Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1908-11-19
ARizoNAs FIGHT
FOR STATEHOOD.

pie OF ATlzOna lor lne right oL eSii-
government and the admission of the
territory as sovereign and separate
state in the union viii be won during
the coming winter.
While the fight vas begun twenty
years ago. during the early part oil
the battle the refusal of admission
was perhaps justified on the ground
of lack of qualification either in pop
ulation or taxable wealth. But there
will be none to deny that for ten
years or more Arizona has been fit
ted for statehood when measured by
former precedent in the history OF
making new statev.
In the year 1890 there was a great
statehood furry in the territory and
the real fight for statehood may be
said to have begun then. In the fall
of 1890 there was a constitutional
convention held in Arizona and a con
stituion was formed and by a vote of
the people it was almost unanimously
adopted. The theory then was that
IL Arizona would prepare a wise con-
stitution and present it to congress
statehood would be granted. This
proved TO be a myth, though the con-
stitution presented was regarded as
an admirable foundation to sustain a
stable state government.
This 1890 constitution was prepar-
ed by one of the ablest bodies OF
Arizona citizens ever called to public
duty. In that convention were Col.
Herring. Hon Mark Smith and George
Cheney. From Pima county were the
late Judge Barnes, Frank Hereford;
from ella county Hon. Alonzo Bailey
was a delegate. And so it went over
the territory, the hblest men being
chosen for the responsible and impor-
tant duty of making & constitution for
the expected new state
From that time to the present there
has been a bill constantly before con
gress for the admission of Arizona as
state in the union, but while our
knocking for admission into the union
has been constant for years there has
only been occasional hope of success.
After the national republican con-
vention which was held in the city
of Philadelphia eight years ago our
people were bouyant with hope that
statehood was within their grasp. The
republicans at that time declared for
the early admission of Arizona, New
| Mexico and Oklahoma as states. in
the congress following this republican
promise d bill for the admission OF
Arizona passed the lower house OF
| congress; similar bills passed the
lower house for the admission of Ok
| iahoma and New Mexico, but all these
| statehood bills were baked in the
senate by the republican leaders in
that body in the next congress came
a renewal of the fight for statehood
for the three REM ming territories
The three bills We're again passed by
the house where the combined into
what was known as the omnibus state,
hood bill. When these bills reached
} the senate Beveridge of Indiana, chair
man of the senate committee On ter
rltories, was obdurate and backed BY
other republican leaders. refused tc
allow the omnibus bill to pass
though Senator Quay of Pennsylvania
1 tuT a tlHnS DlOShSu cAi DuoL4coS III NV
senate in an attempt to force vote
on the omnibus statehood bill in tha
body. Finally a compromise was at
fected by which Oklahoma was admit
ted at the following session and ther
: 1t was when the proposition appeared
for joining Arizona and New Mexico
! as one state.
} The joint statehood proposition wal
: met by the determined opposition o
: Arizona; our people were practica
> unit in their opposition to joining th'
: people Of New Mexico as one state
, knowing that the identity of Arizon;
: would be buried by the predominatinl
= population of the New Mexico part o
: the new state When the time cams
: to do battle against joint statehood
} citizens of every section of the ter
: ritory and of every political belle
t went to Washington to enter thei
: protest against the obnoxious meas
. ure. Finally what vas known as tn,
} Foraker amendment prevailed In th'
!, senate. This amendment provided