Daily Arizona silver belt., 1908-12-02
TWO MORE STATES INEVITABLE

The Transcript, Boston's leading newspaper, reluctantly comedies that Arizona and New Mexico are to be ad- mitted to statehood. In reviewing the situation the Transcript makes num- Der of good suggestions in connection with the proposed admission of Arizona, which it might be well to adopt. Edi- torially, the Boston newspaper says:
 Chief Justice Kent of Phoenix, Ariz., who happens to be son of the most famous governor of Maine whose name survives in campaign versifcation, has received lette rfrom President Roose- welt, saying that he will urge in his com ing message the admission of Arizona and New Mexico as separate states, and will also assist Governor Kibbey in pre- pairing the enabling act. This was ex. pected. Both national party platforms declared last summer for the admission of these territories. After the defeat by popular referendum of the plan of welding them, President Roosevelt an nounced that he would make no farther attempt in that direction, and so noth- ing remains but to admit them as separ- ate states. Conservative people would prefer to see this delayed until the com munities are better equipped for state hood, but this would practically amount to little. Since their admission is inev- itable, neither party likes to make it. self unpopular by fruitless resistance.
 The republican leaders have made up their minds that they might just as well look pleasant about these accessions to the union as to do anything else. It is doubtful if they could prevent admis- sion in any long session of congress. All the democrats will vote to admit Arizona and New Mexico as separate states; the republicans of the Rocky mountain region always have sympa- thetic feeling for other communities similarly situated; large investment in- terests in the east also have a relation to the project, sometimes counting for statehood and sometimes against it. but the upshOt has been some eastern state hood support, notably from the Penn sylvanians. These factors are sufficient to carry the day and President Roose- welt realizes it.
 The admission of Arizona and New Mexico will clean up the territorial sys. tenn in the continental part of our re- public, bringing the number of states here up to forty-eight, where it will. in all probability, remain for the centuries. This number permits the. division of the senate into equal thirds, sentimen- tai consideration not without value. It leaves certain geographical symmetry in the southwest corner of the country. the only point in the union where four states will come together. Two small changes should be made now or never. The name of New Mexico should be changed to Montezuma or some other single word which does not perpetuate the traditions of a foreign power. That part of Arizona to the northwest of the Grand Canyon should be annexed to Utah, with which it can have some as- sociation. In the event of its ever be. coming peopled the gash through the earth, mile deep and fourteen miles wide, would make rather effective bar rier to transportation. People in the part of Arizona beyond the canyon would find it harder to get to Tucson than to the capital of almost any other peighboring state. With these changes the territories might as'well come in and long and wearisome perplexity be ter mintaed