Bisbee daily review., 1903-07-14
STATEHOOD CONVENTION.


 STATEHOOD CONVENTION.
 It has been suggested by Colonel J. F. Wilson that the peaple of Arizona arrange to hold a statehood co1vcn- ton in this territory during the fall and before the meting of congress. The object of this convention is to make public protest against the prop osition which is gaining strength in republican circles, to admit Arizona and New Mexico as one state into the union during the approaching session of congress. Already the territory If Arizona has made it's official protest against this proposition through its legislature last winter. but notwlth- standing this it could do no possible harm to renew the protest and give to it further emphasis by calling con- vention of representative citizens at some place in the territory to devise the method to be adopted for the de feat of this republican effort to de stroy the identity of this territory.
 The republicans in their last nation al convention promised that Arizona should be admitted to statehood, along with Oklahoma and New Mex ico; the promise was not that any of these territories were to be merged before admission. but that they all should be admitted as independent states.
 The joining of New Mexico and Ari- zona into one state will never be agreed to by Arizona and for our peo- pie to be forced into such a condition without their consent would be an outrage. There is no other reason for such 6 proposition except the repub- hcan hope that the merged state would be republican in politics. which per haps it would be.
 It will be the duty of Delega;,. VII son t. fight this form of statehood 10 tbe bitter end in the next congress when 1t is presented, as now seems certain that it will be- It is the duty of every friend of Arizona to give ev- cry assistance possible to their con gressional delegate in this important work. If Colonel Wilson is of the opinion that it will be helpful in this work for the people to come together In convention then the matter should be taken hold of by our people, so that there can be no chance for any one to say that they have been careless or in- different in matter which so yitalIy ef fected their interests. The convention if held, should be strictly non-partisan. 50 that all may come together regard less of party affiliation and tell tfe world in emphatic tones that they want no statehood under the conditions orn- posed by some of the leaders of the republican party; that they may inform congress of the ability of Ari- zona to maintain and support a state government; that they may tell of our rich mines, rich agricultural and pastorial resources and the intelligence of our citizenship and the unexcelled patriotism winch holds that citizenship ever ready to defend the flag, statehood or no statehood.
 :, We have had several statehood con ventions in the territory in years gone by and all of them have been complete fzzles because of the lack of interest manifested by our people and because no one seemed to be willing to con tribute anything towards the expense of carrying out the programs marked out by the conventions. If our people should be as lukewarm now on the proposition to strenuously oppose the making of Arizona and New Mexico into one state as they proved them selves to be on several occasions in the work of securing the territory's ad- mission to the union, then the strong created and Arizona will be wiped of the map. A statehood convention to protest against the destruction of the political entity of Arizona will, however be of greater importance than the former conventions alluded to, which was only for the purpose of praying congress for admission; our past failures in statehood convention work left us no worse of than we were before the effort was made. whereas, If we fail to prevent the statehood merger now proposed by the republi- our people. It would mean that the