Arizona republican., 1906-10-07
TOM FITCH'S POSITION
 ON JOINT STATEHOOD
Whatever It is Now, Here is What It
 Was August 1, 1906.

Jointure in this territory. He visited Phoenix last July and August and spent a couple of weeks in the city. He was interviewed by a reporter for The Republican and expressed himself most decidedly against jofnture. Re gently The Republican has received re quests from all parts of the territory for copies of the paper August D con- taining the interview. It is regarded as timely to reprint the entire article containing it and it is proper to state that all parts Of it enclosed in quota tion marks were written by MT. Fitch himself. It is as follows:
 Hon. Thomas Fitch, he of the silver
 tongue, has returned to Arizona. this
 time to make it his permanent home
 Like every other Arizonian. he claims the privilege of going away once in a
 while when he feels like it to see how things are getting on over among the
 Philistines. But whether he is here or somewhere else, it is to be Tom Fitch of Arizona. He came here too early in his career to ever rid himself of the real Arizona feeling, and. though he has prospered elsewhere. the "caH of the wild" echoes continuously in his ears while he is away.
 And then, too, MT. Fitch is mighty glad of this opportunity to square him. self with his old friends and neighbors. for some very evil-minded person has done him grave injustice on this matter of statehood. The story somehow
 gained circulation that he had been inveigled into the ranks of the enemy and was loading up his rapid-fire thoraX with silvery missiles for an as sault on his former homeland in the coming statehood campaign. He de- n 1af fifsa that he has had no plans for engaging on either side of this conflict. How ever, what little he does have to say at any time will be for his old friends and not against them. He was seen at the Hotel Adams yesterday by a Republi- can reporter. Though he has ac- quired a beard since he formerly re- sided here and was faultlessly dressed with a woolen coat on. such a garment as most natives would consider excess baggage at this time or year. he did not seem to mind the heat. Still, it must be admitted that it was the first bit of common ground on which MT. Fitch and the interviewer could get together.
 With the thermometer at 1O2 here 70 said Colonel Fitch, 'I do not feel the heat so oppressive as I did in Los An geles last week when it was 94. Be- sides you are getting nearDy mounyaIn resorts, accessible by rail. Every 200 feet of altitude is equivalent to one de- gree of latitude, and Iron Springs or Prescott has therefore the climate or Minnesota. Hot weather does not make so much difference if a man regulates his diet, omits high balls and keeps out of the sun"
 Asked about his impressions of greater Phoenix now and prospective, MT. Fitch said: 'I can see nothing to prevent the continued growth and prosperity of Phoenix. She is the cen ter of the richest agricultural and min- eraI country on this coast, and she is not cursed as some other towns are with knockers. The real estate agent who advertises that she will have 5O GOO people in 1915 Understates her pos abilities. I expect to see 100000 peo- pie here before I climb to my palace among the stars" When will that be ?' "Oh. in about twenty years. T am now 6S years young. None of my ancestors considered it respectable to | die under S5. and we have a knowledge ! of hygienic laws which was unknown in their day.
 ''I have vibrated between Honolulu, 1 San Francisco. Los Angeles. Washing ton and New York for the last four years. engaged most of the time OF the Sake refund cases. The amount involved now exceeds one million dol i lars. The government has taken testi- ! mony in Honolulu, San Francisco, St. ] Louis, Chicago, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, . Washington and New York. and We were forced to follow and even sent a 1 special agent to Spain. We defeated ! Uncle Sam in the United States cir cult court in New York, in the United States circuit court of appeals in the second district before. the board Of i United States general appraisers in New York. and lastly before the Unit ed States circuit court in San Fran cisco. The government has one more try at it, namely. before the United States circuit court of appeals for the ninth district, and that will end it. Yes, there will be very large sum coming to me, but I have earned it, for I have been working on the case for four years.
 Am I intending to return to reside in Arizona 9" he repeated in response to an interrogation; 'I certainly am. l shall not decide where until I visit Tucson and Globe. I have always prospered in Arizona. I have more live friends here than anywhere. In Cali fornia most of the old-timers have journeyed on. but here they are mostly thoroughly alive.
 "I am told that a report was pub lished here that I was coming to speak for joint statehood That is a mistake. I did at one time think that joint state hood would be better for Arizona than no statehood at all But on further eX-I animation and consideration I changed my views. I do not think either that is confronted by any such all ternatiVe. She will, as it now appears. vote down joint statehood by about sixteen to one. She does not propose to be dragged to the altar by the nape of her neck and be made a sabine bride by a Senor Don Ignacio Sanchez Pedro Bustamente, who proposes to join her 4O.OOOOOO of copper exports to his $2OOO, ,OOO of wool. and play the part of Count Boni de Castellane to her Anna Gould. She respects New Mex leo. She is willing to be a sister to him-but a wife, nit It would be a
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