Arizona republican., 1906-07-14

and l nave Ialled tO Tind ft.
 The only argument I have heard or read, suggesting even an excuse for joint statehood so far as Arizona was concerned, was to the effect that if separate statehood was impossible. we should accept the joint article. or as some have expressed it. "a half loaf rather than no bread"
 Even this reason loses its force in the. contemplation that while Arizona would furnish the greater share of the dough" less than a third of the loaf would be her portion. New Mexico has more than twice as many mouths to feed as Arizona has. It would per haps be the crust of the loaf (the name) for Arizona and the filling for New Mexico-the shadow for the one and the substance for the other.
 Arizona has at the present time a much larger assessed valuation than New Mexico. Before very long, with the rapid advancement in the develop ment of her mines, with the reclama- ton of her public lands under the ir- rigation system already inaugurated, and with the return for taxation of the now exempt railroads, it is safe to say that the assessed valuation of Ari- zona will soon be 50 per cent greater than that of New Mexico. On the other hand, her indebtedness and her pop ulatiOn are each 50 per cent less.
 Exact statistics might make these figures more favorable to New Mexi- co.'s position, but not enough so, to ma terially change the situation.
 The fact still remains that Arizona in this union if consummated, would furnish much the larger share of the assets and New Mexico much the larger share of the liabilities and of the power to control and regulate the com mon interests of both sections of the state.
 A calculation from the figures given will show that in the event of joint statehood, the present Arizona proper ty owner would be compelled to pay a tax equivalent to what he now pays and an additional 50 pen cent as a result of the difference in conditions which would be brought into the union by New Mexico and Arizona respect ively.
 Is there not, then. condition con fronting us, even in this single feature of the case, which should justify the opposition of every property owner, great and small corporate and indi- vidual, within the bounds of the ter ritory of Arizona?
 The space to discuss all the reasons for opposition to this measure is not properly within the limits of a single newspaper article. Hence I will con-
 fine myself to the discussion of one other reason, to my mind the most inn pOrtant of all reasons, namely: that of i reserving our territory for separate statehood.
 Arizona, in its area, in it's natural | sources, in it's present wealth. in it's population, and in the quality of its | citizenship, is fully fitted for separate | statehood. She is entitled to this and the great majority of her people will be satisfied with nothing less. They 1 know thatit is due them and that it is 1 only a matter of a short time until it | will be granted them.
 | President Roosevelt, in the publish | ed correspondence between him and | Dr. Rodgers, secretary of the Joint ] Statehood league at Tucson. expresses
 the belief that the people of Arizona | let this chance go by, they will have
 to wait very many years before the 1 chance again offers itself and even l then, it wll very probably be on the present terms-that is, upon the con-
 dition of being joined with New Mex | ico."
 This belief of the president is nc | doubt, very much influenced by his de | sire for the success of a pet scheme 1 and should have less weight than il | held by even a less prominent person | free from special interest and preju- ! dice Then there were several reasons
 which the president may have over | looked which give foundation for tne
 belief that he may have made a mis- | take in his forecast.
 |
 left, and it does not seem as if an ef- fort, at a reasonable time in the fu- 1 ture for their admission would meet with much serious opposition.
 The strength of the west and of the | south in congress is and will continue
 to be in favor of justice to the ter ritories.
 From the north and northwest. Ari- Ona has many strong friends in the 1 congress and senate of the United | States. A very small increase in the
 number of these friends is all. that i. | necessary for the admission of this ter
 ritory.
 With a successor to President Roose- welt who has not made a hobby ot
 joint statehood and who will not use | his position to cOerce national legisla-
 tors, there is a strong reason to believe
 that the separate admission of the ter
 ritories of Arizona and New Mexico l will be an easy matter under another
 administration, whether republican or i democratic.
 In the passages of his letter to Dr
 Rodgers in which he grants to fedora l officials of Arizona "the same right as | any other citizen to express their sen- | timents and vote as they choose,' and
 where he expresses "a peculiar affec- tion for the people of the four terri tories the president gives signs thai | he is relaxing in his strenuous efforts for joint statehood. He has evidently | alighted from the elevated broncho Inc