Bisbee daily review., 1905-12-26

zona.
 As a corollary to the interview with Mayor Rose. it was stated by a well known business man last night that within a couple of weeks Colonel Epes Randolph, when appealed to for advice, had practically discouraged the Inauguration of an investment between s6,000,00O and $7.00O,O0O of capital.
 In order to verify this report a rep. resentatiye of the Citizen called on Colonel Randolph thIs morning and asked him regarding it. Colonel Ran. dolph did not hesitate to state the facts or to express his views. He said: "A couple of weeks ago a gen tleman from an eastern e+~'7 c-il~9 on me with letters of in.r0 .CetlOn from acquaintances in Iaa Ncr.5. who are prominent financiers. These letters urged me to give my best judg ment to the gentleman who presented them regarding the wisdom and ex- pediency of a large Arizona enterprise that he and other tnanciers contem- plated. I am not at liberty to identify the special enterprise at this time but will say that it has connection
 
 scheme and that it involves an expen- diture of between $6,000,000 and $7 ,00O. .O00.
 q told the gentleman that at the prenent time I could not recommend the investment of such an amount of capital in Arizona l told him that the agitation for the jointure of Ari- zona and New Mexico in statehood had a demoralizing influence on con ditions. That if Arizona was to con tinue as a territory for some years longer the investment of capital here would be safe. That if Arizona was to be admitted as a single state that investments and enterprises such as he contemplated would be prudent. but that if the jointure bill scheme should pass. I would regard it. as menace to Arizona industry and had no doubt that Arizona would take the back track industrially for at least a dozen years.
 "The gentleman left the proposition in my hands for a report. I would have little hesitation in recommending the project and the investment or dinaraly, and if joint statehood is beaten in Congress I hope to be able to recommend it. But no prudent bus mess man should take great chances with the investment of capital in Ari- zona under the present conditions.
 q am utterly opposed to this pro posed union with New Mexico" con tinued Colonel Randolph. 'T do not believe that the people of New Mex leo are fitted to govern an enlighten- cd people, such as inhabit Arizona. An overwhelming majority of the New Mexican population is densely igno- rant. They do not vote individually. as we do here, but in groups Some men control as many as 5000 votes. In the event of jointure. Arizona would be swamped by the New Mexican ma iority. Arizona industries would, In all probability be taxed to death. Ari- zona institutions would be destroyed or abolished. The University of Ari- zona would be dismantled almost to certainty. There would be nothing left for us but to accept the dictum of New Mexico. I have no prejud- ice against the Mexican people per SC. The great majority of New Mexico are not of the same class as the men of Mexican lineage in Arizona, nor of the Mexicans in Sonora. l steadily encourage the investment of capital in Sonora and have invested my own mOheS lHSIe. SOHOId is progressive and it's people. like the Mexican peo- pie of Arizona, are intelligent But the New Mexican natives have not ad- vanc2d an inch in the scale of ciyili- zation for fifty years. They are largely of the peon class, while many of the more influential Americans are of much the same breed as the carpet baggers who infested the states of the South immediately after the Civil War.
 Arizona would have everything to lose and nothing to gain by joining with New Mexico, and why any honest and intelligent ciUzen of Arizona should even tolerate the movement, let alone advocate it. is beyond my comprehension"