Bisbee daily review., 1909-10-09
K|BBEy Is DEFENDED ON
 HIS RECORD
Attempt of Organization"
 Newspapers to Lay Blame for Failure of Statehood On
 His Shoulders Is Repudiated

His Shoulders Is Repudiated
 The attempt of the organization papers in southern Ar.zona, and espeo tally in Cochise county, to diseredit ex-Governor Kibbey. and to lay the | blame fol the statehood bill at ttt i , last session of congress on his should l CTS, has raised storm of protest il republican circles in other parts 0. the territory and especially in Phoenix where the statehood record of Gov ernor Kibbey is matter of history
 It remained for the organization newspapers to raise the question of kibbey's loyalty and sincerity with i reference to immediate statehood for Arizona Even his bitterest political enemies never questioned the ex-Gov. I ernor's efforts to secure the admission of this territory into the sisterhood Of states. That Governor Kibbey was il earnest was made manifest when he joined with the territorial democratic chairman four years ago and called tho republican territorial convention to meet at the same time and place with the democrats for the purpose of ad- lopting a resolution protesting against joint statehood and every report sent Washington since that time has con tained a vigorous clause urging upon congress the justness of Ar:zonG's claims
 of the failure to secure statehood at the last session of congress upon Gov ernor Kbbey liiks like an attempt Cr the part of the Cameron-Smith-Ov Over lock organization" crowd, who were so vociferous in their statehood claims last November. to get from under.
 The Phoenix Republican, comment ing on the criticism hurled at Govern or Kibbey, says: ..
 The Douglas Dispatch, in discuss ing the future of statehood, makes the remarkable assertion that the Q law at the short session Of last winter if Governor Kibbey had properly looked after the measure. The distortion and coloring of ! news is only too common. and is wholly inexcusable in any paper. The distortion of important history is worse-and 3e statehood history of Arizona is important. The impI- cation that Governor Kibbey in any manner neglected the statehood bill last winter, or at any time, is un- just, and without excuse, for what he did is a matter of common knowl- edge.
 The governor made two trips to l Washington last winter, for the sole purpose of looking after the state hood bill With the chairman of the house committee, in December, he went oyer the proposed bill, section by section, and the bill as passed by the house was very largely the bill he had urged upon the commit tee Whether a bill satisfactory to | the committee, and to Arizona as well, would have been passed by the house last winter had Governor Kib- bey not interested himself is, of course, 9 speculative question
 When the bill was under cons:d- eration by the senate leaders, the governor again visited Washington and urged upon them the advisa- bility of favorable action at that session. His emphatic stand in ia vor of immediate action was taken in conference with senators who had before them his renomination as governor; and in as much as some of them were hostile to state hood at that session, it is a safe guess that he injured his chances of confirmation by boldly taking issue with them on the statehood question
 It is a further fact of history that during neither of his visits to Wash ington did Governor Kibbey make the slightest effort to secure the confirmation of his nomination to Dc governOr-either with senators, or through the president; he devoc ed his energies and attention solely to the statehood bill. It is also a fact that wbile he was unselfshly working for the interests of Arizona, and without regard to his personal interests, the democratic press of the territory, and not few polite fans, were doing their utmost to dis credit him with senators.
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