Arizona republican., 1908-01-24
PHOENIX ARIz., JANUARY a4, 1908.
THE REASON WHY. STILL
 LACKING.

LACKING.
 When one is about to depart from what he admits to be a correct policy, he is expected to present good reasons for doing soto shew that some exi- gencv exists which will warrant the lapse from what is regarded, and what he comedies to be. right principles.
 This observation on ruies of human conduct is suggested by the following editorial from the Los Angeles Times:
 Gov. Kibbey ot Arizona is out in an elaborate plea that Arizona send to Chicago a delegation instructed for Sc eretary Taft. We notice that The Arizona Republican, in an editorial covering all points as fully as the Gov ernor. argues for a delegation free to vote as ma- seem best
 We must concede that usually there is much to be said in favor of dele gation made up of strong men free to be guided by the exigencies of the hour. But in this instance we are con- strained to say that Gov. Kibbey is right and sthe newspaper is wrong. That. however. may be left to the Republican voters of the territory, who We have reason to hope, will take the Governors position. We trust the Ari- zonians will 20 to Chicago with Taft banner al their head and will shoot up the town" for the popular secre- tary O. var.
 The Times further trusts that Cali ,,-;1t tfay, In ed for MT. Taft, offering no other req son for that wish, than that it believes that Mir Taft is the choice of CalifOr- nians and that efforts will be made in the national convention to defeat him. As to the former pretext. the desires of Californians will be made known in proper time and as to the latter. We must admit that there will be efforts in the convention to defeat NIT. Taft as well as every other candidate who has been mentioned. We surTnise that MT. Taft, Speaker Cannon. Senator Foraker. Vice President Fairbanks and several other estimable gentlemen, all entertain similar designs toward one another But what has all this to do with the subverting of the correct principle of the uninstructed delega- tion composed of strong and honest grapple with problems which are more likely than not to arise after the del egates have been selected. What pe- culiar eXigency exists that makes it desirable to bind the delegates, weeks in advance of the convention to do something which may at the last mo- ment appear inadvisable for the state as well as to the country at large?
 We have reason to believe that majority of the republicans of Cali fornia are strongly favorable to Mir Taft, but If they were favorable to some other candidate would the Times then advocate the instruction of the delegation for the candidate of the peoples choice? We think not.
 The California convention. whether it instructs or not, will leave no doubt in the minds of it's delegates, what candidate it fayors for the presi- dency and if an instructed delegation is made up of the right kind of men, the will of the state convention will be executed unless in the light of devel- opments it should be foolish to exc cute :t.
 However, California or any state would run less risk of making a mis- take in instructing a delegation than a territory. especially Arizona, just at this time would. The states have little to fear or hope from the results of national conventions. There is of course, the business of the distribu- ton of federal patronage, but the man. ner in which that may be distributed is of slight concern to the people at large of the state. It is of equally lit- tie concern to the people at large of the territory.
 But as is pointed out in a communi- cation elsewhere from Chairman An derson of the Anti-Joint Statehood League, Arizona has an interest in the next national convention which com pletely overshadows any that any state may have. Arizona has a hope that the national party may commit itself in favor of single statehood. Or, if not. that it ma- commit itself defi- nitely and unalterably against joint statehood. An instructed delegation from Arizona would be powerless to influence a compromise on either of these vital questions. An uninstruct- ed delegation might be powerfully in- fiuential in effecting such a campaign