Arizona republican., 1909-10-19
Mr. Taft InsuIted in New Mexico.

We had something to say yesterday concerning the Arizona papers that have distorted and misrepresented NIT. Tafts promises and advice rela- tive to statehood.
 One New Mexico paper, the AIbu- querque Tribune Citizen, has out classed the Arizona papers in mis- representation. That paper, and some of the New Mexico politicians, went so far as to insult the president.
 The Albuquerque paper, in it's i1- sue of the 18th, published on its front page a verbatim report of MT. Taft's speech at Albuquerque on that day, and by way of inviting attention to the speech it used headlines of big type printed in red ink, which said:
 Taft Holds the Big Stick Over People of New Mexico in Speech Favors Statehood ConditionaIly - Must Make the Kind of Constitution He Would Like to See-Receives Chilly Reception From Thousands Gathered in Hope to Hear Good News"
 Any reader of the Albuquerque pa per who contented himself with read ing these headlines, to the neglect If the speech itself, would of course if he believed the paper-conclude that MT Taft indulged in a threat, or threats. and that if he made any promise of his support to the state hood cause he attached a string to it And here is where the indefinite gall of the Albuquerque paper comes in: it followed these headlines with Mr Taft's own words, which began as follows:
 MT. Mayor, ladies and gentlemen of Albuquerque and New Mexico. am glad to see you. l am glad to be here and to say what l am going to say about that thing which is uppermost in your minds. You seem to be able to guess what it is. Every baby in this territory seems to be trained to speak the first word, Statehood
 Now, as far as lies in me as the chief executive, recommending legis- lation to congress and exercising a legitimate influence in that regard. the constitutional function being to recommend and to veto, I first will say that l will not veto a bill letting New Mexico in.
 And second, that 1 shall recom- mend that the promise of the Re- publican platform, upon which l had the honor to Dc elected as president, should be carried out in good faith, and that the Territories of Arizona and New Mexico shall be admitted to the Union, so that we shall have nothing but states between the Allan tic and the Pacific"
 paper hold it's readers when it un- dertakes to make them believe that these words of MT. Taft embody any suggestion of the big stick or that his promise was conditional in any sense, In his Albuquerque speech MT Taft went further than in his addresses in this territory-because, possibly, he wished the most stupid to understand his position in order that demagogues might not misrep resent him successfully-and he took pains at the outset to make it clear that he would not veto the statehood bill, whatever its provisions.
 He then proceeded, as in Arizona, to give the people wholesome advice concerning the making of their con- stitution-advice founded on his own careful observation of affairs in the United States and on his own exper- fence as a profound constitutional lawyer. In this advice there was not the slightest hint of any desire to intimidate the people of the territories not the slightest hint of any desire to advise them otherwise than for their own good. The advice is so sound, and incidentally it so clearly shows MT. Tafts whole hearted in- terest in statehood and in the welfare of the territories, and so clearly dis proves the interpretations made in the two territories since he spoke in Phoenix, that we subjoin the re- marks he made at Albuquerque on the subject:
 50 it is as to statehood: you have got to select your own officials. You think that is easy and you do not like to have them selected by some body else, but perhaps the time will come when you will get some off cials selected by somebody that diff fers with you.