Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-02-06

ment in the making of a fundamental
| law was disastrous enough. The Ari-
IONA convention outdid oklahoma.
"Tne draft contains most Of the
things which make a sane mind shiver.
among the initiative, referendum and
recall. 1t goes 50 far i'm the direction
Of the amorphous control of the three
branches OF that state government as
to extend the principle OF the recall to
the judiciary itself. No more PERM
cious. no more destructive doctrine was
ever propounded. To apply the recall
TO judges on the bench is 10 hold the
bludgeon Of momentary popular
prejudice or passion over the decisions
of the bench and to make Z ajority
vote at the polls the ultimate tribunal
OF appeal. This has been well charac-
terized ~ Mr.. Charles p. Tafts Times
( star Of Cincinnati as "A proposal to in
corporate lynch law in state Constitu-
ton
We are not informed as to the pros
peCt OF ratification next Thursday. but
can imagine the local temptation to
hasten the arrival Of statehood even at
the cost OF a tremendous initial mis-
take. Better a hundred times, to wait
a little and start the new state on
American principles.
Fortunately the vote at the polls
next week viii not say the last word
as 10 ArizOna's future. BY the state
hood act the veto of a foolish or
dangerous constitution tests both with
the president of the United States and
ha
president approve said constitution
the act reads. or if the president ap-
proves and congress fails TO disapprove
the same the process goes on to con-
summation. Thus the disapproval of
the president. without regard To- action
by congress. may prevent an irrepar-
able public misfortune
What President Taft thinks Of the
Oklahoma style of constitution is al
ready known to the people Of Arizona.
When there. in October. 1903. he
warned them against doing that which
this deplorable convention, inflamed
with EXTREMIST and most violent no.
tons of Organism. Bryanite populism
and socialism, has now accomplished
and thrust upon the people for yes
or a no Mr.. Taft besought the peo-
pie Of the territory to consider ma
turely the instrument of their state
hood"
AT the territorial capitol in Phoe-
nix he said on October 13, 1909: If by
"A caution | can restrain the desire of
those who are most full of the idea OF
having limitations on government from
making the constitution other than a
M Ia mn tai 10 tr-ffh cir Of
Limitation; if / can halt and induce the
people of this state to take time and
deliberate over the instrument that is
TO follow them so long in the history
Of their state, shall not have let the
day go. without profit
Two days later, at Albuquerque, in
New Mexico. the president continued
his good advice to the people of the
two territories: You want to trust
your legislature. and you ought to fol-
low the model OF the constitutions OF
some of the other states, which have
also modelled after the constitution of
the United States. An amendment to
the constitution is a difficult thing. as
we are finding out now in attempting
TO amend the federal constitution, and
50 YOU will find it i'm the state consti-
tutions Therefore put there only gen
eral principles, and don't attempt to
legislate every fad OF every man who
is voluble and gets into your consti-
tutional convention.
II say this with great deal of
fervOr. not as a partisan. not as a re-
publican or a democrat. but in the in
terest of your state. whether you vote |
the republican or the democratic ticket |
| want, If we are responsible for your
coming into the Union, as | ann willing |
to be, and as the republican party is !
willing TO be. that you should justify |
the admission by making yourselves a |
but at the same time con-
community
What must President Taft think of |
the proposal to build a state on the |
principle of the recall of judges when |
the judges, in the exercise of their in |
dependent function, chance to run |
to a prevailing sentiment? |
What must be his opinion of a funda- |
mental law with provision so alb
horrent2r