Arizona republican., 1909-10-04
HITCHCOCK
STATEHOOD
Postmaster General Predicts
Admission Next Session
A GUEST OF FLAGSTAFF
Bear and Deer Hunt Be-
ginning Today Will Be
Followed By a Tour of
Southern Towns From
Globe to Yuma

| Flagstaff, AriZ., Oct. 3.-(Special)-
Postmaster General Hitchcock arrived
in Flagstaff this morning. the guest of
Hen. Ralph Cameron. He accepted an
| invitation to visit the cliff dwellings
and was accompanied on the trip
through the prehistoric ruins by Mr.
Cameron, Hoval A. Smith and 7. E.
Pollock of the Arizona Central bank
The cliff dwellings proved of great in
terest to Mr. Hitchcock and the party
wandered among the ruins until late
in the afternoon.
MIR. Hitchcock, by his charm of
personality, won the admiration of all
who met him today. He visited the
local post office this forenoon and
stated that he never visits a city or
town that he does not visit its post
office. A reception was rendered him
this evening in the sun parlor of the
Weatherford hotel. After every one
present had been presented to him,
Delegate Cameron called upon him for
a few remarks.
Although the invitation was wholly
unexpected, Mr.. Hitchcock made a
short address, which was exceedingly
well received. He said in part:
Ladies and Gentlemen: Although
this is a surprise to me. / am greatly
pleased to have the privilege of ad-
dressing few remarks to this COM
pany of Flagstaff people. l appreciate
the courtesy you have shown me in
coming here this evening to greet me.
The day which | have just spent with
you has. indeed. been a pleasant one.
and were it not for plans which are
already definitely fixed 1 should re-
main longer.
Il have been in the west a number
of times. and / seem to be uncon-
sciously acquiring some western ways,
for in Washington l am sometimes
asked what part of the west l am
from, l have just visited your Grand
Canyon and consider that great chasm
one of the greatest sights in the world.
This afternoon 1 visited the cliff
dwellings. and it is my opinion that
in these ruins you have a natural mu-
scum of very great interest.
LAS many of you already know,
have been committed for a long time
on a question that vitally concerns
you. statehood for Arizona and New
Mexico-I mean separate statehood. of
course There has been some criti-
cism on account of statehood not hav-
ing been granted at the lase session of
congress, but if you could know the
conditions as do we who were in
Washington at that time, l think you
would say we did wisely in not press
ing the matter.
Il firmly believe we shall be re-
warded for our wisdom in not doing
so by securing statehood at the
next session. President Taft is for
statehood. He stands flatly upon the
platform of his party and believes in
the party carrying out its pledges. He
has frequently committed himself on
statehood, in the presence of Mr.. Cam
eron and myself. and / have the
strongest reason to believe that he will
urge statehood very strongly at the
next session of congress.
And now a word about your dele
gate to congress. Mr.. Cameron came
to Washington a stranger. and like all
newcomers was handicapped on ac-
counts of a very limited acquaintance.
but he has progressed as rapidly as
any member / have known in my ex-
perience. He has a candid, straight
forward way of presenting questions
that makes him friends and often
hear him spoken of in most favorable
terms among the most influential rep
resentatives in Washington. Flagstaff
may we'll be proud that it is the home
of Arizona's delegate, and Arizona
should also be proud that she has such
an able representative in Washington
working for her interests. 2
Il have been delighted with my