The St. Johns herald., 1897-09-18
M. H. McCORD.
Speech of the Governor at Pres
 colt on Labor Day.

Governor McCord, accompanied by
 his staff, participated in the celebration
 of Labor Day at Prescott, and the peo
 pie of that place, in honor of his visit
 rendered him reception. An eloquent speech of welcome was delivered by Hon. T. G. Norris, to which Governor
 McCord responded as follows:
 Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentleman-Fo1 this hearty and cordial greeting I return my sincere thanks. am not vain enough to think this splendid ovation is intended as a commit ment to myself but rather as @ tribute of respect to the position which I temporarily occupy. 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 consid eration, approving where approval is rnerited and censur1ng only where censure is deserved l repeat that request here By giving to the people good government, win tt lowest possi sle taxation consistent with conmendsble pro gression, and tias sPf~it -f DrIbIie enterprise that o1ght to animate ,le breast of every citizen is the only way can hope to merit the conf dence and esteem Of the people. and reward the many true friends have found all over the ter ritory.
 believe the possibilities Oi this territory are great. If we are to take the word of the Hon. Whitelaw Reid, there is not clmatically consid cred, more favored spot on earth. This is of itself source of wealth, the magnitude of which it is impossible to compute As profitable min eral producing country there are few superiors There is no place in the United States where cat tie, sheep, swine and horses can be produced more cheaply or with greater profits than in Arizona. There are few places where all kinds ot rural husbandTv can be carried on more Suc- eessfully and prOfitably. What we want is more railroads to open more fields of industry; mere Irrigation canals to reclaim our desert lands; more industries developed to furnish to labor employment and markets for our products More money to uncover our hidden wealth; many thousands more industrious 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 tn t has been admitted to the Union, that 1t has doubled III wealth and population within the first four or five years after admission do not believe Arizona would be an exception, and if not, statehood would be the means oi supply ing all the wants I have enumerated Is not statehood then, worth striving for? Can we not afford to lay aside our prejudices, even our politics, and all labor for that end |? Not only would statehood double our wealth and popula
 ion, but it would give us whattsr than all-the right of self-gOvernment believe to-day our paramountissueis statehood; all others are sec ondary and will come with statehood.
 Fellow citizens, never pass over this road and view its grand scenery that do not fall into a reflective mood; that my mind does not invol- untarily revert to the past history of our great country and it's grand achievements From it's discovery to the present it's brilliant past comes vividly before me.
 It was in October, 1492, four hundred and five years ago next month, a seaman on board an old Spanish caravel in the early dawn of morn ing discovered the land of the Western hemi- sphere, @ few hours later Christopher Co