The copper era. (Clifton, Graham County, Ariz.) 1899-1911, 1906-10-25
Border Line Politics.


The Chicago Record-Herald, ma
chine-hke, following out what it be-
lieves to be party policy, advocates
joint statehood for Arizona and New
Mexico upon the ground that the
former is Il ''rOtten borough" in
ferring that she might be kept up to
unreasonable degree of recitude by the
preponderance of the votes of the
cleaner New Mexicans. This is most
interesting. coming as it does from
Chicago, that fountain head of
political purity, where Liberty's
| palladium ever waves undefiled and
interrupted by corporate influence.
! 1t is cOntended that the mining and
railroad corporations of Arizona OPP
pose joint statehood because it would
lift their assessments, through the
righteous taXraising wrath of New
/ MeXicO's shepherds and husbandmen.
OF course, it is a shocking state of
affairs that Arizona 5 corporations do
not pay the taxes they should, when
the purity of the Chicago system has
been shown so strikingly by the dis
closures anent the estate of Marshall
Field. 1t is to be assumed that
Pullman plant and the packing
1 houses all pay taxes upon the basis
of their a-tual market value. It
happens that New Mexico doesn't tax
her railroads or her .mines quite as
heavily as is the case in Arizona, but
statehood will change all that, of
course. Also, it is immaterial in the
estimation of the politician that the
resident of the agricultural districts
of Arizona are as strongly opposed
to Joint statehood as are the miners,
and that Coy. Kibbey, whose politi-
cal scalp the mine owners are sup
posed to want, is one of the strong
est of the opponents of jointure.
Yet he is an assessment raiser of the
most pronounced type.
This 'rotten borough idea con-
corning Arizona has been fostered by
Senator Beveridge, who toured the
territory in three days, devoted,
most unfortunately, to a study of
the worst features of the communi-
ties visited. rather than to investi-
cation of their citizenship and ma
terial advancement and resources.
1t would be interesting to learn who
it was who sought to convince Presi-
dent Roosevelt that fair election
would not be held in Arizona on the
statehood question, a suggestion that
prompted the writing of an admoni-
tory to Governor Kibbey.
The plain truth is that no subdi-
vision of the Union has cleaner cleo
lions than has Arizona. In every
precinct the voter must be registered
and his ballot is Il secret one, under
the strictest protection of the
Australian system. For years the
Arizona republicans have been de-
feated by arrow margins in the con-
gressiOnal elections, yet not once
have they charged that the vote was
not straight" one: in New Mexico
the ballot is open and but slightly
guarded. Judge Rodey, the chief
advocate of jointure, openly pro-
claimed that ballot boxes were stuffed
against him and that he was robbed
Of thousands of votes by unblushing
fraud in the last election. when he
ran against Andrews as an independ-
ent candidate for delegate to con-
gress from New Mexico. 1t is posi-
BILE that the matter has affected him
so that he sees fraud in all things
: that please him not.
a ''rotten borough" Arizona is not.
Her vote is intelligently and indie
pendently cast and is honestly
, counted and the verdict of the jury
of he1 voters should be accepted as
the best that can be had in all mat
. tiers that affect the welfare of the
: great territory.-Los Angeles Times.