The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-06-18
ULTIMATELY REPUBLICAN,

1t really looks as if Congress is be
ing coerced into passing the Statehood
bills for Arizona and New Mexico. Ii
has been the understanding all along
that these Territories would not be ad
mitted until after the next Presidential
election, so as 10 avoid the force of
their probable six Democratic votes in
the electoral college. President Taft,
however, is all at once taking very
seriously the pledges in the Republi-
can platform, one of which was these
admissions. 1t is little late for him
to show this Importantly and stress,
but still he seems to be thorough.
ly awake and insistent upon the pass
age of these bills, and this insistence
has walked up the Senate. The House
some time ago passed 4 bill for the ad
mission of these two Territories as
States. The House bill on its receipt
In the Senate, WAS sent to the Senate
committee on Territories, of which Mr.
Beveridge is chairman. That commit
tee showed every indication of listless-
ness towards this bill, and the likeli-
this session was not promising. How
ever, President Taft's insistence has
brought it forward, and the Senate on
Thursday passed its own bill for the
admission of these two Territories as
States. Some Of the Senators preferred
the House bill. but the majority of the
Senate preferred its own measure,
Mr.. Beveridge pointed out differ
cnces between the two bills, and con-
tended that the Senate wording on the
subject Of polygamy would be more eff
ficacious than the wording in the House
bill. On this point, however, all mem
bers of both the Senate and the House
may be entirely reassured. No word
ing that can be put in the bill will
break up polygamy in Arizona as long
as the Mormon church ,upholds that
"loathsome practice" 1t will prevail
in Arizona as long as the church
fosters, sustains, and extends polygamy.
the same as in Utah. No prosecuting
official of the courts will dare to make
himself active in prosecuting that
crime there, as none does here. No
judge will dare TO be jealous in under
taking to break up the polygamous
nests. or to forestall the formation of
future polygamous nests. Such court
officials or such Judges would be
marked for retirement if they engaged
in such religious persecution. The
Mormon voters would demand other
nominees and their demand would be
complied with in their respective
parties If Senator Beveridge or any
of the other Senators desires polygamy
to be broken up in Arizona. they will
have TO postpone the admission of that
Territory to Statehood, and set the
Federal officials at work to extirpate
that practice while Arizona is yet in
the Territorial condition.
With respect to the political com
plexion Of the State, Apostle. Senator
Smoot gave an assurance that will prob
ably be Quieting to the Republican
members, when be stated that nuIti.
mately Arizona would be Republican. ;,
That means, of course, that he and the
other authorities of the Mormon church
will see to it that their brethren down
there vote the Republican ticket: and
inasmuch as the general authorities of
the Mormon church have complete con.
troll over the votes of the members of
that church, in Arizona as well as in
Utah, Apostle Smoot S assurances ought
TO pass at par value. There is no like.
lihood of Arizona remaining in the
Democratic column very long after the
church assures that it will be "ulti.
mately Republican,
But what about the Arizona strip7
The Utah public has been assured
heretofore, as from Apostle Smoot, that
before consenting to the admission of
Arizona TO Statehood, he would insist
upon the annexation to Utah cf that
portion Of Arizona Territory which lies
north of the Colorado river. This would
give to Utah the Kaibab plateau, which
is now 4 SORT Of no-man's land, inac.
cessIble to Arizona but easy of access
from Utah, which has no Jurisdiction
in that region. That strip ought to
come to. Utah, and Apostle Smoot should