Graham guardian., 1906-03-16
the STATEHOOD SITUATION

The following editorial is taken
from the Kansas City Journal, one
of the leading papers of the United
States, and withal a faithful friend
to Arizona;
The elimination of Arizona and
New Mexico from the statehood
bill by the senate, Friday, was a
triumph of justice and fair play
over partisanship and sectionalism,
Justice was done Oklahoma and
Indian Territory in leaving them
to stand on their own indisputable
merits, unembarrassed by the diff
cult and doubtful phases which
cloud the situation in the other
territories. The amendment was
particularly just to Arizona, which
is not an applicant for statehood
jointly or separately, and where it
was emphatically demonstrated in
q non-partisan convention. repre-
senting both political parties and
overy town and county in the ter
ritory, that 9S per cent of the peo-
pie are strongly opposed to joint
statehood with New Mexico. No
injustice was done New Mexico
because it was coniessedIy unfit for
statehood at this time--over 90
per cent of its population being
unable TO read, write or speak the
English language. The only claim
in behalf of New Mexico was that
it would gain pseudo title to
statehood by being tackled onto
the vigorous, progressive, Ameri-
can population of Arizona, or, IN
other words, that Arizona should
shoulder the disqualifying burdens
of lis neighbor This claim was
utterly invalidatcd by the fact that
the New Mexicans outnumber the
Arizonans in the ratio of Z TO 4,
and in the event of joint statehood
would have dragged the American
population of Arizona down to
their own ignorant, alien level.
A weaker case could hardly be
imagined than that presented by
the advocates Of forcing joint state
hood upon these two territories.
AT first it was argued that congress
was beirg Inconvenience and its
time taken up by the continual
agitation of the question to the ex-
cluslon of more important matters,
and, therefore, Arizona and New
Mexico should be bundled into one
bed like naughty children and LETT
TO get along as best they could.
This Sophistry was riddled by the
people of Arizona, who replied
that they were not applying for
statehood and were not responsible
for the agitation in congress, but
were willing TO wait patiently un-
til they could prove clear title to
separate statehood; and that in the
meantime no government, such as
was proposed in the joinder of the
two territories, should be formed
without the consent Of the gov.
erned. They also pointed out that
the act forming the territory con-
tanned a pledge that it would be
protected in its territorial rights
until 1t was ready for admission as
a separate state. The case pre-
sented by the people of Arizona
was irrefragable from any point of
view.
The other arguments in favor of
forcing joint statehood upon Ari-
zona aud New Mexico were equal
ly inconsistent with justice or the
facts. One was that the admission |
Of these territories as separate |
states would give to the West four
new United States senators and
thus would increase the infence of
this section in national legislation.
The trans Mississippi West, com.
prising in area two thirds Of the |
entire Union, now has only thirty.
eight sepators, while the east has
fif(y-two. The last and poorest
argument of all was that of Sena.
tor Long, Of Kansas, that Arizona
would never be fiji for separate
statehood. This statement ignores
the fact that Arizona already has
larger population than twenty of
the territories had when they were
admitted to statehood, and that il
is part of the great southwest
which is growing faster than any
other section Of the Union.