Arizona silver belt., 1905-03-23
JOINT STATEHOOD THE REPUBLi
 CAN POLICY

Allen T. Bird, editor of the Nogale,
 Oasis, enjoys the distinction of being
 the one republican newspaper man or
 politician who openly favors support
 ing the joint statehood bill as pa rty
 measure. We believe there are a num-
 Der of other republican politicians in
 Arizona who secretly approve of the
 national republican party's position on
 the statehood question but who haven't
 the courage to declare themselves
 Editor Bird says; Joint statehood Is
 the declared policy of the republican
 party, and the republican party will
 see to 1t that its policy prevails. What's
 the use of kicking against the pricks?'"
 In this connection Editor Bird gives some history of bis partys action on
 this matter which probably is not very pAlatable to republicans in Arizona but
 IS nevertheless true:
 "When the republican territorial convention, which sent delegates to the national convention that nominated MT. Roosevelt for the presidency, as- sembled at Tucson in the spring of last year, the delegates upon arrival at 'the old pueblo" were confronted by the Tucson Citizen with leading editorial declaring that President Roosevelt favored joint statehood for Arizona and New Mexico.
 Tn addressing the convention the following day Governor Brodie made allusion to the charge contained in the Citizen editorial, and proceeded to 'refutation. (rhe charge in that edi- torisl was but a reiteration of an ale gation which had been previously pub lished.) Governor Brodie stated that when the allegation first appeared he had wired the president personally that the charge had been made and asked a definition of Mir. Rooseyelt's position upon the issue. When MT. Brodie had atated that fact the writer, who sat in the delegation from Santa Cruz, ex- pected that the speaker would produce | the familiar sheet of pale yellow upon which telegrams are usually written, and read therefrom a personal denial signed by Theodore Roosevelt or his secretary, Wm. Loeb. Instead of that 'his excellency' produced a clipping from Los Angeles newspaper, which he read, the gist thereof being that the president did not feel it incumbent upon himself to define his attitude upon the proposition of joint statehood until such tlme as q bill providing therefor should come before him for executive approval or veto. At that moment the editor felt himself blush ing clear to the back of his ears at the thought that the chief executive of Ar. izoha should perpetrate so barefaced and palpable trick.
 "The convention selected a delega- tion. Governor Brodie ut its head, to attend the national convention. When that delegation reached that august it found that the platform { prepared in advance by Senator Lodge, i, the personal friend of the president, and one of his spokesmen on tbe floor , of the senate, embodied a declaration f endorsing and approving the joint | statehood bill as correct party policy. In the committee on resolutions the I Arizona delegation antagonized that t declaration and endeavored to secure C of former platform dec That they could not, but put they did succeed in securing elimi s nation of the declaration framed by Ii senator Lodge, leaving the platform { ilent upon the subject; and it was so ii