Arizona republican., 1903-01-21
PHoEN1x. ARIZONA. JAN. 21, 1903
Senator Foraker Answers Nelson.

United States Senator Joseph Benson Foraker has earned the gratitude of the people of Arizona for his great speech in support of the omnibus bill. In the special dispatch published yes terday, our readers of course noted the typographical error in the allusion to the increase in poulation. Senator Foraker pointed out that the Dopula- ton of Arizona had increased more than 100 per cent during the last cen sus decade, and the types made him say "1O per cent"
 On this subject of population, the distinguished senator from Ohio had already taken occasion to put Senator Nelson in a hole, when he interrupted Nelson's speech to point out that if Nelson and Beveridge were correct in arguing that there are many more Indians in Arizona than is disclosed by the census, it is fair to assume also that there are many more white people than the census SnOWeO.
 AS a whole, Senator Foraker's speech was a magnificent answer to Senator Nelson. The senator from Minnesota had laid himself open" at so many points by absurd assertions that Sen ator FOraker's ammunition was inex- haustible. That our readers may have a fair conception oi the Nelson speech, by the way, we subjoin d few para graphs from the Minnesota senator's remarks as printed in the Congress sional Record-without, however, at tempting to give them in the Norwe-- gian dialect After showing to his own satisfaction over and over again that Arizona is dormant" and making no growth in any direction. and after run ming up and down the scale of horror, as had Senator Dillingham; before him, over the testimony of Mir. Dwight B. Heard at Phoenix that only 1s5, 900 acres were under irrigation in the ter ritory, the Minnesota senator proceeded to prove what he didn't know about the mining industry and the people engaged in mining. As a matter of course, he had to dwell with sorrow upon the melancholy" case or Tomb stone, and then he gave the senate these observations:
 ''I want to call the attention of the senate to a matter in this connection which has a bearing upon the quality and character of the population. We must note the fact that the populat ton in these mining towns is Of transient and migratory character, and not of the highest order of citizenship. They float about from mining camp to min ing camp: when they get tired of one camp they go to another. We have an indication of the lawless character that must prevail there in the fact that under the laws of Arizona the saloons, gambling houses. and other resorts are licensed and allowed to run day and night and all night long and all of Sunday; in fact they are allowed to run continuously. Such a condition can only be appurtenant to what I might call the semi-lawless element of mining towns.
 Now, when we take into account the limited number engaged in agriculture: when we take into account the char acter of the mining population; when we take into account the high rate of illiteracy in the territory. it all tends to show that in the matter of noDula- ton, in the matter of the development and the character Of that population Arizona is far from being fit for be- coming a member of the United States.
 Where a territory is in an active, progressive condition. and the indica- tions point to immediate and rapid growth and progress, there may be good grounds for admitting it as a state, even though at the time it is not up to the requisite standard of population. intelligence, and material development. But these conditions do not exist in the case of Arizona. It's past history and it's present condition in respect to population. literacy, and material development indicate that on account of the barren soil and the pc culiar climatic conditions 1t is in an almost dormant state, and to admit it now would be of no help to the people. but would simply open the door to po- litical schemers, promoters, and stock jobbers.
 Tn view of these facts. MT. Presi- dent, in justice to the people of Ari zona. not only on their account. not only on account of the states of the federal union, but especially on ac- count of the people who live in Ari- zona, for their own good and their own protection, I insist that the greatest blessing we can confer upon those peo ple at this time is to still leave them in a territorial condition in order that without expense. without cost, and without mourning an enormous amount of indebtedness. they can, under the legislation passed during the recent session of congress, secure that relief and help which they need. and which is the only help and relief that can at all bring prosperity and growth to that territOry-I mean to secure irrigation under the system and plan provided by