Arizona republican., 1910-08-28
Platform of MaricOpa County Republican
 Convention

The opportunity for separate state hood. for which we have SO long struggled, has been given us by a re- publican congress. We recognize with gratitude the loyal and earnest sup port given statehood by President Will liam H. Taft, who since his visit to the territory last fall, has been our most powerful advocate, and the faithful untiring and successful work of our delegate to congress, Hon. Ralph H. Cameron, and of Governor Richard E. sloan in securing statehood. We hearti- ly endorse both the national and terri torial administrations.
 We believe in making a constitution which shall be a credit to the high character. ability. courage and good judgment of the people of Arizona. Such constitution should, We believe, follow closely those lines of simplicity ard clearness of the national consti- tuition, and should illustrate that the people of Arizona have ben inspired by the highest ideals, moral courage and great common sense of Theodore Roosevelt.
 In making such a constitution we recognize clearly that to secure stabili- 1 ty and effectiveness it's provisions | should be confined to the structure or l fundamental functions of government and should not endeavor to work out 1 governmental details, which should i properly be left to the legislature of | the new state, and we, the republicans | of Maricopa. county, in convention as- sembled, hereby declare our unequivo-
 cal support to the following principles,
 and we do hereby pledge the nominees of this convention, if elected as dele gates to the constitutional convention,
 to earnestly and steadily advocate,
 support and vote for the incorporation
 of said principles into the constitution ! of the state of Arizona.
 We believe in the republican form of | government, guaranteed by the consti- ! tuition of the United States and to
 each state of the Union. and look with i disfavor upon all proposed eXperi-
 mental substitutes therefor. We hold 1 that extreme caution should be exer- cised in the introduction of any inno- | vation upon the time-honored and
 time- tested principles of representative ] democracy established by the fathers
 of the republic, and the wisdom. of
 which has been demonstrated by one l hundred and twenty three years of | beneficent operation; and that no in
 novation of doubtful or uncertain value
 to the people of the state ought to be | incorporated into the fundamental.
 Recognizing that the primary and
 esential purpose of the constitution I should be the safeguarding of the lib-
 critics of the people, we hold that 1t | should contain such limitations upon
 the legislative power of the state as experience has shown to be needed to protect the inalienable rights of the i individual citizen from hasty, oppres- ! sive or harmful legislation. Subject only to the constitution of the United i States and the recognition of those
 basic rights which the declaration of | independence declared to be the en- l dowment of all men, we favor the full retention by the state of it's legislative powers, with proper restrictions only
 upon the surrender. barter or giving away of any of it's rights of regulation | and control.
 | We declare in favor of direct pri-
 maries for the nomination of state
 and county officers and we favor the
 selection of United States senators by | popular vote.
 The power of taxation shall never l be suspended nor surrendered. All
 taxes should be uniform, and the
 constitution should provide a method of securing a comprehensive. just ! and effective system of taxation. No
 property should be exempt from tax ation excepting that belonging to the