Albuquerque evening citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1905-12-16
ARIZONA WANTS
JOINT STATEHOOD
Reasons Presented by Hon. |.
HubbeII in ST. Johns
Herald.
ARGUMENTS ARE UNANSWERABLE

The question of whether we are 10
become a state jointly with New Mex
leo or wait an indefinite period for
separate statehood will be settled
this next session of congress. Whlle
we would all prefer separate state
hood TO jointure. still | believe that
IL Is best for us to accept Jointure
rather than the indefinite postpone
ment of our admittance as a state.
The priceless boon of being full
f1edged citizens of the United States
should not be lightly brushed aside,
bv imaginary evils that might accrue
to us if joined to New Mexico-or
rather. II New Mexico should be n
nexed to us. New Mexico loses its
name and we retain that of Arizona.
The %supposition that the citizens OF
New Mexico are not so good as those
of Arizona may or may not be true.
I, for my part, believe that New Mex
leo has a class of citizens that any
state may be proud Of. That there
may be conditions which could be i'm
proved in that territory can be said
also about every other community in
the United States.
That there is any danger of a Nor
mon ridden state or a Mexican con-
troll of It. is imaginary conditions that
will never exist. Whoever will be
impartial and take the light Of the
past to guide his feet, will note that
in Apache county, for example, there
has never been a republican elected
but that could have been defeated II
he had had the solid Mormon vote
against him. There never would
a democrat have been elected If he
had had the solid Mexican vote
against him. Neither the Mexican vote
mol the Mormon vote has eve been
cast solid for any candidate, except
where the issue was made against
the Mormons as a class or the Mex
leans as a people. New Mexico is a
proof of the fact that never in the
history of that territory have the
Mexican votes been cast for any one
party. In conclusion, we are all citi-
zens of the United States, and en-
titled to vote as we believe right.
And it will make no difference how
you do, as you cannot vote for both.
The charge that the Mexica mis- con-
trolled by any man or set of men Is
as false as It is malicious. The party
that makes such a charge forget that
a people may support a man because
Of the faith that they may have in
him. not because they are inundated
by him. They forget that intimida-
ton is the poorest way to obtain
what you desire in politics or bust
ness.
believe that If we should he ad-
mitted as one state with New Mexico
the imaginary s%troubles that are pre-
dicted to arrive from such union will
he laughed at twenty years from now:
that once admitted as a state into the
union. we will all be as much OPP
posed to ACKNOWLEDGMENT as Texas
is today. which state, according to
the conditions upon which it was ad-
mitted into the union, has the right
TO divide itself into several states.
The abuse which is extended to
those who prefer joint statehood to
no statehood will not make joint
statehood any the less popular ex-
cept with those who, through some
unknown reason, dare not express
their opinion; and such men, if they
exist, would be a detriment to any
movement. Let us all make a united
effort to be admitted to the union,
either as a single state or with New
Mexico. Remember that we will have
the right to vote for our own officers;
that they will not be foisted upon us,
willingly or unwillingly; that the ar
gument, that those men elected to Of
fees might be such men as we, the
minority, would not like, should be
no reason why we should reject the
1000 ~ nknkAI@aI nffannI VVG. rn- /
doubt if the people in electing men
to office would make as many mis-
takes as the appointing power at
Washington has made in the past,
such as we may see if We look back
over the history of both territories;
and that If we do make a mistake in
the election of our officers of state,
It will be Dur mistake and not that OF
any one else, And therefore, a dose
much more pleasant to take when ad-
ministered by y,>- own hand than
when administered by another.
The idea that if we at present re-
fuse joint statehood, we will without
doubt be admitted as a single state
in the near future, is not Justified
by the conditions that exist in the
United States senate. There is a CO.
terie of eastern United states sena-
tors who have for a long time past
controlled the legislation OF the ma
tion, and who look with dismay upon
the possibility of the scepter being
torn from their hands; no matter how
unjustifiable it is TO keep us from
single statehood for such reason, yet
the condition exists, and no amount
Of desire to change IL, on our part,
will change 1t.
Therefore, the actual state or al
fairs confronting us is, Shall we con-
tue as a territory for an unknown
number of years or shall we accept
Joint statehood? |, for my part, pre-
Ter the tangible to the intangible,
and hope that congress will pass the
dill for joint statehood and give the
people the right to express their VIII
-ngness or unwillingness 10 accept
he same.