Arizona republican., 1909-09-26
STATEHOOD |S YOUR R|GHT'' Says ]. Il. Folk, Former
 Governor of Missouri FAMOUS LEADER IN pHoEE|y Man Who Disrupted Ranks of the Corruptionists in St. Louis Makes His First Visit to the Territory of Arizona
FAMOUS LEADER IN PH0Ek|x

Arizona is justly. entitled to state hood and it is unjust to deprive Arizona of this, her right" This statement was made last night | to a representative of The Republican by Joseph w. Folk, democratic gov ernor of Missouri from 1907 to 1909. In almost the same language. Henry A Buchtel, republican governor of Colorado during the same period. tes- tified to Arizona's right for admis- sion to the union during his visit to Phoenix on the preceding day. Re gardless of politics, whether democrat tor republican, every leader in either party who has visited the territory within the year has stated his belief that statehood is Arizona's right, and former Governor Folk was no excep- tion.
 This is my first visit to Arizona, 70 said Mir. Folk. T have been almost everywhere else in the United States but never before did 1 happen to have the opportunity of stopping off in this territory. And I want to say, '' he added in his characteristic, ener- getic manner. that I have never found community of more intelli- gent. capable people anywhere That they are fully competent of sell gov- ernment any discerning person who has ever been in the territory can not for a moment deny"
 Mir. Folk then spoke of the journey to Phoenix across the arid lands T believe" he said. that in course of time Arizona will cease to be arid. Western Kansas was at one time a very dry country and yet now there is as much rainfall there as there is in Missouri. Explain it how you will, the coming of the colonists seems to bring rain. With the development of farms, of your systems of irrigation and the consequent growth of trees and foliage. the desert will gradually change it's color from brown to green"
 In regard to his political future, Mir. Folk was reticent. Whatever plans he may have will not be announced at the present time. His term as governor of Missouri expired during the present year and he is still a young man, barely forty years of age. When the democratic party was searching for leader whom they could place in the lists against MT. Taft. Folk was one of the most prominent His record as circuit at torney at St. Louis when he prose- cuted the famous bribery cases and struck terror into the ranks of the corruptionists, and his record as gov ernor of the state, both placed him in the favor of the democratic lead CTS. The public sentiment for Will liam J. Bryan was too strong, how ever, to be resisted. and for the third people.
 MT. Folk was asked to forecast the future of the two great political parties.
 T am not a political soothsayer, astrologist or prophet" he said. but if I were to make what might be considered a shrewd guess, I would say that Theodore Roosevelt's name will come before the next re- publican convention for nomination to the presidency. I find a strong sentiment in his favor throughout the west. At this time no one can foretell the name of the democratic candidate. That is about as far as I care to go in this prophecy busi- ness"
 Owing to the rain of last night, the address of MT. Folk on Soldiers of Peace" was postponed till this after noon. when it will be delivered fin Elks' theater. Mir. Folk goes from Phoenix direct to St. Louis.