The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-11-14
THE LEssoN wAs nrrpEp.

Whatever else may be said about re- cent elections. the people oeaArixona are to be congratulated on the emphatic manner in which they sat down on the administrations plan to force them Into union with New Mexico. We call 1t "the administration's plaa." because Roosevelt. Cannon and some others of the Party were responsible for the plan and used all their personal and oficial influence to force Congress to accept it. Not only that. but the administra- ton forces were determined for a time that there should bA no Statehood for Oklahoma and Indian Territory unless Arizona and New. Mexico. were forced into nnion at tha same time. The utterly unjust scheme Jf Republican leaders failed. Arizona and New Mexico were allowed to vote on the question of joint statehood. and the former has repudiated the proposition by about three to one.
 The scheme had Republican politics behind it, and little else. It was feared and argued that if the four Territories came into the Union as separate States there might be six or eight Democratic Senators and a corresponding number of Congressman. If they came in as tive States. even if both were Democratic. there would be but four Senators, while it was hoped that by uniting Arizona and New Mexico the Republicans could control the new State. It was a per- nicfous and an un-Anlcfican doctrtna which had never before been invokSds but we are rather surprised to find our Republican contennoHary. The Kansas City Journal, declaring that in reject ing the unjust dsfnand. ~the Arizon- fans have only done what the people of the older States would have done had 1t been proposed as a condition precedent to their admission to State hood. Ever since the tea was thrown overheard by Boston's patriots. the doctrine that a Government derives Its just powers from the consent of the governed has been the warp and wool of American institutions, and in resent ing the violation of that Fundamental principle the sturdy people of Arizona have proved themselves worthy do scendants of their Puritan forefath- ers,"
 There is no need Nor the people Of that Territory to fear that they have by this action cut themselves off from all prospect of statehood for many years to come Neither is there any reason to apprehend, as. some affect to 60, that ,sAr1kona wifi evensaaliy come into the Union as rotten borough" like some others of the late additions to the Union have done. Arizona is on the same latitude with Alabama and other. southern States. and though 1t has been looked on to some, extent as part of the great American desert" II Is rich in natural, and agricultural re- sources, ana 1t is settling up vsry rap-' idly. To quote again from The Jour nal:
 Arizona's answer is emphatic enough, or ] ought to be; to convince ,n the origin origin, joint Statehood was not only poIttl- cal b1under, but sin against the ideas of justice and fairness which the av- craze American cherishes deep down in his heart Arizona Is. or soon will be, entitled to, Statehood on her own merits, but her people, although of the truest American stock, and enterprise ing and ambitions for their rights as people of that stock always are, are content to walt until their claims are fully recognized, and tncontestabiy demonsts ated. In the meantime they are entitled to rest, to entire i'm inunity, from outside meddllnG and when they come to knock for admis- sion at the doof Of the Union, no polit- ical jockeying should prevent 1t from being opened to them.
 The vote on the question of joint Statehood should be lesson to, those who were willing to subordinate fair ness and justice to political advant- age. It should teach them. among other things. that American citizens are not as easily coerced as some ap- pear to think. Let Arizona bide her time and she will yet be a State with out any deadwelght abdnt her neck.
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 The members of the House of Repre- sentatives of the sixtieth Congress have all been elected. Their term or office will begin on the 4th of March next but their term of service Will mt aoponanon uuftI. Sha araA Mnpdaw