Arizona republican., 1909-12-21
The Terms of the Bill.

representatives very shortly, seems to 'le people of t'.e TIT .ory. We have heard of objection from nobody. The bill in fact follows so closely the language of the various bills which have been reported in congress here tofore that it contains few features that are new; hence there has been no occasion for objection. And in truth the people are far more inter- ested in the apparent certainty of statehood itself than they are in the terms of the enabling act.
 The one important departure in the pending bill from former measures is the provision for an election on the constitution separately from the cleo ton of state officers. The people are to say first whether the product of the constitutional convention suits them, and if they approve the constl- tuition. the election of state officers will follow shortly thereafter.
 Assuming that the bill will become a law before midsummer, Arizona will become a state about Christmas of next year.
 The election for ratification or re- lection of the constitution will be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November next-No- Vember s. 1910. On the third Mon day after the election (November 2s. I9lO.) the governor, the chief justice. and the secretary of the territory will meet as a canvassing board and can vass the returns of the constitutional election Upon finding that ma jority of the legal votes cast were for the constitution, the canvassing board will certify the fact 10 the president of the United States The canvassing should be completed in one day. of course. and on the 2sth of November the certificate will be forwarded to Washington. The presi-
 
 dent should receive it December D.. Within twenty days after the receipt of the papers from the canvassing board the president, if he finds that the provisions of the enabling act have been complied with, must issue his proclamation announcing the re-
 hx- pf and thereupon the proposed state of Arizona shall be deemed admitted by congress into the union under and bv virtue of this act on an equal footing with the original states" The twenty days would De up on Christ mas
 Under the provisions of the bill it will. however, be a state without elected state officers and without United States senators. These come a short time later. That is, the con- stitutional convention itself must pro- vide for "an election of officers for a full state government, including a governor members of the legislature. one representative in congress, and such county and other officers" as the constitution shall prescribe, to be held not less than ninety nor more than one hundred and twenty days after the election for ratification or rejection of the constitution. If the state election be held ninety days the nearest Tuesday after February s, 1911, presumably. In the interim between the constitutional election of next November and the state election in February. the territorial officers and the delegate to congress will con tinue to serve.
 The bill seems to be silent as to whether the present county officers will hold over It may become neces- sary to legally construe the meaning of territorial" officers. In the Ian- guage of che bill. until said state is eAhihANNth iiito kht oiAN seRA4 officers" (governdr. congressman. coun- ty and state officers) "are elected and qualified under the provisions of the constitution, the territorial of ficers of said territory. including del egate to congress, elected at the gen. eral election in 1908 shall continue to discharge the duties of their re- spective officers in said territory"
 At any rate, if there be any am biguity in the bin it can be cured before final passage; and if it is not, the constitutional convention will of course provide for the county of ficers to hold over.
 One thing is clear, and that is that there will be no general election in the territory next November. except on the single question of the adop- tion or rejection of the constitution and on such other questions as may