The Arizona sentinel., 1900-03-21
Official Paper of Yuma County
ARIzONA's PLEA FOR STATEHOOD.
Former Governor McCOrd Reviewed Conditions in the Territory.

Former Governor McCord, who resigned the Governorship of Ari- zona to take Territorial regiment to the Spanish-American war, IS stopping at the Ebbitt House. "The Pacific Coast States" he said last night, "are exceedingly prosperous, Tie live stock interest has prosper- ed. the fruit industry has returned a bountiful reward, and the agricul- tural and dairy products have found a remune ative market Tn the Orient. The export of flour, beef, and wheat alone for the last year to China and Japan has exceeded $l2,O0O,O0O. This, for a market that is entirely new, is very en- eouraging. The dairy and lumber exports to the same market have been sufficient to give great encour- agement. The copper product ot the Arizona for 1899 was 150,COO,- 900 pounds, which was worth: Ill the market, over $25O,OO0,O00.
 "Our people feel that expansion and the epen-door policy has been of great benefit to them, and hence for that reason, if for no other, we are all expansionists. If any party declares against expansion, that party cannot hope to carry any ot the Coast States. The silver issue is dead. It is possible the Demo- crats may carry Colorado and Ne vada upon that issue, but they can not carry Idaho or Montana, States they carried in 1899.
 "I am greatly in hopes Congress will pass an enabling act for the admission of Arizena. We want and deserve statehood During the war with Spain Arizona fur nished more than five times its quota, and her men were enlisted and sworn into the service before the quota of any other State or Ter ritory were sworn in. Arizona's sons were among the first to land on foreign soil, among the first to shed theil 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 8 Spanish stronghold.
 "There IS not single valid req = son why Arizona should not be ad- mitted. We have more wealth and population than the average of the States had at the time they were admitted for the last seventy five years.
 "If Arizona Is admitted by Re- publican Congress and the bill IS signed by Republican President, it will be a Republican, sound money, gold standard State, and it will not be rotten borough, but 8 credit and honor to the Union.
 o
 ''It is probably true that some of our Territorial officials are not in favor of statehood, for the reason that they fear they might lose their jobs, but the people and the busi ness 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 becon- ing State.
 Another thing Arizona wants Is for the Government to build storage reservoirs for impounding the flood waters for the purpose of irrigation. A national irrigation system is now advocated by all the Western States. Such system would be a 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 mo- thing but barren desert; it would afford homes for millions that now inhabit the overcrowded cities, and i the lands, when reclaimed, would sell for ten times the cost of recia- nation.
 But, there is one thing that Ari- zona does not want, and that is 10 have the Government cede to the States and Territories the arid land as is advocated by Governor Poy- s,er. Of Nebraska. Such Q policy