Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-17
ARIZONA FOR ARIZONANS

The Herald has never wavered in its
sion of Arizona singly into the Union as
n state. The bare possibility of
combining New Mexico with Arizona
in order to constitute commonwealth
is obnoxious to the people of the en-
tire southwest and will be contested
from Texas to the Pacific.
1t is question of right and justice
and should not be made question of
politics. The efforts of certain sena-
tors to add New Mexico in order to
give the Republican party a mortgage
on the new state is beneath the dig
nifty of craftsmanship. No matter if
Arizona were solidly Republican, The
Herald would just as cheerfully and
vigorously insist that it deserves to
come into the Union alone.
Arizona is today a wonderland in
the character and value of it's produc-
tions which have sprung into promi-
nence during the past quarter of a
century. From a sparse 10000 people
in 1870 the population in 1890 was 1922
931, of which 9S,69S was native. In the
mining of copper, Arizona stands third
in the United States, with millions in
value of gold, silver and lead. It's ir-
rigated lands are rich in the produc-
tion of wheat and alfalfa. In its
school facilities the territory is ener-
getic, and despite the children being
so widely scattered, the actual attend
ance reaches the extraordinary Show
ing of 75 per cent. Besides a complete
system of public schools there are two
normal schools, territorial university
and many Indian schools. In short,
Arizona is an American territory-ac-
tive, enterprising, full of life and civil
ization, and destined to be one of the
unhampered by alien people and less
productive territory.
New Mexico, while making heroic
struggles and much progress, is still
hardly in condition for statehood by
itself and would unquestionably be
handicapped and would handicap Ari-
zona If tied up with its western neigh
bor A large percentage of it's pop
ulation is Mexican and Indian. and
while there are many schools, the il
literates form over SO per cent of the
total number of inhabitants. In view
of all that is being done to advance
New Mexico these figures are not
so much a discredit as a present mis-
fortune.
Arizona has fought it's way to the
door of statehood by its rapid develop
ment. It is unearthing it's great riches
from the mines; It Is forcing the desert
places to blossom with the fruits and
grains that add to the foodstuffs of
the nation i'm vast Quantities: it is
dotting every available spot with
schools and churches and is doing the
work Of civilization in a manner be-
traylng the American spirit of achieve
ment.
Tie Arizona up to New Mexico and
you would have an uncongenial col
lection of people, with differing as
pirations. To large extent the spirit
of Old Mexico in it's early days is
still prevalent I'm the New-improving,
to be sure, but still there. oil and
water will not mix.
1t is said in Washington that con-
gress will push forward at once to the
settlement of the statehood question.
But such a settlement, so far as Ari-
zona is concerned, should be a righteous
one. The unfairness of the joint state
hood proposition is apparent through
out the entire Rocky mountain region.
Arizona doesn't want it; New Mexico
doesn't ask 1t.
Let congress drop the political fea-
ture and give Arizona the justice and
righteousness of single statehood.