The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-08
ARIzONA'S PLEA FOR STATEHOOD
Former Governor McCord Reviews
CondItions In the Territory.

Former Governor NcCOrd Reviews
Conditions In the Territory
Former Governor McCord. who resigned
the Governorship OF Arizona TO take Ter
-itorisl regiment to the Spanish American
war. is stopping at the E6bitt House The
Pacific Coast States" he said last night,
are exceedingly prosperous The live
I stock interest has prospered. the fruit In
dustry has returned a bountifuI reward,
and the agricultural and dairy products
nave found remunerative market in the
Orient. The export of -four. beef. and
wheat alone for the last year to China and
Japan has exceeded s1e 00o, coo. This for
market that is entirely new is very en-
couraging. The dairy and lumber exports
to the same market have been sufficient to
give great encouragement The copper
product of the Arizona for 1899 was $780,
$4,000 pounds. which was worth ia the
market over $3.50 0oO. COO
Our people feel that expansion and the
open-door policy has been of great benefit
to them and hence for that reason. if for
no other. we are all expansionists. IL any
party declares against expansion that
party cannot hope to carry any of the Coast
States The silver issue Is dead. Ii is
possible the Democrats may carry Colorado
and Nevada upon that issue. but they can
not carry Idaho or Montana, States they
carried in 1Sa6
Il am greatly in hopes Congress will
pass an enabling act for the admission OF
trizona. We want and deserve statehood.
During the war with Spain Arizona fur
nished mere than five times its quota, and
her men were enlisted and sworn inta the
service before the quota of any other State
or territory were sworn in. Arizona's
sons were among the first to land on for
eisn soil, among the first to shed their
blood in defence of their country. and
among the first to plant the American flag
upon the enemy's works. An Arizona flag
was the first flag planted upon Spanish
stronghold.
There is not single valid reason why
Arizona should not be admitted We have
more wealth and population than the aver
age Of the States had at the time they
were admitted for th7 last seyenty-fve
years.
ri Arizona is admitted by Republican
Congress and the bill Is signed by a Re-
publican President 1t WIN be Republican.
sound money. gold standard State, and it
Will not be rotten borough but a credit
and honor to the Union.
At is probably true that some of our
Territorial officials are not in favor OF
statehood. for the reason that they fear
they might lese their jobs. but the peo-
pie and the business interests. including
both the continental railway lines, the
Santa Fe and the Southern Pacific. that
pass through the Territory. are heartily in
favor of Arizona becoming a State.
Another thing Arizona wants is for the
to build storage reservoirs for
the flood waters for the pur-
pose of irrigation. national irrigation
system is now advocated by all the West
ern States. Such system would be q
grander scheme for internal improvements.
and bring much better results, than any
scheme that ever challenged the wisdom of
Henry Clay and his school of statesmen. A
national system of irrigation would develop
an empire where now is found nothing but
a barren desert: ii would afford homes for
millions that now inhabit the overcrnwded
cities. and the lands, when reclaimed.
would sell for ten times the cost of recla-
M ton.
But. there is one thing that Arizona
does net want, and that is to have the
cede to the States and Terri
tories the arid land as is advocated by
Governor Poynter. of Nebraska. Such
policy would forever prevent their recla-
nation. They would, TO use the language
of Secretary Wilson. be gobbled up by
and syndieates.'
''Of course. the people out there are for
McKinley's denomination, and he will re-
ceive the electoral vote of every State west
of the Missouri. with the possible excep-
tions of Colorado. Utah. and Nevada. The
Democrats are mostly for Bryan. because
they believe he will be nominated, but 1
think the most of them prefer some one
else. for the very good reason that they
think he will be defeated if nominated