Albuquerque evening citizen., 1906-08-23
B. S. RODEy'S
OPEN LETTER
ON JO|NTURE
To People of Arizona Con-
tdinS Undlterdble Facts
and Figures.
WHY ARIzON|ANS SHOULD
CAST VOTE FOR JO|NTURE
And the Benefits That Will Accrue
to Both Territories
Thereby
San Juan, Porto Rico, Aug. IA, 1906.

san Juan, PORTO hlCO, Aug. II, lJUO'
Hon. l.. c. Hughes, Tucson, Ariz.:
NV Dear Governor: AS the fates
willed it that | should be here in
Porto Rico, now, | feel that | should
not fail to do what | can to carry in
to effect for the benefit of the people
of Arizona and New Mexico the work
which yourself and other patriotic
citizens of Arizona and New Mexico
have so steadfastly aided me in carry
ing on so strenuously for the past six
or seven years; that Is, the statehood
question The only way | can do
this until perhaps late in the fall,
when | may be home for little while,
Is to write you this letter which do
entirely from memory, as | have no
data here, which | sincerely hope
your enthusiasm for the cause and
your desire to do the best for the peo-
pie of Arizona will induce you to pub
lish in your splendid newspaper.
Knowing, as | do, that the present
time is critical in the history of the
people of New Mexico and Arizona, |
do implore them to throw all preju-
dices aside, and as sensible citizens,
to investigate for themselves individ-
ually this great question of joint state
hood of the two territories. If, after
doing so, fairly and impartially and
weighing tie advantages and bless
ings of jointure, and the disadvant-
ages, if 1t has any, any citizen sees fit
to vote against it, then none can find
any fault with him, because every per
son has a right to his own opinion.
Others may disagree with him, but
that is all. 1t is my honest belief
that if every voter in Arizona will
look into that question with the
same care that he would look into
any important matter in his own af
fairs, that he will see nothing but
good in it, and will surely cast his
vote for it. | have some right to this
opinion; | have given more time and
effort to the question, and worked
harder and spent more of my little
means to get the provisions put in
the bill that are there, and to bring
about les passage, than any other per-
Son, without exception, in proportion
to what | possess.
Let no citizen of Arizona deceive
himself with the idea that Arizona can
get into the Union as a separate state
in his lifetime. Sentiment in the east
has entirely changed. No more states
of small population will be admitted.
Congress is not sitting up nights to
grant any sort of statehood to either
New Mexico or Arizona. Oklahoma
has nearly six times the population of
Arizona. Indian Territory has also
six times the population of Arizona,
and each of these territories has de-
veloped resources Of immense value.
Either one of them Is about as large as
hA go af olN
fought as hard for it as could be,
congress refused to admit either of
them into the Union separately; and
when the sensible people of those
great territories realized that the day
had passed when they could get into
the Union separately. they acquisced
in the inevitable, and are coming in
TO the Union with two millions of
people as a population, and with re-
sources that will outrank Kansas
from the very start.
1t must be remembered that more
than three hundred thousand people
in Indian Territory were firm IN their
opposition to jointure, even up to IL st
fall.
My republican friends on the I'M.
mittees in congress, in my OPT zion
have deprived that new state OF
its due proportion of representation
1t gets but five members of the house
when firmly believe that 1t is en-,
titled to eight or ten besides it's sen.
ators. In about year five splendid
citizens OF that new commonwealth
VIII walk down the central aisle OF
the national house of representatives
and after experiencing the pleasure
OF unbounded applause from the floor
and galleries and being greeted with
shower OF flowers, will raise their
hands and take the oath as the first
representatives of Oklahoma the
Great. An opportunity Is offered foI
TWO splendid cluzens of the southwest
10 be there at the same time. enjoy.
ing equal pleasure, and with edua
rights as the first representatives OF
the second state in the Union in area
Arizona the Great. Will il come 10
pass, or will the people of New Mex.
leo and Arizona refuse to take this
tide in their political lives AT its
flood?
Never in the history of this coun,
try has such benefcient terms been
Offered to the people of a proposed
new state as are contained in the
Hamilton-ROdey enabling act. Let me
tell you what this bill contains: II
donates to the new state something
over twenty millions of acres OF land
for our public buildings, institutions
and schools. 1t gives us as an invio-
late school fund five millions of dol.
lars in cash. 1t gives us two agri.
cultural colleges, two United States
courts, two members of the house of
representatives and two United
States senators. Arizona as now
bounded elects one OF those members
Of congress and will probably elect
one of the senator's; il also has one
of the United States courts. The
capital is fixed at Santa Fe, in New
MeNico, until 1915, and after that
date the people of the state will put
II where they please. You are all
well posted as to the provisions of
the bill. so that IL is not necessary TO
say much about that In the cOnsti-
tuNOnal convention, which is 10 frame
the constitution, New Mexico will
have siXry-siN delegates and Arizona
forty-four. Arizona gets two more
than il Is entitled to, and perhaps