Bisbee daily review., 1906-10-05
Have Taken Up Matter With President, Who Suggests That All Parties Be Repre- Sented at the Polls.
President Admits His Belief That Stories Are Untrue, But Suggests Precaution Be Ia ken to Avoid Criticism.

To show to what desperate straits the iointists in this territory are driy- en in order to create sympathy for a lost cause. they are seeking to create statehood will be defeated for the req son that il will be impossible to SC cure fair count.
 This charge has been made against the officials having charge of the cleo tions by the jointists and they have carried their charges to the President. Be it to the credit or fres,denu that he has written a letter to the Governor of Arizona. in which he states that he does not believe the charges preferred. but advises the Governor that in order to prevent any such charges after the votes are count eG, to request the iointists u- any other interested parties to be present when the votes on the statehood ques- fion are counted. The Presidents letter ta the Governor is as follows:
 Oyster. Bay, N. T.,
 Sept. 20. 1906.
 My Dear Governor Kibbey: I am sorry to say grave charges have been made to me that under the organlZa- tion of which you are the acCiYe leader thele will not be a fair count of Jha votes on the question of statehood. If IhCse charges were well founded 1 need mel say to you that it would be a na- Iiunal disaster. I have no doubt there is no truth in them; but some promi- iient people in the United States do be- Iieve them, and they are joined in this belief by some of the most prominent people of Arizona and New Mexico. Therefore to avoid all criticism, l di- rec that. if you can in any way ar range ii, you have representatives of the statehood people present at the canvassing of the votes on statehood. I have sent a copy of this letter to Governor Hagerman and directed him to make the same arrangement-thit is, have representatives from both the statehood and the anti-statehood par ties present to witness the count or the votes. Sincerely yours,
 THEODORE ROOSEVELT" Hon. Joseph H. Kibbey,
 Governor of Arizona,
 Phoenix, Arizona"
 Governor Kibbey found the above letter awaiting him upon his return to Phoenix from the east a few days ago.
 
 Gen. Thos. F. Wilson aI Tucson in- yitiug the chief of the joint statehood forces in this territory to send rep Tesentatives into eacn couz.ry in the territory. to be present when the Board of Supervisors meet to canvass the returns. Governor Kibbey's letter to Gen. Wilson is brief and to the point and says:
 Office of the Governor.
 Phoenix, AriZ., Oct. 3, 1906. Hon. Thomas F. Wilson.
 President Joint Statehood League,
 Tucson. Arizona.
 l have of course assured the presi- dent that I shall do all that I can do to have representatives of the state hood people present at the canvass of the votes on statehood.
 h order to do this I must have the cooperation of your associauon.
 need hardly remind you of the pro- visions of our law desigeneG to secure free, untrammeled vote of the people on any question, and particularly the safeguards to secure a fair count, nor need I remind you how efticac;ous cur system has been since its adoption in 1891. Since the adoption, fifteen years Hsgo, of our present system of conduct ius elections, and during which time many elections have been bitterly con 7 stested. I think l can confidently say sASere has never been an instance or a wilfuily unfair count of the ballots. SEch a thing is practically impossible under GIT law.
 Tcss speaks wei. enough for the efficacy of our system. But in order that any suspicion as to the fairness of the count on the question of state hood question may be avoid ed, I am anxious that there shall be a. every polling place In the feIritory, if possible. representative Of those favoring the statehood de scribed on the ballot-thst is, the Unicn of Arizona and New Mexico as one state-who may see every ballot cast. see that 1t Is cou1ted, and count ed to express the intention of the voter who cast it. and see that the re suit of the poll is properly certified
 The designation of such persons will, assume. necessarily rest with your organization.
 I shall address note by this mail to the boards of supervisors of the sev erai counties of the territory. enclos ing copies of this letter for their in formation, and make the recommenda ti)n. which I have no doubt will be cheerfuily complied with. that the. direct every election board at the cleo sion of November 6, 1906, to permit the attendance of representatives oi your organization at the polls during the deposit of the ballots, at the count and at its public proclamation ana certification.
 In those precincts where there ma.