Weekly Arizona journal-miner., 1905-12-13
CURTIS WRITES OF
 JOINT STATEHOOD
Journalist Tells of Opposition To The Iniquitous
 Measure

Mexico nor Arizona is ready for state hood, and that the population of both is almost unanimously against the pas sage of the joint statehood bill.
 Thinking men of both territories who have no selfish interests at stake have suggested that the best solution of the problem is to postpone the agitation of statehood for the next five years, and then Congress can take up the mat ter again and do what seems to be right.
 James Graham McNary, editor of the Las Vegas (N. M Daily Optic, who was in town last week to protest to the President against joint state hood for New Mexico and Arizona, told some queer things to illustrate the ignorance of the eastern people con corning his part of the country. He showed me clipping from a Boston daily newspaper, dated Nov. 13 last, which gave a table "showing the places of residence in foreign coun- tries of graduates of the John Hop kins Medical school" Listed with China (four), India (two), and Bo- livia (one), the territory of New Mex ico, as foreign country, is credited with one graduate. But this is not un- usual, MT. McNary says. Eastern peo pie write down there to ask the rates of duty charged on imports into the United States, and travellers getting off the trains at Las Vegas, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque frequently inquire for the customhouse. It is common for travellers in New Mexico to stick g. cent postage stamps on letters to the United States, and yet these same peo- pie undertake to express opinions con- cerning the propriety of admitting New Mexico and Arizona to the Union.
 MT. McNary says that twelve newspapers are cited as favoring joint statehood, of which seven are Demo- cratic, and are actuated by purely political motives, and three are pub lished at Albuquerque, which expects to be the capital of the joint state if the bill is passed.
 "Some people would kick if they were about to be hung" said MT. McNary, earnestly. "A A great ma jority of the people of Arizona and New Mexico are bitterly opposed to iointure. Business interests, railroad interests, mining interests, educational interests, unite in protesting against this unwelcome union.
 "Why do the educational interests oppose it? Because we would have two state universities, two agricultural colleges, four normal schools. Some of these would necessarily be disrupted and the labor of years overthrown in the consolidating process which would follow. Half of our cities would be forced to give up institutions which our people cherish, and which stand for culture, refinement and enlightenment in their communities. The factor of distance would remove educational Op- | portunities farther from the reach of their boys and girls.
 "It is a fact that the Presbyterian synod, which takes in Arizona and New Mexico, and met in Las Vegas in November, was almost to a man op- posed to jointure, and would have pass ed a resolution to that effect but for feeling that it was not appropriate. Why do they oppose itR Because they have encountered the obstacles of dis tanee and expense in holding their as- semblies, and irrespective of the statehood proposition, seriously con sidered taking steps to separate into two synods. The Methodist confer ence of Arizona and New Mexico, meeting in Silver City in November, did pass a memorial against jointure. Business interests oppose it. Why' For the same reason that the business interests of Kansas and Nebraska would oppose a jointure. Those two combined would make a magnificent state; so would Vermont and New Hampshire, if they were united, but their business men believe in manag- ing their own business, and that in- cludes in this day, the management of their public affairs. The agricultural and stockmen of New Mexico do not want to be dominated by the mining wealth of Arizona. The entity of New Mexico is as distinct as that of any ztate, and so is that of Arizona.
 "Our people oppose joint statehood ! on sentimental grounds" continued MT. MeNary. '.'Our names, New Mexico and Arizona, our size, our