The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-14
President Taft Awakos on Rim
of the Big Ditch.
Day Is Spent in Viewing Points
of Interest.
THROUGH ARIZONA
He Told the Peaple He Was in
Favor OF Statehood.
But Warned Them to Avoid
Mistakes OF Oklahoma.

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Grand Canyon. Ariz., Oct. H.-After
travelling over the deserts practically
all day yesterday and being enveloped
in clouds of finely powdered red dust,
President Taft awoke today at the rim
OF the Grand Canyon of the Colorado.
The air at the altitude was crisp and
COOL and Mr. Taft looked forward to
his day of rest and sight seeing with
the greatest possible pleasure.
: The president arose early with the
desire of spending as much time as
possible about the rim of the vast
abyss which in places is more than a
mile deep and that he might see the
color effects of the sunrise. The presi-
dents original schedule did not cali for
his arrival here until a. m, but the
layover at Ash Fork last night, was cut
in order to gain more time for the
canyon trip.
The presidents day was madt up of
morning and afternoon stage trips to
various points of interest about the rim
of the CANYON The time was too short
for any attempt to go down the trail
leading to the raging muddy waters OF
the Colorado river at the bottom OF the
big cut.
Luncheon was served at the Hotel Ell
Tovar. the president being the guest
of the Arizona committee. Postmaster
General Hitchcock, who has been max
lIsS
horseback and who is sunburned and
greatly improved in health was in the
party. Mr.. Hitchcock's tour of Arizona
has been viewed by some of the resi-
dents of Arizona as having political
Significance with reference to the pro-
liability of statehood. The presidents S
unqualified declaration of support Tor
the statehood proposition, has done
much to clear away the pontlcaI tne-
ories.
He Favors statehood.
Prescott, Ariz.. Oct. 14-President
Taft won a hearty welcome into Arl-
zona by proclaiming wherever he Went
that he was heartily in favor of state
hood for each of the territories OF Arl-
zona and New Mexico.
When the joyousness that greeted
this statement had died away Mr.. Tart
had some sober wordAs for his audience
them the necessity for deliberatlon In
framing state constitution. He de-
ciared that their constitution should
follow the simplicity of the constitution
Of the United States and should be
merely fundamental laws with simple
rules and limitations. Mr.. Taft urged
the people of Arizona to profit by what
he termed the mistakes of Oklahoma
in constitution making He character
lied the Oklahoma constitution as
geological garden of eranks.
The presidents train was whiried
along at a breakneck speed throueh
At times the alkali stirred up by
the rushing cars filtered In a cloud
through ventilating screens and closed
windows and was well nigh stifling.
The sky was cloudless and the sun
shone with torrid intensity. Altogeth-
er the president had a typical glimpse
of the far southwest.
At Phoenix and Prescott, where he
made his principal stops and at each
intermediate station where he ap-
peared for a moment or two on the
platform of his car, he was greeted
by the cosmopolitan people or the ter
ritory. The anachronism of Indians
in their primitive blanket wrappingS
standing in the midst of group of
high power automobiles became COM
mon before the day was over.
The Presidents Speech.
In his principal speech delivered at
Phoenix, President Taft said;
eft is a new sensation for me to talk
To the people of a territory and 1 may !
say thus far it is very pleasant SEN
sation. I want to congratulate you
on such a territory, such energy ana |!
from the Republican party a pledge |
that YOU shall have statehood, and in |
order to establish my relation with |
you early I want to say tnat, SO faf |
as I am concerned l am going TO help
carry out that promise as far as can
'sNow gentlemen and ladieS-for |
don't know whether you are gong TO |
let the ladies vote or not, ana speak
therefore with due conslderat1on-yod
are anticipating statehood, you are
anxious to show what you can do as
an jndependent government and I am
afraid you are anticipating the pleas
ure of that independence without 1u!iy
or realizing now tho
responsibilities of 1T and therefore
if after having made this announce
ment I point out some of the diff
culties that you are going to have,
you will excuse me.
seYo1 have got to formulate a con-
stitution after the congress says you
shall come in and I want to say a
word about that constitution. In say
ing so I give you an earnest knowledge
of the seriousness with which 1 say
that 7 believe you will be made a state.
"a constitution is for the purpose I or
unon YOUR legislature and your execu-
tive. Now, if you think that IN that
convention you ought .
law down all the limitations that are or
dinarily included in the statute you are
going to make a great mistake.
Garden of Cranks.
"The greatest constitution that was
ever made is the constitution of the
United States and you can go through
that in a very short time
You take the last constitution, the
of oklahoma, and it is a
zoological garden. oof cranks.
''I don't mean to say that it has no
good ideas in it; it has. But the idea
Of tying down a legislature which is an
so to speak with the laws
that are to be adapted for new terri
tory with long discourse imposing
all sorts of limitations is a mistake
which you ought to profit by.
Your assumption of statehood
fe4ontinred on Page Eighty