Arizona republican., 1910-12-21
A Very Practical Question.

The eleven cOmmandments-the ten commandments of the old Testament and the additional commandment en- bodying the golden rule. enunciated by our Saviour-might make an ex- celent constitution for the state of Arizona. But praise of the eleven commandments offers no practical so- hutton of the difficulty which con fronts Arizona.
 The constitution formulated by the late convention may be the most won derfuny perfect constitution ever de- vised-but it won't bring statehood Therefore. praise of the constitution has nothing to do with the question of statehood.
 If Arizona is to achieve statehood, the pending constitution must be voted down.
 If the people of Arizona don't want statehood. but wish merely to regis ter their approval of this constitu lion, they should vote for its ratifi- cation.
 If, on the other hand. they want statehood, they will have to reject this constitution Rejection would be followed, under the terms of the en- abling act, by the immediate reas sembling of the delegates who framed the pending constitution.
 Whether the delegates would pro- duce a constitution in a second con vention that would be more accept able at Washington is of course. an unsettled question. But we cannot fully agree with the gloomy view taken by our esteemed neighbor, the Arizona Democrat, that the delegates, if again called together. would turn out constitution no more acceptable  10 Washington than their first effort.
 It is an openly known fact that the constitution that were contrary toI their own ideas, but they voted for them because they felt in honor bound to carry out the instructions from their home counties A rejec- ton of the constitution at the polls would. of course. release these dele gates from the hastily and thought lessly formulated instructions Of last summers conventions, which bound them hand and foot in the constitu- tional convention. We believe that a sufficient number of these delegates would recede from the position they took in the late convention and join in framing constitution that would pass muster at Washington.
 We nave no uouOl lHdl many citizens of Arizona who prefer to stand for the pending constitution or nothing. Unless the territory can be admitted under this constitution, l they prefer to wait indefinitely for 1 statehood.
 For citizens of this class one can have the utmost respect.
 But there can be no respect for | demagogues who are for this consti- tuition because they know it is popu- lar. and for no other reason-dema- gogues who have no fixed convictions on any subject, and for temporary | gain or popularity are so dishonest as to claim that the pending constitution will bring statehood.
 Until the election of February 9. these demsgogues will continue to praise the constitution extravagantly. and will continue insisting that the president will approve it. They are not giving thought now to the venge snce which will be visited upon them when their deluded followers find that they are false prophets. To them it is a case of sufficient unto the day |. is the evil thereof" They expect, when the day of disaster comes, that they will be able somehow to wrigglel out of their embarrassment
 But meanwhile. il is up to" the people of Arizona to decide whether