Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-06-21
THE STATEHOOD ACT.
The President Signs the Hill and Adj
Vices Arizona to Accept Its Terms.

and Indian Territory to the Union as one
State, and permitting Arizona and New
Mexico to vote in Joint statehood, says the
Washington correspondent of the New
York Times, he sprung a sensation on the
little group of officials and public men
who wcrc present.
This measure" he said, "will bring into
the Union of two States two splendid COM
.monwealths, I believe that New Mexico
and Arizona will not fail to vot, to accop,
It's terms. If they do not" and the Prvsl-
.dent smiled a grim smile. II fear it will
be at least 10 years before they will have
another opportunity"
Tho President signed his first name,
.Th'odore, with a gold pen, which he i'm.
m"diatcly gave to Delegate Mcclure to be
given to the new State of Oklahoma and
kept In the State historical museum. The
Roosevelt he wrote with n pen made from
tho Quill of an eagles feather, and this
he gave to Delegate Andrews to he pre-
served in the State museum Of the new
State of Arizona. Tho Presidents first act
after signing the bill was TO reach across
the table ana grasp Senator BeveridEe by
the hand and congratulate him on being
the father OF the new twin States The
young Hoosicr senator hlushed very red
ment. Tho President also shook hands
with Congr- ssman Hamilton and thanked
him for the long and brave fight he had
made in the House for the passage of the
bill.
The President in fine spirits and
shook hands in congratulation with all
present. Delegate Mcclure he several
times addressed as congressman Nc
Guire."
II understand" said the President. that
the delegate from NV Mexico has bet the
delegate from Oklahoma a suit of clothes
that Arizona and Mexico will get state
lOod before the Indian Territory and Okla
homa. Delegate Andrews, ! predict that
lyou will get the clothes. ! advise Arizona
land New Mexico to accept the provisions
Iof this bill. | have a weakness for all
four of these Territories MY regiment was
recruited largely from them and | will
advise them to do only what l Consid +
for their best interests.
Years ago there was an uncompromis-
Ing federalst ftom South Carolina, the
governor of the state, When some one
told him on a historic occa sion that South
Carolina would probably secede he made
this observation: Well, We are too small
for government of our own and too large
for a lunatlc asylum Now that is what
] shall repeat to the Territories of Arizona
land New Mexico if they refuse to accept
statehood under this measure.
They are confronted with very serious
proposition. If they refuse to accept state
hood now, ! believe it will he at least Is
years before they get another opportunity
to enter the Union. | want all these Ter
ITitorcs to got statehood during my admin
istration. y glorious future awaits them.
The statehood bill bears the sigma
lures Of tho President, Speaker Can
non and senator John Kean of New
Jersey. who signed it as president pro
ten. of tn" Senate, Vice President
Fairbanks being absent in Indian
apolis
The Presidents remark about New
Mexico and Arizona accepting the con-
ditions of tho bill came as n great sur
prise, as it has for a year been ac
ccptcd that # the bill passed providing
for the union of the two Territories it
would be equivalent to denying them
admission into the Union. AS soon as
tn bill was signed and the occasion
for secrecy no longer felt to be ncces
sary, senator Beveridge and other
friends of double statehood began to
talk without reserve.
Eyes, we expect New Mexico and
Arizona to come tn said senator Rev
eridg" when asked If there was any
foundation for the Presidents belief.
That is what we have quietly been
working for all the time. Early in the
struggle for the passage of the state
hood bin we advocated it ont and out.
After time the reports so indus
the effect that neither Territory would
accept admission on such terms eclip-
sod our position, and it was taken for
granted that we together with tho op-
position believed that the compromise
finally agreed on was n mere matter
Of form l believe az surely as | am
speaking that New Mexico and Arizona
Will vote to accept joint statehood.
"'rhc bill IS n very favorable one to
the people of the two Territories. and
II is iuConccivahlo that now, when the
prize OF statehood Is theirs for the
taking. they would pass it by. | think
that whom tho President signed the
bill this afternoon tho great historic
act was done which makes of all this
continental territory of the United
States ono continuous body of SOW
crcign states"
Delegate Andrews, when asked If ii
was likely that the two Territories
would accept the terms of the act, said
that he had no doubt whatever of it,