Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1902-06-11
LOYAL TO ARIZONA
A W0MRN MISSIONARIES EN- THUSlASTIC DEFENSE OF
 THE TERRITORY

Handled Without Gloves by
 Regular Correspondent of tn
 Journal Miner--Charge of Hitter
 acy Shown to Be GroundIess.
 Tempe, Ariz., May 31.-Edito
 Journal -Miner.-Tbe Woman's Mis- sionary socie.icq cf the east must b out of a job, judging from recent re ports concerning their acticn in re gard to statehood for Arizona. Wher' are our comic artists that they do no furnish the picture of Arizona stand ing meekly before these wise fe males, while they do their kicking Their objection to Arizona as stated is that we are not ready for the dutie: and responsibilities of a state. Now this may or may not be so, but ont doubts if these women have any prac tical knowledge whatever of Ari zona.
 We Arizonans are so accustomed to having ignorance spread before us under the name of knowledge that we should be past feeling surprised at anything by this time.
 But the women go on to give other reasons. They state that Arizona is 'too largely of illiterate whites. Indians and persons who have embraced the Mormon faith"
 Now I have been in Arizona twenty three years and have lived in different parts of the territory, and in all this time I have nai seen as many Hitter ate whites as can be seen in the states within the short space of two weeks. I have been in parts of the states where illiterate whites were as com mon as COW tracks in a lane and where illiterate blacks were as thick as crows in a corn field. Why, Ari- zona is a regular Greece compared to some of the states. 1 most positively assert that I have never witnessed such an amount of ignorance, Hitter acy and superstition in Arizona as l have often beheld in the east. l have been with my husband as mis- sionary, both east and west, and I do not hesitate to place the west ahead of many parts of the east. Rarely does one see in Arizona specimens of the harmless poor whites of the south or the more vicious slum element of the north; nor is the list of crime so long or so revoltiug with us, as in the states. Why, bless my heart, these women need to be told that Arizona is a new country with the snap and fire and push of her glorious youth through her veins; and that she is far more capable of self-gov- than some of the present states were when they got into the union without the assistance or re- sistance of the missionary societies. What have these women to do with politics, anyway? The union seems to have been formed without their in- in days gone by. It makes me so tired, l can hardly write. The Mormon population with us is far more industrious, law abiding and capable of taking part in affairs of state than the negro population of the south or the slum voters of the north.
 Moreover, Arizona has as fine pub lie schools as any state in the union and the teachers educated right here among us are as satisfactory, and in the majority of cases more so than the eastern, school teachers who wan der west. 1 have seen some queer happenings during my residence in Arizona. I have known men and women who had taught in the east for years and who held good posi- tions there in the north fail to pass an examination for a second grade certificate in Arizona. Of course there is "culchaw" clinging to some folks that thank God we have es- capped so far in the history of our ter ritory, and which God grant we may miss until we pass over Jordan, but cur working class, the men and women who have made the west, is as well educated as the same class of people in the east. And more, this class has as a whole bet ter and broader fund of knowledge among us. True, their ideas of life and the things pertaining thereto are rather mere independent than is ap- preciated by people who were born in rut. live in it, die in it, but we cant held that; the fact is we don't want to help it.
 There is 9 class of people who come to Arizona and spend the whole time bunting for a rut to run the country in--not a very correct ex- pression, but a good old truth-ahd there is another class who never come at ali. bnt sir back at home on theil hind legs and howl. The first clas, goes home and gives Arizona a blact eye, and the second class gives itselt black eye with the peple of our ter ritory.
 But 10 come back to the women I'm not saying that the missi5rarl women are not q pretty good sort I'm ore of them myself, but 1 thinl they have made grave mistake by sticking their fingers in the soup According to my way of thinking they have done an unwise thing anC have placed an obstacle in the way O their own work in the territory taa is going ,o be mighty" hard to re move. l don't know whether I snal
 be again courageous enough to asl Arizona women to join q missionar, society or not. Possibly time ma, soothe my ruffied feelings and eas' my wounded pride, but tell vol Arizona doesn't need any female chii music in her part of the band wagon
 Does she?
 By the time this is read by tn,
 people, Arizona will likely know he
 fate, and if she is still territory i
 will not be because of the illiterac,
 of her white population. To asser
 such thing is an insult and will b,
 resented by all loyal Arizonans. I
 Arizona remains a territory, we, he
 people, will see that she is territor,
 to be proud of. and that she can shin
 as territory brighter than some O
 the sickly stars that blink their so
 called wisdom from the blue. State
 territory, or any thing you please
 Arizona leads the line.