Bisbee daily review., 1903-01-02
THE MORMON RooReAck

hood for New Mexico and Arizona is that which endeavors to make the public believe that states built out of these territories would be under MOr- mon domination.
 A literary bureau, for working this roorback has been established at Salt Lake City, and special dispatches are being sent out from that place to ev- cry paper that will public them, full of alarming information" about the spread of Mormonism, and the extent to which the Mormons are gaining political control in the mountain states. On the face of the matter it is interesting news, and the fact that the object is to injure the reputations of New Mexico and Arizona are very adroitly concealed, 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 innocently it is taken for 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 reason for attacking the omnibus bill. Then he continues:
 t'Utah. Wyoming. Colorado and Idaho are controlled by the vote of the members of that church, directed by the authorities thereof, and soon Mon tana will be peopledby enough of them to hold the balance of power; while Arizona and New Mexico, which seek to be admitted at this session of con- gIess, would each send to Washington two senators and one member of con gress, each Of whom would work for the interests of the church whenever they come before either house of con gress 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 Angeles Times a few days since, goes a step farther in 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 opposed to the omnibus bill, to get up and say: Tt is true that Arizona and New Mexico would be republican states, but I am thankful that I am above the petty considerations of par tisanship; we can not afford to admit territories which will be Mormon bor- oughs.''
 As matter of fact, says the Phoe- nix Republican, in speaking of this matter, the Mormon vote in New Mex leo amounts to nothing and it is com paratively insignificant in Arizona The Mormons of the latter territory have divided on political lines as have all other churches, and there is noth- ing to indicate that they will not con tinue to divide. It is true that in the last campaign the Mormons of Ora ham county went pretty solidly for the democratic ticket, but they realize now better than anybody else that they were buncoed by democrat heel CTS, and they realize that if the omni bus bill is defeated it can be charged largely to the Mormon issue" as raised by the democrats in that coun ty. In other counties of the territory the preponderance of the Norman vote was probably with the republican ticket, taking the membership as 1; whole. s
 The few Mormons in Arizona ar, not ignorant nor fanatical, and ther' is no more reason, continues the Re publican, for exploiting them as DC litical factor in the statehood figh than there is for the discussion O any of the numerous other churche in the territory.
 So far as New Mexico is concerned the talk about Mormon influence her Is simply silly. There are more Mol mons in Iowa, in the vicinity of Cour ciI Bluffs than in the whole of thi