood.
 Fellow citizens, I never pass owe
 this road and view its grand scener,
 that [ do not fall into 2 rehectiv
 mood; that my mind does not invol
 untarily revert to the past histor
 of our grand country and it's grea
 achievements. From its discover.
 to the present, it's brilliant pas
 comes vividly before me.
 It was in October, 1492, four hun dred and five years ago next montE d seaman on board an cid Spanis'
 caravel, in the early dawn of morn . ing discovered the land of the west = ern hemisphere, and few hour |, later Christopher Columbus, after ' rough and dangerous voyage ( | seventy days from Palos in Spair . landed on the island of San Sal q vador. No event in history sine a the birth of our Savior has exerte q so potent an influence upon tn ', human race as that voyage and ii culminating discovery. A ne d world thereby opened to the Caucas IS Ian race, and as the result of th ;0 discovery theE made, vast con !. tinent has within these four hun
 dred years beer transformed frol na n the abode of savages and barbarian
 l. .lo Lo,voo of tbo ,oiCb tioot o; ,,;