The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-02-24


forty-five years ago to-day. the bill pass
ing the Senate on February "a. 1853. az
ter passing the House two months before
Between 1850 and 1855, I'VE territories
Montana, Idaho. Arizona. and Wyoming
were carved from the big West and all
these save Arizona have since been ad-
mitred as States Arizona has served her
apprenticeship. and has demonstrated to
the satisfaction Of her people that she
is ready now for Statehood. Because Of
this she saw troublous times while the
fifty-eighth and ffty-ninth Congresses
were in session, and had framed a bin 10
admit Arizona and New Mexico as one
State. This BIN pa6sed the House, but
the Foraker amendment saved Arizona
for the future individual Statehood, by
providing that Oklahoma and Indian Ter
ritory be admitted as one State, but that
Arizona and New Mexico be not ad-
mitted as one State unless the majority
vote Of the inhabitants OF each territory
so decided. AS ninety-five percent Of the
citizens OF Arizona were bitterly protest
ing against the unsought alliance with
New Mexico tie two now remain as the
last OF the Territories.
Arizona. with her 1s5,OOO population, her
Increased prosperity, her wealth. her ed
vocational facilities. and her unbounded
natural resources that place her in easy
competitions with the States. can see no
justice in having her representation in
Congress limited 10 one delegate. Barring
her Mexican population. which IS only
Is per cent Of the whole. Arizona has
smaller percentage OF criminality than
any other State or Territory Her schools
are among the best, she spends more per
capita on education than any State ex-
cept Texas, and her teachers are nearly
all graduates of high institutions Of
learning. receiving higher salaries than
the teachers Of any other State. She has
100000 acres OF grazing lands, Il, 900. 000
acres CT farming tracts. $4,000 in forest
and IndisR reserves and .. 100000 in min
eral lands.
The United States Geological Survey IS
authority for the statement that 500. 900
acres can be reclaimed By irrigation.
making the area OF arabic land three
times as great as il is now. One OF the
largest expanses OF virgin forest in Amer
lea is there, i2.0o0 square miles. with a
value OF 500 600 900. From the hills and
mountains there came in the decade OF
lS94-l9o4 gold and silver TO the value OF
Sc. 600 90 and copper 10 the value OF Sf20-
cocoon Railroads are eliminating the
magnificent distances Of the Territory as
rapidly as possible. and with the connect
ing OF Tombstone and Florence with the
larger cities the frontier town became in
Arizona as a tale that is told
A great storage reservoir at Phoenix
holds the water for the irrigation OF
farms in Salt River Valley. and at Yuma
for the Colorado River Valley farms that
lie chiefly In Arizona. the ultimate amount
Of land 70 be redeemed for farmers and
truckers being 10000 acres IN the Salt
River project. $4,000 IN the Colorado.
5000 in the Little Colorado. 400oo in the
Upper ella, and 20ee0 in the San Pedro.
Crops can be grown there continuously.
and In the sugar beet district where sugar
factories are In operation the beets can
stay IN the ground until needed, and so
keep a perpetual supply on hand Arr
IONA oranges are first in the New York
market. and irrigated lands are producing
early canteloupes Al a profit Of $500 an
acre Three-Quarters OF a million head OF
cattle and a million head Of sheep browse
on the Arizona ranges. a code Of sanitary
laws protecting all cattle from contagious
diseases.
With all these superior natural and cul-
tivated attributes. Arizona felt she should
justly resent being annexed. willy-nilly.
20 New Mexico, a territory Of widely di-
vergent interests. Where Arizona's popu-
I Ia Il oil A
Mexico's is largely Spanish-American:
ArizOna's greatest interests at present are
mineral. those OF New Mexico agricUI-
tural; the one goes west for travel and
commerce. the other east. and, between
the two. effectually making them separate
and distinct divisions, lies a country made
Of volcanic matter, cut and scanned By
great canyons
Arguments in favor of joint Statehood
were as unique as the ones against it
were earnest. II was argued that when
two Territories presented such divergent
characteristics it were wise TO bind them
together. and so break down all social.
political. and ethical barriers. II was ar
gued that the better element Of Arizona
folk did not oppose joint Statehood: that
trolled the Territory and who feared a
higher tax On their holdings. To prove
the fallacy OF this last argument. a reso-
luton protesting against joint Statehood
was read by ATizOnians at the State fair
in December. 1905. the reader speaking
through a megaphOne. A rising vote was
called for 20 express the sentiment OF the
crowd. The grand stand rose en- Hasse.
To make sure. fifty men were sent about
with the resolution. and in thirty minutes
there were 300 signatures TO it. the names
representing the leading people in every
profession and business in the Territory.
A record was also kept of those who did
not sign. and only . per cent of the crowd
was found favoring joint Statehood. The
political temperature Of the people was
taken in divers fashions throughout all
Arizona, and there came the answer:
Let US come in as a State. with all the
rights and privileges enjoyed by other
States. or else let US remain a Territory
The enabling act passed by Congress in
1868 promised to preserve the autonomy Of
Arizona. and she means 20 remind Con-
gress Of that promise at any time that It
seems necessary.
It was IN 1911 that Josiah Quincy ex-
pressed great indignation when some one
dared suggest that there might some day
be as many as six states west OF the Mis-
sissippi River. He was opposing the adj
mission of Louisiana then and was as
earnest in his protest against any belief
in Western growth as was Benjamin
FINANCIAL.