Arizona republican., 1907-11-05

 A CERTAINTY Before the End of the
 Next Administration Governor Kibbey Speaks Of His Late Conference With the President.

Governor Kibbey returned yesterday afternoon, via the Santa Fe, after an absence of some weeks from the ter ritory. He was accompanied by his mother, Mrs. Caroline Kibbey, whose home is at Richmond, Indiana. After meeting the president in Mississippi, the governor went on to Richmond.
 The governor travelled with the pres ident from Vicksburg to Memphis some six or seven hours. Asked last evening for some news of his confer ence with the president, he said they discussed Arizona affairs generally, and he added:
 The statehood question was dis cussed, of course, and what the pres ident said Was satisfying in every way. l had placed no belief whatever in the newspaper stories that it was the pol icy of the administration to admit New Mexico and reject Arizona, but it was gratifying. nevertheless. to be assured by the president that he is anxious to See both territories treated alike in the matter of statehood legislation.
 Tn a few words, this is the position of MT. Roosevelt on the statehood question:
 Tt has long been the policy of the administration to round out the nation by the admission of the continental territories as states. The president hoped that the jointure of New Mexico and Arizona would be as acceptable to the people of these two territories as the jointure of Oklahoma and Indian Territory was to the people of those territories. The election convinced him otherwise as to New Mexico and Ari- Zona. He still desires the elimination of the territorial form of government on the continent; and, although at our conference he could not promise any action without consulting with con- gressional leaders, he assured me that he is personally in favor of admitting both Arizona and New Mexico as sep arate states. and that he will make no distinction between the two territories.
 'I am happy to state that for the first time in the history of the ques- ton Arizona is supported in her aspi- rations by a president of the United States. This is the longest and by far the most important step ever taken toward fulfilling our hopes.
 statehood will come in the near future. As to the immediate future, however. I am afraid that we cannot expect congress to take action at this session. It may take d little time to bring congress to our way of thinking. Since my conference with the presi- dent, and since his return to Washing ton, he has advised me that he has consulted with several of the leaders of congress. and has told them that his view was that inasmuch as joint state hood had been refused by the terri tories. and inasmuch as the represent atives of the nation as a whole had re- fused to insist upon it. the only wise alternative seemed to him to admit the two territories as separate states. But with this view he finds the leaders generally not inclined to agree, at pres ent; and my information from other sources is to the same effect.
 Tn view of this state of facts ! think it possible that the president may not deem it wise to take up the question of statehood in his message of this year. If he does not do so, however, 1t will be not because he is against the measure, or even indffer- ent. or opposed to our taking action to advance it, but because he will then be of the opinion that congress cannot be led to act at this session. In that case it will then be for us to deter mine in our turn whether 1t will be best or not for us to urge our claims upon congress at this time-bearing in mind that We ought not to be behind New Mexico in effective action.
 'I wish to emphasize the fact that We have now only to deal with congress. The president is with us. And as I have already said, statehood is bound to come within the near flu ture. It may come before the end of President Koosevelt's administration, for that is his earnest desire; and in any event it will be a fact before the end of the next administration. for it is a certainty that the next president whoever he may be. will be a man in sympathy with the Roosevelt policies. %