Arizona silver belt., 1904-06-09
REPUBLICAN SHUFFLING

u uld DOt require the gut or pre-
 science to foresee that republican poll
 ticians of Arizona would be found
 before the campaign opened, accepting
 the dictum of their party in the east
 on the statehood question. When,
 some time ago, Col. William Herring.
 in a letter to the Phoenix Republican,
 indicated his change of front and will.
 ingness to accept joint statehood, We
 then stated that "it was inevitable that
 republican politicians should submit to
 the will of the administration and ac-
 cept the stone offered them in the
 statehood merger"
 Now we find another of the shining
 lights of republicanism in the territory, Col. Allen T. Bird, editor of The Oasis, contendiDg that the national republican
 party has always been consistent and
 fair 10 the territories on the question of their admission to the union. He quotes from the national platforms of 1892 and 1896 the resolution favoring the admission of the territories and lays especial emphasis upon the qualifying clause with which that resolution ends. namely, "having due regard to the interests of the people of the territories and of the United States"
 Colonel Bird declares that when two national republican conventions adopt ed the resolution quoted, It pledged the party mot only to statehood for Ari- zons, but in considering Arizona's E claim to admission it pledged itself to consult the interests of the people of the United States. " "That," he adds. "ls what has been done, and, as in all great questions of public policy, there have had to be mutual concessions. The people of the United States feel that 1t Is against theIr interest to give Arizona with l22, ,000 people and New Mexico with l95, 900 population as much weight in the senate as have New York and Pennsylvania, two states whose total number of inhabitants ex- ceeds three millions. But they say: We will concede them jointly the same power in the upper house of con gress that either New York or Penn. sylvania has alone-by uniting them into single state. Hence, the joint statehood bill, which from the point of view of the other side recognized in the two national republican platforms quoted, was great concession"
 The resolution adopted by the na. tional convention. four years ago omitted the qualifying clause above quoted. and reads:
 "We favor < the early admis- sion to statehood of the territories of New Mexico, Arizona and Oklahoma. '" |
 That declaration" Colonel Bird says, "is not violated by tho joint statehood bill. In accepting that reso. ution the great states mentioned (and many others) did pot abdicate their right to make terms for admission of he territories named And the joint 'tatehood bill embodies the terms.
 This, we think, will be regarded by air minded and loyal citizens of Ari- ,ona as special pleading, the specious argument of the man who-if he be correctly quoted has declared that his allegiance is first to the republican party, next to the United States and ast to Arizona"
 After discrediting the claims of Ari- .ona to admission as sovereign state 'i the union. Colonel Bird concludes with the old argument worn thread { pare, that If the people of the territory nope to modify the terms offered and ieslre to secure single statehood, they must do a dishonorable act--disayow heir political principles and renounce 'lleglence to the democratic party by 'lecting a republican delegate to con. 'ress. To do this. Colonel Bird thinks, would be political sagacity." We would call it moral turpitude and 'oliticsl perfdy,