Arizona republican., 1904-03-07
Wilson and Smith

The esteemed Citizen of Tucson, t.e
 chief molder of democratic opinion and the leading exponent of democratic pr.n.
 ciples in the territory in a leading ed'-
 toriaI on The Difference"-the differ
 ence between Delegate Wilson and for mer Delegate Smith-vcntures tte sug-
 Sestion that the Hon. J. Fsank Will on
 has been bunCoed by the Hon. Berral
 s. ROdey, deleoate from New Mexico.
 Everybody in Arizona who is fsi h.
 full to the integrity of the common wealth appreciates the fidelity O. Del egate Wilson. This we think men cf all parties will concede.
 'rhe patriotism of Mir. Wilson is be- yond question. his dezire to fai.h h-u ly represent Arizona in the cc-sress of the Cnited States will be cheerful y ad- mitted, ard that his own ideas are in accord with the best thought O. Lis constituents, no one can deny.
 "But--and there's the rub-why d.d he permit Rodcy to humbug him" II it were merely a personal matter of two men playing a game and one out wittcd the other. people who weren't in the game might be able to enjoy it.
 But, unfortunately, the people f Ari- zona were in the game-and VII ol comedies that Rodey was too much for him.
 This is nc. fattering to Arizona pride nOr-to be entirely cand d-does 1t augur we'll for our -Iture in the game that is to be played in Wasting to oo.' Arizona not only needs fidelity, integ- rity and patriotism at Washington, bu. also acumsn and capacity.
 Does any man in Arizona believe that Rodey could have pulled the w ol over the eyes of Mark Smith? Echo answers, nay"
 The Republican takes pleasure in tes- tifying to Delegate Wilson's f<elity 10 the interests of his con tituerts. Ex- ceptiorll facilities for knowing the facts enable us to say that the Ci izen does not eNaggcrate in it's praise of Col Wilson's sturdy refusal 10 be d Iarty to the admission of Arizona an1 Nv Mexico manacled together.
 We are not sure, however, that c Citizen does cur delegate justice in charging that he has been humbu ged by the delegate from New Mexico. Colonel Wils5n's grievance, accor ing to his letter printed in The Republican a few days ago, is that Delegate Ro ley hes made himself perniciously ohicious in trying to make converts in Arizona to the single state scheme. But never in our judgment, las there heel any reason to doubt that the New Mexico delegate and the New Mexico ro,ti- ciars generally would advocate cons 5li- dation rather than fail of s.atehool al- together. Indeed. Colonel Wilson. upon his return from AlbuquerQue last yea. that Rodey had alg. eed oaly to stand with Arizona for seCa1a statehood bills until it should b. come clear that Arizona could not succeed; thereafter Rodey should be guide l by his own judgment. Early in January, Isodey announced publicly that he had the joint statehood Ilan al the last resort. Under all the cilc cum we fail to see how Wilson could have been fooled, even had Rode tried to humbug him.
 The Citizens comparison between Delegate Wilson and the Hon. Marcus Smith is merely the o1enng gun, We take it, in the fight whicl Smith Is to make in Il few months foc the ctfice which Wilson now holds-a fight which every close observer of ter ritorial politics has foreseen for months. It is already apparent that tEe coz democratic nomination this year W l. be extremely bitter, and we should wei come the coming w'ar~-were it not fir the mournful fe.ine tru.sm that "t.e more fighting, the mora democrats"