Arizona republican., 1908-12-07
MIR SMITHS CANDOR.

Hon. Marcus A. Smith reached Washington last Friday night and ac- cording to an Arizona Star special was promptly interviewed regarding results.
 Mir. Smith unbosomed himself with a frankness which recalls the story of the sale of Kleinfelter's dog. Kleinfelter, of Pennsylvania-Dutch extraction, was about to emigrate from Ohio to the west and had dis posed at public vendue of all his personal possessions except a mon- grel cur for which a neighbor some time before had expressed a prefer ence, offering a dollar for the ami nal, which offer was at that time rejected with scorn.
 But Kleinfelter in the meantime changed his mind and directed his twelve-year-ol but somewhat slow witted son to convey the dog to the neighbor. Ask him." said Klein felter. two dollars for Carlo, and if he won't give it, let him have him for a dollar"
 How much do you want for him?" inquired the neighbor. when the youthful Kleinfelter proffered the dog. The undiplomatic boy replied: Well, pap told me to ask you two dollars but if you won't give that I'll take one"
 So, with the guileless MT. Smith. Right within the shadow of the cap itol and within earshot of gathering republican senators and representa- tives, MT. Smith takes the wide world into his confidence and describes why the pitcher that went to the well too often, was broken. Said he: The territorial legislature this fall is heav- fly democratic in both branches and it is certain that Arizona is demo- cratic. The result of the delegate election in November simply indi- cated that the people of the territory though that the choice of a republi- can might hasten statehood"
 In hardly palmer language could MT. Smith have informed the cOun- try that there existed in Arizona a widespread conspiracy to bunco con- gress. No plainer warning could MT. Smith have given the republican ma jority that if it did not want another democratic state. it had better keep the door barred against Arizona, wolf in sheep's clothing.
 The statement made by Mir. Smith is undiplomatic though it is not true, as to the meaning he- must have sought to convey. There was cer- tainly nobody in Arizona during the campaign who had a thought of fool ing congress. The men who will have charge of the statehood bill are far too willy to be misled by Arizona election returns. It was believed though and very reasonably, that if the redoubtable MT. Smith, admit tedly much the strongest democrat in the territory. could be defeated, the republican party might be considered under normal conditions to have fighting chance in a state campaign.
 It was further believed that the defeat of MT. Smith, who had in cured the enmity of powerful repub- lican leaders, would further our chances of admission and it was also apparent that MT. Cameron could se- cure influence in favor of a statehood bill, that would be beyond the reach of Mir. Smith.
 And lastly, it was reasonable to suppose that if Arizona should put itself in accord with the majority in congress, that act would be inter preted as the expression of strong desire for statehood.
 Mir. Smiths ingenious admission that it was the statehood issue that beat him is correct but his conclu- sion that We meant to deceive con gross is wrong. His proposition that Arizona is democratic is, like a geo metrical proposition, something to be proved.