Arizona republican., 1910-12-27

 FOREDOOMED The Statement Of Governor
 Sloan Confirmed CONSTITUTION IS DEADLY
Return of Former Attorney General Clark, Who Says Congress Will Save Presi- dent Trouble of Turning Down the Constitution.

IT any confirmation had be, needed
 of the fate to which Arizona's aspira- tions to statehood under the present
 constitution is foredoOmed it is fur
 nished by former Attorney General
 Clark of Prescott. who has recently
 returned from Washington. where he
 had gone on business in the United
 States supreme court. However. Mir. Clark's statement joined to the earlier one of Governor Sloan will still not
 be convincing to the "knOw-alls" who
 believe congress and the president do not know what they are talking about and that ultimately the constitution will be approved.
 In an interview printed by the Journal Miner of Prescott on Sunday.
 MT. Clark said:
 The people of the east. and espe- cially of Washington. are taking a live ly interest in the constitutions adopted by Arizona and New Mexico. and much discussion is taking place. IL seems to be generally conceded that the con stitutiOn adopted by New Mexico will prove acceptable to congress and the president. and that there win be no de- lay in the admission of our sister ter ritoyy.
 Respecting Arizona, however. the opposition to its proposed constitution is general and deep-seated. It is nos partisan. for as many democrats as re- publicans are against it. From express sions I heard, it appears that even though the administration, including the president,A were democratic. the chances of approval would he no bet ter than they are now. Most of the opposition seems to be directed against the recall as applied to judges. al- though other features of the ccnstitu- tiOn are severely criticised.
 Many congressman recall the vali- ant fight made by Arizona delegations and individuals against joint statehood. and all Arizona visitors are now asked to explain the great contrast between the quality of Arizona's population as indicated by Its constitution. and the same thing as set forth in the convinq- ing assurances of our representatives during the joint statehood fight. The question is asked: What has become of the splendid citizenship of Arizona the thousands of sound, sensible. intel ligent and conservative people who were so eminently fitted for statehood? What has become of the great wisdom and sound statesmanship that was to distinguish your constitution if We would give Arizona an opportunity to secure single statehood? And in the face of these two constitutions, what has become of the vaunted superiority of your population over that of New Mexico?' And so on.
 "I talked with many public men in Washington. both in and out of con- gress. and found none. of either par ty. who believed we have a chance of statehood under the present constitu- tion And the chance of securing an other enabling act. for a long term of years at least, is too remote for con sideratiOn. Indeed. 1t seems that hos tility to the admission of Arizona upon any terms, is rapidly growing. and of course. this is chargeable to nothing but the constitution. In the opinion of the best-posted men in the capital. the adoption of this constitution by the people of Arizona leaves the possi- bility of statehood a hopeless wreck. That President Taft is unalterably op- posed to certain features of the consti- tuition is too well understood to need mention. and that he will disapprOve it if it ever reaches him. is unquestioned. However. he will probably be spared the trouble of recording his disapprov- al. as congress will attend to that. whether it be the present congress, or the next. or whatever congress it may be submitted to.
 However, there are many good friends of the territory in both parties. who find 1t difficult to believe that the constitution will ever be ratified at the polls They think is is incredible that our people will deliberately vote their approval of an instrument that will certainly deal death to their long cherished hopes of statehood, and place at Arizona's gates the yellow warnings of political quarantine. They prefer to believe that the better judge ment of our people will assert itself in the general expression at the polls. and that the constitution will be voted down Then when the present dele gates shall recOnvene. enlightened by the verdict of the people upon the ob jectionable features of the constitution, a few elminations. readily made. will render it acceptable in Washington and save statehood. But, of course, every enc recognizes that if the constitution be ratified here and is disapproved in