Arizona republican., 1906-06-03
PHoENIx. ARIZONA, JUNE ?, 1906
WHERE THE BLAME WILL LIE.


 The assumption by the house organ ization that the onus of blame for any failure of congress to admit the Indian Territory and Oklahoma has been transferred to the senate. is as prepos- terous and as unreasonable as all the positions occupied by the house in the statehood fight have been.
 Two propositions were placed before the house by the senate amendments. One was, the western territories do not want joint statehood. The other was, they shall be allowed to declare them selves on the subject. It was presum- ed by the senate that an agreement would be reached on the latter propo- sition.
 The house, however, accepted neither, but through the confer ence has returned to the sen ate in lieu of the second proposition one, which is in effect. this: We are aware as is manifest by our rejection of the Foraker amendment, that a ma jority of the citizens of Arizona are opposed to joint statehood. The adop- tion of that amendment or an agree ment to a third proposition to submit the pure question of joint statehood to a vote at the regular territorial cleo tion would be equivalent to it's defeat We therefore propose that an appeal shall be allowed to the selfshness and small political ambitions of a consider able part of the voters of that territory. and we refuse to submit the question of joint statehood on it's merits. .Un- less you concede to us the privilege of bribing the bribable voters of Arizona, we wash our hands of the whole state hood business, and the blame for the defeat of the worthy aspirations of Ok lahoma and the Indian Territory will rest upon you.
 That is the plain position of the house.
 We do not believe that the people Of Oklahoma and the Indian Territory themselves would lay it up against the senate if they should be denied admis- sion in this state of the case. We are certain that the rest or the country would not.
 This controversy has attracted more widespread attention within the last six months than any attempted legisla- tion within recent years, excepting only the railroad rate legislation and the great tariff legislation of the last sixteen years. The whole country has discussed 1t, and fair minded people, and newspapers have overwhelmingly agreed that the position of the house has been tenable only upon the the ory that territories have no moral right to be heard regarding the disposition of them.
 It is true that the president accept ed that theory in his message. but the senate, and the country, so far as it has made expression, has taken widely contrary view, recognizing the rights of the territories to be heard
 It is the prevailing opinion. that if it was desirable to admit the two joint states there should have been two bills. The unfairness of the house was therefore betrayed in the drafting of the omnibus jointure bill. Next. it continually cropped out in the manner in which that bill was discussed, in the brutal throttling of it's members who pleaded for fair play
 Now, finding itself unable to force the western territories into the union as joint state we do not believe that the country will believe that it has performed is whole duty. if. because it is not permitted to bribe Arizona. it ceases to act in favor of Oklahoma and the Indian Territory
 No house organization argument can obscure the fairness of the present ForalIer amendment or the Foraker proposition for a vote at the regular territorial election