The copper era., 1910-12-30
DEMOCRATIC LEADER
 HURLS DEFIANCE
 AT THE GOVERNOR
In First Authorized Interview Pres ident Hunt Announces Party COurse--NO Committee Will Be-Sent to Washington to As- certain Sentiment.

if there would De any Cndnge ln LHe program:
 NO CHANGE IN PROGRAM.
 ssNone whatever" said MT. Hunt in reply. i've are going ahead on the path on which our feet are set. to secure the ratification of the best constitution that has ever been dra ft- ed by any state-a constitution whict embodies the progressive ideas O modern government which our cor stituents instructed us to .incorpor- ate.
 REcoNvEN1NG IS FOLLY.
 --"AIl talk of recouvening and re writing the document is folly Does the governor believe that the dele gates pledged bv the platforms on which they were elected would stul- tifv themselves by now eliminating the initiative, the referendum and the recall, as the governor suggests must he done? Tn the event that the convention were to strike out these provisions and leave the organic lav practically uuamendable at the hands of the people directly. we would again be confronted with the ques- tion as to whether the people would ratifv such a constitution at the polls. y
 Mir. Hunt was asked whether he had any idea the present document woul6 be accepted at Washington:
 LARGE MAJORITY DESIRED
 eff the coustitutsnn is ratified hv 2 large mai jority-and we expect not less than 80 per cent of the electors to vote for it's ratifcation-T am con fdent that it will be approved ny the president and by congress, the gov ernor notwithstanding. This warn ing of disapproval is the some old crv-and we expect to hear it again that we heard during the cam paign for the election of delegates: it is the same cry that we heard dur inp the progress ot the convention, to the effect that if we do not accept the kind of a constitution that is dictated to us by certain standpat gentlemen, that we cannot have statehood. The present constitution is being opposed by the same reac tionary forces that during the cam paign opposed the principle of the in itiative, referendum and recall, and for the same selfish reasons. .Thc peo pie of Arizona are not concerned with pulling the political chestnuts of the governor of Arizona out of the fire, nor in delivering for him any goods he may have promised the standpat machine, which has beer repudiated by the people,"
 Mr. Hunts attention was called to the fact that the governor found many constitutional lawyers who be- lieve those provisions referred to are not constitutional, and that the res ident might disapprove the constitu tion for that reason.
 WHAT THE PRESIDENT WILL DO.
 Said Mr. Hunt: 'I do not believe that the president will attempt t. anticipate the decision of the su- preme court as to the constitution ality of the initiative and referen dun, by disappearing it on that grouui. and thereby acting for one of the coordinate branches of the government which has that question under consideration. If that cour' declares the provisions unconstitu tional within the next two year such provisions will be void nefor they could b. operative in the new state anyway; or if the court d. clare them constitutional the president by disapproving this constitution on tn, grounds stated would have placed himself in the position of having de nied Arizona admission because they dema nded what were their rights un der the federal constitution. And finally, the constitution is easll, amendable, and the people then selves can aud will eliminate any thing that they find is not workin; well. Therefor can see no reasoi why the president should hesitate t sign the constitution because it cor tairs the provisions to which Gov ernor Sloan and others are opposed
 Asked whether the governors sus gestion to seuG delegation to Wash ington to ascertain the sent;meu