Arizona republican., 1902-12-10
PHOENIX, ARIZONA, DEC. 10, 1902.
normc nism as a Factor in the State
 hood Contest.

The enemies of Arizona and New Mexico have opened a cunning and in sidious fight from Salt Lake City. Special dispatches are being sent out from that place to every paper which will pay for them. full of alarming ''in- formation about the spread of Nor monism, and the extent to which the dormons are gaining political control in the mountain states. On the face Cf the matter it is interesting news. and it bears evidence of the masterly hand of the Hon. Perry Heath, formerly prominent politician of Washington and now in the newspaper business at Salt Lake. Very adroitly the fact is concealed that the admission of Ari zona and New Mexico is the chief point kept before the reader, but due care IS taken that the proper" differences are drawn. The situation is stated thus:
 The Mormon church now holds the balance of political power in four states. and will soon hold it in seven."
 Note how innocentIy it is taken foY, granted that these two territories will be admitted. There is no question Of their admission, of course. and the writer of the dispatches would not think of urging his information" as a reason for attacking the omnibus bill. Then he continues:
 Utah, Wyoming, Colorado and Idaho are controlled by the vote of the mem bers of that church, directed by the authorities thereof, and soon Montana will be peopled by enough of them to hold the balance of power; while Ari- zona and New Mexico. which seek to be admitted at this session of congress, would each send to Washington two senators and one member of congress, each of whom would work for the in- terests of the church whenever they come before either house of congresS for action" and so on.
 The object of the dispatches is. of course. to arouse the religious preju- dices of the east, and assure a reac- tion of sentiment in the senate. The dispatch from which we have quoted and which appeared on the first page of the Los Angels Times on Monday last, goes a step farther fin cunning and purports to show that the Nor mons in all the states and territories mentioned are working with the re- publican party. This will enable the righteous republican senator who is op- posed to the omnibus bill, to get up and say, Tt is true that Arizona and
 
 states, but I am thankful that I am above the petty considera tions of par tisanship; we cannot afford to admit territories which will be Mormon bor- oughs," etc, etc. Readers of The Re- publican are invited to watch the de- bate and see if we are not right.
 As matter of fact, the Mormon vote in New Mexico amounts to noth- ing and it is comparatively insignificant in Arizona. The Mormons of this ter ritory have divided on political lines, as have all other churches, and there Is nothing to indicate that they will not continue so to divide It is true that in the last campaign the Mormons of Graham couny went pretty, solidly for the democratic ticket, but they realize now better than anybody else that they were buncoed by democratic heelers, and they realize that if the omnibus bill is defeated it can be charged largely to the Mormon issue" as raised by the democrats in that county. In other counties of the ter ritory the preponderance of the Nor mon vote was probably with the re- publican ticket, taking the membership as a whole.
 The few MormOns in Arizona are not ignorant or fanatical, and there is no more reason for exploiting them as q political factor in the statehood fight than there is for the discussion of any of the numerous other churches in the territory.