The copper era., 1906-07-12
THE PRESIDENT ON STATE
HOOD.

Arizona have been somewhat
agitated over the appearance in the
Tucson Star of portion of a private
letter written by President Roose
welt to DIR. Rodgers, of Tucson, on
the question of the proposed admis-
sion of the territories of New Mex
| leo and Arizona as one state. AS a
whole the press has been pretty
severe on the president for writing
such a letter, but it should be re-
membered that the letter was not
written for publication. In addition
to this it should also be remembered
that the letter was not printed in
full, but only such portion as the
friends of statehood chose to give to
the public, which was a gross breach
of etiquitte, if not a direct insult to
the chief executive of the United
States. In commenting upon the
matter the Phoenix Republican says:
"The letter as it was sent out from
Tucson conveyed no other impression
than that the president, contrary to
assurances he had given, was en-
jOinture cause, when in fact he was
doing nothing of the kind. The pub
lished portion of the letter was only
an incidental and unimportant part,
made to appear important by the
omission of the really essential sec
tion upon which the whole COM
munication hung, the presidents de-
clarationS in reply to a representa-
ton by DIR. Rodgers that whatever
his own views on statehood might be,
how ever deeply he wished the ac-
ceptance of jointure, the federal of
ficials were to be left undisturbed in
speech and legitimate action against
statehood with New Mexico"
AS the statehood issue is the most
absorbing topic of conversation in
the territory, and as this letter of
the presidents has attracted such
wide attention and comment, it is
here reproduced, and is as follows:
THE WHITE HOUSE. Wash, June &c, 1906
1t is my earnest hope
that the people of the Territory of
Arizona in their wisdom will decide
10 enter the Union as part of the
great state of Arizona. No man can
foretell what will happen in future;
but it is my belief that if the people
of Arizona let this chance go by they
will have to wait very many years
before the chance again offers itself,
and even then it will very probably
be only upon the present terms-that
is, upon the condition of being Joined
with New Mexico. If the people of
Arizona come in now they will
achieve what every self-respecting
American ought to wish TO achieve;
that is, the right of self-government.
If they refuse what is proffered them
and what in my opinion is proffered
upon the only proper and permissible
term-they condemn themselves to
an indefinite continuance of a condi-
ton of tutelage.
l have peculiar affection for the
people of the four territories which,
under the act of congress l have
just signed, now have the opportunity
to enter as two states into our fed
eral union. These territories are
filled with men and women of the
stamp for which l grew to feel so
hearty regard and respect during
the years that 1 myself lived and
worked on the great plains and in the
Rocky Mountains. 1t was from these
four territories that 1 raised the
regiment with which took part in
the Cuban campaign, assuredily
would under no circumstances advise
the people of these territories to do
anything that 1 considered to be
against either their moral or their
material well-being. l feel that for
them now to refuse to come into the
Union as States would be at the best
mere folly. Very wisely, the people
of Oklahoma and Indian Territory,
and I believe the people of New
Mexico also, have abandoned an at
titude which forbade their thus as
Stunning the great privileges and re-
sponsibilities of full American citi-
zenship. / cannot too heartily ex-
press my hope that the people of |
Arizona, exercising their sober; sec
ond thought, will come to look at the |
matter in the same light.
Sincerely yours,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
DIR. MARK A. RODGERS,
Secretary, Arizona Statehood Asso-
citation, Tucson, Arizona.
It is certainly the duty of DR.. |
Rodgers to produce the letter in full. !
The eliminated portion of the letter
might put a different construction on
the entire document. At any rate |
the people are entitled to the full
contents of the letter. If it is the
intent of the president to make a
personal appeal to his friends and
the federal officials of the territory |
the people have right to know it.
1t is for the people of Arizona to de-
eide for themselves whether or not
they want joint statehood with New
Mexico, and the ERA does not believe
that they will be Influenced in their
decision to any extent even by the
President of the United States.
In this issue of the ERA will he