Arizona republican., 1910-08-18
Lest We Eoruet.

AItef all IS said ana done; after the present campaign is over; after the constitution has been framed by the constitutional convention; after the constitution has been ratified by the people at the polls-the question still remaining will be:
 Shall we have statehood?
 The constitution must be submit ted to the president and the congress of the United States for their ap- proval or disapproval.
 If the constitution be disapproved, Arizona will remain a territory.
 It will remain a territory indefi- nitely-certainly for years.
 There is no probability that a con- stitution spotted with the doctrines of socialism would be approved at Washington.
 William H. Taft, president of the United States, is not a socialist. The republican leaders in congress are not socialists.
 The initiative" the referendum" and the 'recalI' are the cardinal features of the socialist creed.
 With these doctrines imbedded in the constitution of a state, that state no longer has a government founded democracy, but it has a government founded on the doctrines of socialism.
 constitution in such a state is farce. Not a single constitutional provision is worth the paper it is printed on, for it has no force as against a law enacted by direct leg islation
 It would be far more logical, far more sensible, for the advocates of these doctrines of socialism in Ari- zona to frankly say that they do not propose to have a constitution, be- yond the constitutional provision that the initiative" the referendum" and the recall" are authorized, for every other provision becomes mere surplus age.
 It would be far more logical and more sensible to go to the root of the matter at once and say: We know that we cannot get statehood under the flag of socialism. We know that the inclusion of these distin- gushing features of socialism in the constitution of Arizona will defeat statehood, for we know that the president and the congress will never assent to our abolition of the repre- sentative form of government We know that there is a large element in congress which reluctantly assented to the passage of the statehood bill. We know that this element will be more than glad to avail itself of any excuse to defeat statehood for Ari- zona finally. We know that to send with socialism would not only give this element the excuse it is looking for, but the whole east would de- mand the rejection of our -constitu- tion. But we care nothing about that; the truth is, we do not really want statehood unless we can erect here a commonwealth under the banner of socialism,. What we want most of all is to show the people of the United States that the socialists have cap tured Arizona. We are quite content that statehood shall go overheard"
 This would be an honest and manly stand for the apostles of these social ist doctrines to take.
 Why not take this stand, and let the issue nakedIy stand forth, as itI already stands forth in the mind of every thinking citizen?
 Thus on the one hand we vote for statehood and the American form of government, or on the other hand we vote against statehood. for the destruction of the American system. and for boost for socialism through out the United States.