Weekly Arizona journal-miner. [volume] (Prescott, Ariz.) 1903-1908, 1905-02-08
FORAKER IN 1908.

Inc dSSOCiaieQ press T6pOTI uuTlDS
the past few days has shown what a
power and influence Senator Foraker
of Ohio, wields in the senate. While
Arizona has had some powerful friends
among her own citizens doing valiant
service in Washington to prevent the
passage of the joint statehood bill aud
while they have had powerful allies in
the senate in the persons of Senators
Bard, AIger and others, it remained
for Senator Foraker to get in and do
the proper thing at the right time,
and sever the Gordian knot, which
seemed to have united the territories
and which others had pronounced as a
hopeless task.
Senator Foraker, first offered an
amendment exempting New Mexico
and Arizona from the provisions of
the bill uniting them as one common
wealth and uniting Oklahoma and
Indian Territory as one also and then
admitting the four territories as two
states.
The press report Oh Monday night
told of the able speech he had
made in the senate as one of the clos
ing speeches in the debate on the
statehood question and of the wonder
full impression it created on his hear
ers.
When the question came to vote
yesterday Mr.. Foraker's amendment
was adopted and the bill passed admit
ting Oklahoma and Indian territory
as one state and New Mexico as one
state leaving Arizona still in the ha-
bilaments Of her territorial garb.
The joint statehood bill had been
adopted practically as a party measure
or had at least been accepted as such
by large number of republican sena-
tors and some of the ablest members
had espoused it and were working for
its passage.
Delegations of citizens from both
New Mexico and Arizona, who had
gone there to work against the passage
of the bill, with few exceptions, re-
turned in despair, and with the same
report, "no hope for the defeat of the
bill.
1t was amid. this despair and gloom
that Senator FORAKER arose to the sit
uation and put forth measures to en-
compass the defeat of the bill and
save Arizona and New Mexico from a
fate which was mutually distasteful
and Objectionable to both.
While Senator Foraker is man of
broad gagged views, a man well post
ed on conditions generally throughout
the country and realized the injustice
which would be done the two territor-
les by the passage of the bill, during
his recent visit to Washington, Forest
Supervisor f. f. Stewart, who is an
Ohian, and who has known the senator
for great many years, took occasion
to interview Senator Foraker on the
subject and to further impress upon
him the situation as far as Arizona
was concerned, and there is no doubt
that he succeeded in still further con-
vincing him of the injustice which
would be done the territory by the
passage of the joint bill.
But this is a depression from the
original purpose of this article. which
was to call attention to the power of
Senator Foraker, in the nation and to
direct attention also to the fact that
he is among the strong presidential
possibilities for the year 1908. His
entire career in political affairs has
been marked with the greatest success
and he has demonstrated his greatness
whenever occasion has presented it
self. This statehood incident where
in he worked out the salvation
of Arizona from bondage worse than
territorial vassalage, is only a single
one of many that ne has accomplished,
but one which comes home to the
heart of every true Arizonan.
To say that Senator Foraker today
stands as one of the ablest statesman
of the present generation, is simply
stating a historial fact and should it
so happen in the course of events that
Arizona should be admitted as state
prior to 1908, she will not ouly be will
ling to give him her vote in the con
vention, but if nominated will give
her first electoral vote to him.
The journal Miner is for Senator
Foraker for president in 1908.
SEMI ANNUAL EXAMINATION.