Arizona republican., 1903-02-01
As to the Assault Upon Arizona ;
 People.

-. politician and New York capitalist, by reason of his nervousness, has been Ied to do and say some very foolish things in Washington. MT. Coler has sue ceeded in injecting into the statehood debate a subject which has no relation whatever to the question before the senate. Being the holder of certain Arizona county bonds which had been in litigation for Q number of years. he went before the president and certain hostile senators and urged, it is repre- sentcd. that the present territorial; off cials are seeking a way to rePudiate . territorial obligation; that the people of Arizona are repudiators. and if a1- 1aitted to statehood would take steps 10 repudiate finally the bonds held by him. Wherefore, he prayed that the omnibus bill be defeated in the sen ate: or, if passed, that the president would veto the same on behalf Of hUI esty and the aforesaid bonds.
 Immediately, there was 1urte- in the senate, and clamor for Senator Quay to stay his hand ere the admis- sion of such a disreputable lot of peo- pie. This new. phase has been the subject for powerful" speeches. and very able sermons on the subject of IrbIic honesty. and the conclusion has been arrived at with much fervor that MT. Coler's disclosures made it neces sary to exclude Arizona from a place in the union The incident developed a curious, but very common, psvchol- ogical fact Ape and honess. and or dinarily fair-mirded,- seratu:s. jumped to a decision i, their own minds that all the allegations discreditab'e tp the people of this territory muct be true. So anxious are they to defeat the statehood bill that they are in a state of mind to believe anything prejudicial to the citizenship Of Arizona and New Mexico. In most affairs of life these senators would weigh judicially any in dictment brought against people as q whole, and would be very reluctant 10 believe Americans in one section of the United States are substantially differ eut from their fellow citizens in other sections. But confronted by a per plexing and annoying situation and looking desperately for an avenu= of victory. they readily accepted as true an absurd statement.
 The case presented by Mir. COler was not worth their consideration. MT. Q Coler is an estimable gentleman, and no doubt feels that he has been put to unnecessary expense in collecting on bonds honestly held by him. But as to the question of litigation, there are cer- tainly two sides to it, and in awaiting Inc final decision of the courts the ter .itoriaI officials have performed th,fr simple duty. As matter of fact, when ur. Coler got nervous and rushed eff to Washington, the last question in the litigation had been decided several days previously by the supreme cnurt nf A,-ia .sI mad been TO question as to the validity of .he bonds themselves, CT or :Ee nc- costly or their being fun led into terri torial bonds. The only point of doubt was as to the amount for which the territory should obligate itself The decision of the supreme court of the United States was entirely clear on the question of validity. and there was no disposition to evade it. But when the mandate at last reached Governor Brodle and the loan commission it ap- parently called for the issuance of bonds to cover interest compounded. Were compound interest to be paid, the aggregate bond issue would be in creased by quite s1OO,OOO Very proper ly, Governor Brodie. after conferring with the attorney general of the ter ritory decided to await an interpreta- tion of the mandate from the supreme court of the territory. This interpreta- ton was given at the last term. and it was held that the territory must not pay this additional s1oO,OOO Since then, the governor and his associates on the loan commission have been waiting on