The Arizona sentinel., 1910-12-29
An Outside Opinion Of the
 Constitution
[San Diego Union

It appears rather strange that Arizona and New Mexico, after waiting so long and so inpatient ly for statehood, should bungle so badly the necessary prelimi- nary of framing constutions.
 One would suppose that these two territories would have been content to adopt as organic law some one of the many state con stitutions that have been tried and found to work we'll, or tEe territories might have selected the best features of several of such instruments. The main object of Arizona and New Mex
 ico now is to become states as soon as possible and to enter the union as auspiciously as possi- ble. Later if it is desired to try doubtful constitutional expert ments, there will be ammple Op- portunity. A territory may be kept out of the union indefinite ly, but there appears to be no way of kicking out state once it has been created, no matter to what lengths of folly it may go.
 New Mexico, it is tree, suns no apparent risk of being reject e1 because of it's constitution. That instrument is characterized by one of its friends as "a sin galarly moderate and sensible fundamental law, which is sur prislngiy lacking in all those new. tngled notions and frothy fustian that might reasonably be expected from older communities 1 like Kansas, if that common
 wealth were set the task today of framing @ constitution" @
 It omits the initiative, and only provides that limited employ ment of the referendum, that is provided i'll most state constita- tionS. On the other hand there arc hastile critics who assert that the New Mexico constitu
 tional convention had as presid- ing officer a railway attorney, and that the constitution was framed exactly as the large cor porations wished. If thls charge be true, even in part, New Mex ico will not have a very auspi- cious entry into the union. It is possible, however, that absence of constitutional provisions that are actually hostile to railways and other corporations, is one of the chief causes of the criticism. For it is an unpleasant truth that there are today many men who regard as outrageous any measure that contemplates fair dealings with corporations.
 
 But with Arizona just the con- trary course has been taken. The Phoenix convention, domi- mated by democrats of the most radical sort, framed a constitu- ton that contains about every provision that 8 crank could suggest. Initiative and refer endum and recall through 5 and 10 per cent petitions, even the judiciary being subject to recall, are perhaps the most objection able. However, there is no oc- casion for going into details of the astonishing product of that convention. The question now is, will Arizona ratify that con- stitution and take the risk of being refused admission to the union? Governor Sloan declares positively that that congress and the president will decline to ap- prove the work of the Phoenix garden of zoological freaks, and he is voted as saying that the initiative, referendum and recall will not pass muster. The only hope for statehood is by rejection of the constitution by the voters of Arizona and the construction of a new document by the reassem bled convention. ! Governor Sloan was in Washing
 ton when he made the assertion. But will his advice be followed?
 Judging from the rampat rad
 realism that ruthles8ly ruled Gho the Phoenix convention, one might suppose that the temper of the Arizona reformers would