The Washington times., 1906-01-13
Let Arizona Alone.

The difficulty with the joint State
hood bill lies, of course, with ATi-
zona--not with Indian Territory or
Oklahoma, or New Mexico. The
Territories bordering Kansas are
willing to be made one State. and
New Mexico, if united with Arizona.
will swamp her neighbor by about
90 900 votes TO 10000.
Arizona protests against this pros
pect, as we of the District of Col
umbia would-or might-protest
against it. Her people are Americans
who own their own homes, have
developed their own industries, and
have built up a life which turns
into the Postoffice Department twice
as much money every year as her
more populous neighbor. Naturally
enough. these citizens want separate
Statehood. But if Congress does not
think them ready for it now. their
answer is complete. 1t is merely:
Let us alone TO grow.
BY some chance the people of
Arizona did not realize until recent
ly the imminent danger that this
joint bill would pass. Immediately
they understood, however, their
representative men-cattle raiseTs,
merchants. lawyers. editors. and
ehurchmen-iumped aboard trains,
bought tickets with their own
money. and came to Washington 10
pay their own bills and fight the
proposed union with all their might.
They are here now. If manifest
honesty and earnesmess and real
Americanism count for anything.
these men from Arizona will accom-
plish something with Congress be
for they go home.
Their arguments are many They
do not want to travel farther than
from Boston TO Washington to go
10 court. They do not want To strad-
die the great divide like empty
saddle bags. They do not want the
confusion of laws which New Mexico
an old country with the civil law
as the basis of its practice-would
impose upon them.
But their real objection lies deeper
than any of these things. They do
not want to unite with a people as
foreign to them as the Apaches.
With a self-restraint few Eastern
communities would observe. these
citizen delegates have decided not to
fight their battles by decrying their
neighbors. But now they are here
in Washington it is 10 be hoped
they will reconsider this decision,
creditable as it is. For if they want
TO win they must strike in the middle
OF the anvil, and strike with all their
might.
The truth of the matter is that
New Mexico is not American. II
is Greaser. A great many Ameri-
cans have settled there, it is true.
and the allegiance of her people is
nowhere questioned-but the Mexi-
cans Outnumber the Americans eight
to five. and the State speaks Span
'sh. Forty of the seventy members
of Ler Legislature are Mexicans. In
terpreters are needed in every court
in the Territory.
This is the milk in the cocoanut.
To anyone who has even seen
"Greaser," his broad, silVer-embroid-
cred hat down over his eyes. a cigar
cite hanging from his lips, and his
knife in his belt. no further explana-
tion Will be needed. If Arizona's
only present hope of Statehood lies
in being outyoted by such as these
she does well to say; Let us alone
to grow" She is great and rich
now. Irrigation is making her vast
ly richer. A swift development is
sure. And she ought not be yolled
with a foreign people distastefuI to
her from every point of view with
out her consent
Let Congress make New Mexico
a separate State-if the two houses
choose. But Arizona should be left
alone