Bisbee daily review., 1905-10-17
HIT HIM IN A TENDER SPOT.

The editor of our esteemed contem- pOrary threw another double column fit last evening. in an effort to strad- Gle and back water on the statehood question. There is only one question before the people of Arizona today, and that is the defeat of the joint state hood bill. and if the Review has misin- terpreted the exclamation points and capital letters which our esteemed contemporary imposes upon a long suffering public in it's double column department. we beg a thousand par dGns. and in order that there may be no misunderstanding. we will ask the editor of the evening paper this straishtforward question:
 Are you in favor of joint statehood with New Mexico. rather than longer remain a territory?
 Now. that question can be answered yes. or no.
 We admit that the socailed edito- rial exnressjons ir the Miners issue Of October 14 were rather incoherenr, but not any mGTe 50 than ordinarily. If the editor of he evening paner is not against the joint statehood bill he must be fer it. There is no place for a middle n-an In this fight. neither has space been reserved for "piker" skinnfng alou~ . the dust of the state hood procsssion crying ''Wotls the nsa"
 The evening paper lays great stress on the fact that Arizona has no chance for single statehood at the approach ing session of Congress. That state ment has been conceded and admitted a thousand times during the past year. The question to be settled now is the joint statehood bill, and the strenuous efforts being put forth by Arizonans is having it's effect, and notwithstanding the half-hearted predictions of the ev- ening contemporary. the defeat of tho joint statehood bill has already been accomplished. The result Of the de- Alterations of Congress commencing in December next will be no statehood, joint, single or otherwise.
 If our esteemed contemporary wishes to climb back into the anti joint statehood band wagon, along with nine-tenths of the other good, loyal Arizona people, the Review de sires to extend him helping hand. If our editorial brother is agains st joint statehood he should take off his coat and get to work, instead of sitting out in the back yard and predicting defeat.
 It is no news to the people of Ari zona to be told that the present sys- tenn of territorial government is un' satisfactory. but thousand times more distasteful would be statehood under the yoke of our Mexican sister across the border. Arizona should be admitted as a single state. This territory possesses the population and taxable wealth to entitle it to admis sion. but when we present our claims along the ssrne lines as other states secured admission, we are showed aside with a flat refusal and the threat oi joint statehood is used as club to en force silence. The choice is present. ed again at the approaching session joint statehood or no statehood at all ard Arizona will be forced to submit meekly and without protest, in order 10 save her autonomy and self con frOl. even es a territory.
 Tn the meantime we await the ans. ver 10 the above simple question. just yes or no, an1 if across the newspaper field there comes the answer yes, be it ever so faint and weak. there will be rejoicing ard feasting akin to the tOme-cop'rg of the prodigal or the saving Of the vilest sinner.