Arizona republican., 1908-11-02
IT IS MARICoPAs OPPORTUNITY.

IT IS MARICOPAS OPPORTUNITY.
 Assuming, as we do, that a large
 majority of the voters of Maricopa
 county are intelligent men, we be- lieve that the election count on
 Tuesday night will make known their attitude toward statehood, almost as clearly as if "Statehood-Yes' and "Statehood-No" were printed on the ballots.
 If it should be found that the coun- ty has given a majority for Mark Smith we should conclude that most of the voters do not believe that the time has come for admission or that statehood is the best thing for us. If, on the contrary, a majority is given for Cameron we will be con firmed in our belief that all this long ing for statehood we have heard for so many years is genuine and that most of the voters desire to participate in the activity and pros perity which have always rushed to greet territories when the statehood door has been thrown open.
 It is impossible that any consid- erable number of voters believe that Mark Smith can in the slightest de- gree facilitate admission or that his election would not actually be an obstacle to admission. On the other hand, with all the evidence which has been put in; the plank of the re- publican national platform, the word of Chairman Hitchcock of the na- tional committee and the publicly ex- pressed good wishes of senators and representatives who have hitherto op- posed us, voters must believe that the election of republican delegate will smooth the way to admission.
 Nothing was ever more probable than that MT. Smiths success would leave us just where we have stood for twenty years; and nothing was ever more probable than that the time is at hand for a republican victory to bring us statehood.
 Neither can we conceive that there are voters who, having any admission sentiment at all, are willing to put it aside for the personal and un- profitable ambition of MT. Smith.
 The Republican is always desirous of party success wherever there are party issues, or whenever the party | can be served by the election of re- publican candidates for office. If The | Republican were a democratic paper | it would desire party success in sim | liar circumstances. There are no | party issues in the territorial cam | paign and the election of neither can | didate for delegate can strengthen his | party organization in the territory. offices and as to county offices, for the offices properly or improperly are effectively employed to build up the party. --.-
 But in the present case, if the sit uation of Mir. Smith with respect to congress were the same as that of MT Cameron, and we believed that statehood was the best thing for us we would urge the election of MT. il Smith, democrat as he is. Through out this campaign The Republican has never been moved by a partisan spirit. It has not considered the personalities of the candidates and it has cared for republican, victory insofar only as it would contribute to our admission.
 We believe that this is the view taken by all true friends of state hood, whether democrats or republi- cans, and if not we especially urge upon the voters of this county to take it. There is no other county in Arizona which would so directly and quickly feel the beneficial effect of statehood. Here is where the rush would center and then spread throughout the fertile valleys and rich hills of the territory The other counties are looking to- ward Maricopa anxious to hear its