Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1905-10-09
ARIZONA OPPOSES
JOINT STATEHOOD
CITIZENS AGAINST ADMISSION
With NEW MEXICO
George H. Kelly Asserts That 1t Is
Preferred to Remain as Territory
If Separate Government Is
Not Permitted

George II. Kelly, editor and proprietor
of two of the leading daily newspapers
in Arizona--the Bisbee Review and the
Douglas International American-who
has been spending several days in Los
Angeles on his annual vacation, left
yesterday at noon to meet the congress
sional party headed by Uncle joe
Cannon. who are beginning a tour of
Arizona.
Mr.. Kelly will meet the party at
Douglas this morning and accompany
1t on it's journeyings through Arizona
1t is the intention of the party to prac-
ticalIy observe and hear from the cit,-
zens of Arizona about the conditions IN
the territory and to learn If the terri
tory is entitled to join the sisterhood
of states without joint statehood with
New Mexico.
In discussing the opposition of Ari-
zonans to joint statehood Mr.. Kelly
said yesterday:
"Arizona is now on the anxious seat
and special anxiety is abroad in the
sun-kissed land because of the APP
preaching visit of a congressional
party, which is expected to reach Ari-
zona tomorrow.
at is not known just who will be of
the party or how large it will be, but
# will be headed by Uncle Joe Cannon,
who is bringing his colleagues west for
the purpose of making investigations OF
the conditions in Arizona and New
Mexico as bearing on the proposition
of statehood.
"In the last congress Speaker Cannon
was an ardent supporter of joint state
hood for Arizona and New Mexico.
I>iII q lower
a large majority of votes, and after it
was amended in the senate by pro-
vision giving separate statehood to the
territories Mr.. Cannon took his speak
ership ak and knocked it in the head.
THE congressional party will find the
people of Arizona just as determined
in their opposition to joint statehood as
they were when this bill was before the
last congress. Arizonans feel that they
are entitled to separate statehood, ana
when the presidents of the past are
considered there can be no doubt obout
the qualification of the territory to
assume and maintain creditable state
government.
Arizona was made a territory in
1853 being cut from New Mexico be-
cause of the inconvenience of commune
cation between the two subdivisions on
account of the range of mountains
which divides them.
Political ManeuVering
"The same conditions which caused
Arizona to be made a territory exist
now. and there can be but one reason
for throwing Arizona back with New
Mexico and that is to strengthen the
Republican party and to weaken the
west in the national legislature.
Y.isy 11of THTI1n
It was made a territory the pledge was
given to those who would come and
develop its resources and fit it for mem
bership in the sisterhood of states, they
would be given f-government and
separate state.
THAT had been the promise to all the
territories, and up to the present time
that rule or precedent or promise has
never been broken.
Separate statehood is the heritage
of the pioneers of Arizona who braved
the hardships and dangers of an Apache
Infested desert to reclaim it for civiliza-
ton and industry and to now deprive
these people of this heritage would he
the browning political outrage of the
Republican party.
Mr. Cannon and his associates will
find Arizona better qualified for state
hood than were a majority of the ter
ritories which have been admitted to
statehood since the formation of the
government.
"They will find the same condition in
New Mexico. They will find a larger
population in New Mexico, but greater
Industrial prosperity in Arizona.
They will find that joint statehood
will mean that the people of New
Mexico will be in complete control of
the new state and that the people of
Arizona, by reason of their minority,
will lose their political identity, which
Is dear to them and to all Americans.
"There will be no harmony in the
proposed joint state. Arizona will have
no assurance that her splendid terri
torial university will Lot be abandoned
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