Arizona republican., 1908-01-22
PHOENIX ARIz. JANUARY %, 1908
A STRENGTHENING OF THE
 RECORD.

In some quarters in the midst Of the agitation for an instructed delegation in favor of Secretary Taft we have mo- ticed persons engaged in the move ment. administering to themselves ab- solution of the charge of ingratitude toward Senator Foraker. Admitting his great service to the territoty in time of stress, they say that in his sue eessful championship of our rights, he loved not Arizona more but Roosevelt that he might oppose the national ad- ministration.
 Governor Kibbey in an interview in The Republican on Sunday morning. voiced that sentiment in the following words: T felt just as grateful to all the democratic senators (as to Senator Foraker) because happily. the exigen- cies of politics likewise compelled them to oppose the measure (the joint statehood bill)
 There may be brought up here a
  or lessening the motives of any one who does us a service. especially after the service has been performed at our urgent request. Two years ago no know. why Senator Foraker was fight ing lis battle.
 What uoliticaI axisencv ironAlled Senator Foraker to oppose the joint statehood bill? It may be said that the senator expected thereby to complicate the case of the rate bill. the only other measure of the president actively Op- posed by him But in no case was one bill permitted to play against or ob- struct the other. The senator was ready for the final disposition of the statehood bill long before Beveridge could bo forced to submit it to vote nor did he at any time attempt to delay the course of the rate bill. That is though he consistently fought it to the last, the final vote was postponed only by its friends. who consented to a vote only when they had secured the last possible concession from its op- poneBts. and yielded concessions that ponents. What political exigency then. made MT. Foraker the friend of Arizona?
 We will now pass from the realm of reasonable conjecture to the we'll charted sea Of facts. The friendliness of Mir. Foraker to Arizona began long before the joint statehood iniquity was conceived. Six years ago he became the chief lieutenant of Senator Quay in his championship of separate and independent statehood for the remain ing territories. There was no politic- al exigency then. The president was apathetic. He neither opposed the omnibus bill nor aided it, though a word from him 10 Beveridge would have dissipated the force of filibusters who alone prevented the passage of the bill. Two ears later when the first Hamilton joint statehood bill was introduced. Arizonians, mindful of the former service of Senator Foraker in their behalf. naturally turned to him for aid which was gladly and success fully rendered. There was then no po- litical exigency. The relations between Mir. Foraker and the president were of the friendliest character: the latter had not then made joint statehood one of his policies.
 Two years later, when the second Hamilton bill was brought in at the curt direction of the president in his message, Mir Foraker was continued by the Arizonians as their leader. If a political eXigency had then arisen it had been created by the president and it could have been no such exigency as that which impelled to opposition of the joihture bill, the democratic sena- tors to whom the governor is just as grateful"
 We have gone into this matter part lY for the purpose of strengthening the record and partly to the end that the long and frequent services of MT. For aker in behalf of Arizona may not be belittled at this late date in the minds of It's people