Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-11-03
hARpER's WEEKLY AND STATE.
HOOD.

There are several eastern editors
holding fat positions with widely.read
periodicals. who never attained their
places because OF any ability to write
the truth. One OF these men Is George
Harvey OF Harper's Weekly. He
writes on many subjects as one speak
ing with authority. yet In a surpris- |
Ing number OF cases his statements
concerning matters Of which It ought
To be entirely feasible for ever a
Information, have been glarinely In
exact.
Whether this man Is painfully ignor-
ant. whether he is the victim Of petty
prejudice which a%fflicts so many OF
his kind. or whether he Is capable OF
enough downright dishonesty wilfully
10 falsify, his disguised readers must
judge for themselves. Certainly In
his treatment Of the statehood ques-
ton the editor Of Harper's Weekly Is
either unpardonably ignorant or vii.
fully incorrect.
For instance, the reckless editor
asserts that the joint statehood bin
has no selfish interests behind II but
IL commended to acceptance by truth
and Justice alone. Was there ever a
mor asinine statement? Then II Ia
intimated that In addition to railway
and mining interests the joint state.
hood bill IL opposed by two classes of
politicians. one class want to retain
territorial offices. and another class
who want to secure state offices or
go to the United States senate and
who would have twice the chance Of
attaining such offices II separate
statehood were granted. Did some
body tell the gullable editor this. or
did he evolve such q remarkable
theory from his own inner conscious.
ness? 1t matters not, such twaddle
IL too silly for a moments considera-
tion, and yet. probably, there are
those among the readers Of the sup.
posedly reliable journal who will &C.
cept such childish drivel as law and
gospel.
This editor Is SO well satisfied that
he knows all about the sentiment on
statehood In the territories that II
would be useless to represent the
facts to him. The advice Of the an.
Client Arab HE that knows not. and
knows not that he knows not Is a
fool, ignore him." al good. Unfor-
tunately, though, this editor who
bears false witness has a large aud
ience.
II might be possible that the Har.
per's man would regard the u%tteranc,s
Of the Presbyterian clergymen OF
New Mexico and Arizona as, In some
slight degree, truthful, even II they
didn't happen to agree with his own
preconceived opinions. It might per
haps Impress this bumpti0us gentle
man a little II he knew that almost
every member OF the Arizona and New
Mexico synod which met here last
month expressed himself as against
Joint statehood. To which class OF
politicians do these men belong?
We took occasion, during the meet
ing Of the synod to talk with the Rev.
T. c. Moffat. synodical missionary
for Arizona, concerning this matter.
Mr.. Moffat travels to every part OF
the territory and has taken the ut
most pains TO familiarlze himself
with conditions. He said to The OPP.
tic that those people who are trying to
believe that there Is any considerable
sentiment in our territory in favor Of
Joint statehood are ueceiving them
selves. I have talked with men In
every rank OF life and In ev6ry Sec
ton Of the territory. he said, and
there ia no more chance Of the people
Of Arizona voting to accept joint
statehood, should ;. be offered by con.
gross, than there IL Of = July snow
storm In Yuma. Leave the pOlitt-
clans out Of the question. Some Of
them who are talking the loudest for
separate statehood today. may be for
Joint statehood tomorrow. Let all the
politicians Join the joint statehood
movement. they couldn't bulge the
people OF Arizona. Give them Al
chance to vote and they will never ac-
cept statehood with New Mexico. The
two or three papers that are advocat-
ing ioint statehood for political pur-
poses are papers Of little Influence !
with the people. Arizona is practical
" a unit against joint statehood. !
Willie we have not quoted the exac,
words Of Mr.. Moffat We have not in
the least misrepresented his senti
ment. Every other minister Of the
Arizona Presbytery endorsed the be
lief expressed by Mr.. Moffatt. And
ret a fool editor who lives In New
fork and knows about as much Of the