Bisbee daily review., 1910-12-24
THE pEooPiE
 MUST DECIDE.

We believe that the people oi ATT >sna want to see the territory admit ted as a state, that Is what our peo-
 ple have been saying for the last quarter of a century, whether all of them meant it or not; we believe that a large majority of both the democrats and republicans in the territory will vote '.yes" or mo" on the ratification of the constitution with more regard for the success of statehood than from the standpoint of approving or disapproving what is contained in that document. During the laet few days the question as to what effect the vote on the constitu ton will have on our chances Tor early admission into the Union has become more vital because of the opinson of Governor Sloan, who re- turned last week from Washington where he had conferred with Presi- dent Taft, members of his cabinet and senators and congressman con cerning statehood and the Arizona constitution. Governor Sloan states with much sincerity that the Arizona constitution has no chance of approv- a, in Washington. Governor Sloan is a man who would not make such statement as that unless he believed what had been told him confirmed it as a fact beyond question. If this opin}on Is correct then the ratifica- ton of the constitution by the peo- pie ends the possibility of statehood under the present enabling act
 This paper has believed from the very first day it was proposed in the convention to apply the recall to the judiciary that it was dangerous to eur statehood hopes, this belief was made stronger by the telegram sent to the convention by Senator Bailey advising that no "debatable" provision he included fn the constitution. Mean Ing the initiative, referendum and re- caIl on which hls advice had been asked. The opinion of Governor Sloan, coming direct from Washing ton Is in accord with what we have contended all along.
 It has been suggested by the Ari- zona Republican that 1t would be well to send a delegation of members of the late constitutional convention to Washington to interview President Taft and members of congress re- gard probable action on Arizona's constitution when it reaches Wash ineton. The Republican names three distinguished democrats for sach a deIegation-Hon. John P. Orme of Maricopa county; Hon. Morris Gold water of Yayapai county and Hon. ". T. Webb of Graha mcounty. We te- lieve this suggestion good enc, as a means of finding cut whether Gov erncr Sloan has correctly estimated the Washington sentiment. If vis't hy such a de'-gation should confirm the opinion of the governor. then, of course. the sensible thing to do vOuId be to vote down the present constitution and let the convention re convene under the provision of the statehood bill and eliminate the ob- jectionable features and thereby
 make statehood certain under the present enabling act without taking chances on securing the passage Of aAOther stdtenoOd p't' Whicn mlgnl nst be possible for years and years.
 Such action would nut be an ex- yression either for or against the in Stiative, referendum and recall. but an >upression of a desire for statehood e a means of securing the right of self government in the future. Once Arizona is admitted it will be the pfivilege of our people to add to and take from the constitution e the public sesire may order.
 Whatever may have been the hasty