The copper era., 1910-12-16

l AAS "ANA bhO V OpAhlOnO O1 d hd of the voters''? On thls point Presi- dent Taft said recently:
 ''Nothing IS so important to the preservation of our country and its beloved institutions as the mainten- ance of the independence of the judiciary"
 Evidently the question of endanger- ing statehood for Arizona was up- permost in the minds of Hon. W. T. Webb, of Graham county and Hon. Lamar Cobb, of Graham county, as evidenced by the following tele- graphic correspondence which passed between these gentlemen and Hon. Jos. Bailey, senator from Texas:
 Phoenix, Arizona.
 Hon. Joseph W. Bailey, Gainesville, Texas:
 Unconstitutional convention has adopted initiative and referendum. Has proposition to insert recall ap- plicable to all officials, including l judiciary. Would these provisions, in your opinion, endanger approval of constitution by president and con. gress? Will treat answer as conf dential for democrats or for publica- tion as you indicate. Signed, w. T. Webb, Lamar Cobb, democratic mem- bers."
 "Washington, D. C., Dec. g.
 "Hon. w. T. Webb or Hon. Lamar Cobb, Phoenix, Ariz:
 "Your telegram to Gainesville for warded here. The provisions you specify are apt to provoke opposition of the president and might invite the disa pproval of congress. 1 am sin cerely anxious to see Arizona ad- mitted to the Union and I advise your friends there to adopt a constitution free from all debatable provisions so as to secure statehood without delay. After becoming state the people of Arizona can then adopt such amend ments to her constitution as her peo pie desire without consulting any, body or mourning the risk of being kept in a territorial condition Signed. J. w. Bailey"
 The above was the advice of a democrat of national distinction to his democratic friends in Arizona. The constitutional convention was face to face with a condition not a theory. The recall provision had not been made an issue in the late campaign. It was only mentioned in two or three county platforms. When the delegates still insisted upon the provision being inserted in the con stitution great majority of the newspapers of Arizona pointed out the danger signal to statehood writ ten on the wall. WHY SHOULD THE DELEGATES HAVE INSISTED UPON ENDANGERING STATEHOOD FOR ARI- IONA AT THE LAST MINUTE?
 In the event that statehood is not secured, by disapproval at Washing ton, the recall will have gone glimmer- ing. The delegates should have borne in mind that with the disap- proval of our constitution at Wash lngton telling blow will have been delivered to our hopes for statehood at this time. The long fight will have to be made over again. It was a time for conservative thought and action, not radicalism. The dele gates to the constitutional conven- tion could we'll have forgone the pleasure @ of the recall until our first legislature met, or an amend ment to our constitution could have been adopted. There was no sense in shaking red flag at congress and the President at the last minute, thereby endangering statehood for Arizona, and this is what has been done. The same conditions, which confronted the delegates, now con fronts the voters of Arizona. They are the final tribunal to say whether or not Arizona's chances for state hood shall be endangered. The last ing thought should always be borne in mind that if there is a demand for therecall or any other socalled radical provision by the people of Arizona, no power on earth can keep it from | us once we are a soverign state Would it not be an act of wisdom and discretion in an hour of peril 10 our lifetime hopes to revise the document at home and eliminate the questionable provisions before we submit the constitution to Washing ton? There is great danger of the de- feat of the constitution in it's present shape. We believe the chances are overwhelmingly against it. Notwith- standing the injustice of the state hood bill we must deal with the Presi- dent at Washington. If we were in a lonely pasture with an infuriated bull