Weekly Arizona journal-miner., 1905-08-16

ent of the Chicago Record Herald, and considered one of the most reliable journalists in the United States, con- tributes an article on joint statehood to his paper, which is of absorbing in terest. It bricks the jointure bubble and in plain English declares that New Mexico is unfit for statehood. MT. Curtis recently visited Prescott, and therefore the following article is of more than ordinary interest;
 ALBUQUERQUE, \. NJ. Aug. Al have not been able to find anyone down here who is in favor of joint state hood with Arizona except MT. Rodey, recently delegate in Congress from New Mexico, and he, according to local parlance, is Ca hot-air artist.' A large number of people are willing to agree to union as makeshift-as HOb- sons choice-in order to secure ad- mission, but they would prefer to have the two territories remain distinct ii they could get a statehood bill passed on any terms. Joint statehood is a Washington, not a New Mexican idea. It was originally proposed as compro- mise in the United States Senate to satisfy those who were not willing to have four new senators from these parts. and did not think it advisable to give Arizona and New Mexico as large a voice in legislation as New York, Ohio, or Illinois. Hence, some body suggested that the two territories be united and admitted as one state, which would reduce the evil and the danger by 90 per cent. But, as I have said, nobody down here wants joint statehood, and nobody considers it wise. Nevertheless, those who are eager to be admitted to the union are willing to accept anything they can get.
 Mir. Rodey, who has been very much more active than anyone else in pro- noting the joint statehood proposition, told me the other day that everything was settled; that the territory commit tee of the Senate and the House, the Republican steering committee, Speak CT Cannon and the President himself, were all pledged to the passage of the Beveridge bill admitting the two ter ritOries as one state; that the people of New Mexico were unanimous on the subject, and that the people of Ari- zona were coming around very ra- pidly. Sixty per cent of them, lie de clared, had already expressed their as sent, the other 70 per cent would be converted within the next few months. and by the time Congress assembled all the people in Arizona and New Mexico, fguratively speaking, would be march ing down the aisle arm in arm to the marriage altar Joint statehood leagues, MT. ROdey said. were beng organized in every town. and were educating pub lie sentiment to the advantages of joint statehood upon the basis proposed by the Senate committee. which includes a gift of 24,000,OU0 acres of land by the federal government to the infant state. $5,000,O00 in United States bonds as school fund, and an appropriation of $15O,OOO to pay the expenses of organ ization.
 Not one word of what Mir. ROdev said is true. He is entirely mistaken. No pledges have been given by the President or the Speaker or anyone else in Congress concerning the joint ad- mission of Arizona and New Mexico. Some of the most influential men in New Mexico. including Governor Otero, are determined in their opposi- tion; public sentiment in this territory against joint statehood is increasing. and on the very day that Mir. Rodey was giving me this information a con vention of delegates from every coun- ty and every political party in Arizona met at Phoenix and unanimously de elared that they would never, never never consent 10 the joint statehood bill. They passed resolutions appeal ing to the President to intervene in their behalf: they adopted remon- stranee to be submitted to Congress and appointed committee to go to Washington at tue beginning of the session to. enter their most solemn pro. teFt against ioint statehood. There was not one dissenting voice in Ari- zor4. Tue people have unanimously indorsed the derl- rations of the speak CT at the convention that, rather than b, .dmitted jointly with New Mexico : ona had better remain a territory
 yer.