Arizona republican., 1902-03-18


 On many occasions the Denver Re publican has shown its friendship for
 Arizona, and We are lt surprised tC find it ad- RAINBOW vocating the visionary SCHEME scheme for the annex
 ation of an important section of Arizona to the state Of Utah. Says cur Denver contemporary:
 Utah wants to annex that part of Arizona which lies north cf the Grand Canyon of the Colorado river. and there is no good reason why this should net be done bill has been introduced in the house of representa- tives by Mir. Sutherland of Utan pro- viding for the annexation to his state Of the area in question.
 The land referred to is separated from Utah by q political line. the course of which can be ascertainel only by observing certain monuments erected by surveyors CT by determining the degree of latitude. lsut frC.n the main part Of Arizona it is seperated by deep. wide gorge. impossible except in a few localities. and so deep an1 precipitcus that it may well be included among the wonders of the world. This enormous depression in the surface of the earth makes a natural state bound ary. No better could be found, fer it is more difncIlt to cross than q noun tain range. more wonderful than any ordinary body Of water.
 Pride on the part e the people Of Arizona may prompt them t0 hold fast to this tract of desert land lying north of the canyon and closely related in ali physical respects to Utah. But it is a pride without excuse, fer there are no historic associations to endear that country to the inhabitants of Arizona It is in TO special way connected with their efforts to develop their territory and fit it for statehood. It is so bar ren and. naturally. so unproductive that it could be surrendered without. loss to the Arizona government and ad .. ninistration.
 Congress has full power to make the change as long as Arizona remains a territory. But let it once enter the union and the power of congress over the area under consideration will cease as far as determining it's political re- laticns may be concerned. The change must be made soon or all thought of establishing q natural boundary will have to be abandoned; for let Arizona once become q state and it will never consent to the proposed surrender.
 It is something more than pride which prompts the people of Arizona to refuse to entertain the partition scheme. A few years ago all of this territory might have been described as barren and unproductive," and by the same token that would have been a good argument for slicing us up for the benefit of surrounding states and terri tories. But We know now that every mountain range-and even the desert valleys-contain their vaults or min eral wealth, and that Arizona is the richest mining region in the world. The country beyond the Grand Can yon may prove to be full of surprises in the way of mines. If it is of so little value. why does Utah want it?
 That Delegate Smith is alive to the facts is shown by the following copy O: a Washington dispatch to the St. Louis Globe Democrat:
 Congressman Sutherland, of Utah, introduced a bill in the house today providing for the annexation to Utah Of all that part of the territory of Ari- Zona lying north and west of the Colo rado river. This is q large tract Of the territory, the size of several coun- ties, that is separated from the rest of |, Colorado, impossible except in two places. It is occupied largely by Utah cattlemen. Delegate Smith, of Ari- zona. will oppose the bill. He says that there is much fine timber and some mineral on the land. and that the people of Arizona will bitterly oppose any cessio1 of the territory to Utah pr any other state
 ! Delegate Smith is deserving of the on +I,- ,,,