Arizona republican., 1908-02-19
PHoENIX ARIz FEBRUARY l9. 1sO
MISSED THE POINT.

The Phoenix Republican opposes the nomination of Secretary Taft for two reasons. both of which it seems to us are peculiar, to say the least. First The Republican is opposed to President Roosevelt because he favored the proposition to make one state of New Mexico and Arizona, and second, Pres ident Roosevelt is in favor of MT. Tafts nomination.
 It is true that MT. Roosevelt did favor joint statehood, and it is true that Mir Roosevelt does favor the nomination of Mir. Taft. bat 1t would take the average intellect a long time to figure out how or why either or both of these facts could be made a satisfactory reason for opposing Taft. The Albuquerque Journal.
 The foregoing discloses a complete misapprehension of The Republicans position with respect to MT. Taft and as well the failure by the Journal to grasp the very plain purport of Re publican editorial on which the Jour naTs comment is founded. This paper is not opposing the nomination of MT.
 
 that might be interpreted to be hostile 10 his nomination but on the contrary The Republican has made frequent and full acknowledgment of his emin- ent fitness for the presidency.
 But We are opposed to an instructed delegation on principle and on the grounds of policy. There is no assur- ance that MT. Taft will be nominated and we therefore would not bind the delegation from this territory to the possible losing cause of MT. Taft or any other candidate for the nomina- tion. The two delegates from Arizona may be able to accomplish much for the territory. during the national re- publican convention. They may be able to accomplish nothing. and cer- tainly they could accomplish nothing if they were bound in advance to any candidate.
 That The Republican was opposed to President RooseveIt's joirture scheme and that ii has never since regarded him as the friend of Arizona, is now admitted as The Republican has frequently asserted. That We look with suspicion upon any political plans the president has in mind regarding this territory is\also admitted. One of his plans, that to secure an, instructed delegation, nominalIy for Secretary Taft We would look upon with sus- picion if we were not already cogni- zant of the fact that Arizona cannot afford to instruct its delegation for any candidate.
 That President Roosevelt favors the nomination of Mir Taft has nothing whatever 10 do with The Republicans attitude toward the latter and equally as little to do with its attitude toward the former. That is merely coinci- dental. We repeat that The Republi- can is not in any way opposing MT Taft ard that it has at no time urged the sending of anu-Taft delegates to Chicago. But t is violently opposed to the carrying out of President Roosevelt's orders for an instructed delegation for his plain or ulterior purposes.
 The Republican is convinced that it represents the large bulk of territo- rial republican sentiment in this mat ter and it has most excellent reason  to believe that the delegates sent from Arizona. whoever may be their choice for nominee, will consider their choice only after they. have made a careful consideration of the territory's inter ests. If those interests can be ad- vanced better by the delegates sup port of MT Taft he will get their votes; if not, the votes will be cast for some other candidate.
 This Is plainly The Republicans position. is there in all Arizona an advocate Of an instructed delegation who will dare publicly and squarely take any other position?