Bisbee daily review., 1911-01-17
MARK SMITH WOULD GO
 SLOW
Former Delegate Thinks That Endorsement of the Organic Law at Polls Should Depend Entirely Upon the Attitude of Taft Toward it

PHOENIX, Jan. Special )-
 The following letter from Mark A. Smith contains some ideas on our constitutional contest that VII be read with interest While the letter was not written for publication, yet we asked and secured his approval to use it as we deemed best:
 Tucson, January 10. 1911. J. O. Dunbar, Phoenix, Ariz.
 Dear John-It looks to me like the constitution will be overwhelm- ingly adopted and it ought to be So adopted, unless the pres dent, as he is in moral duty bound, shall authoratively state to the people his purpose to disapproye the constitu- ton in it's present form and in such statement specify the exact @ provis- ions to which he objects.
 ! If he will specify the provisions that will surely meet his disapproval and cause him to nullify the whole constitution, and will approve the constitution and thus secure states hood, when such provisions are ex- ciuded, then the people can vote with intelligent certainty as to re suits In the absence of such speci- fc knowledge, but one course is left any man, and that is to support the constitution at the February cleo ton.
 If the president shall fail or re- fuse to thus frankly state his posi- ton, we are justified in assuming that he will approve it just at is it. Every sincere friends of statehood must feel alike on this question.
 We face a fateful problem. We can make any const tuition we please when we are a free state. We can do nothing until we are free. l would eliminate any clause in the constitution, if by so doing we would 1 get early statehood; for well know, fir the majority want that clause re- stored after statehood, the majority iwiIl put it back and should put it back. We can't get statehood by ourselves. but when we get 1t we Ican control cur state to suit our lselves.
 "If the presoent faiis 10 exhibit the frankness early suggested in this letter, then there can be no ques- ton of our duty. There is nothing l in the present constitution to scare i any body away from it's support. i The initiative and referendum are now before the supreme court in a case testing the constitutionaIlty of that principle If it shall be declared constitutional, then the people have a right to invoke it and use it. If, however, it shall be declared unconstitutional, it can do Jus no good or harm for it then | becomes a dead letter. The recall
 s unquestionably constitutional and ho president can decently object to any people exercising a constitution al right, no matter how much such exercise might contravene his judg- Inent or opinions. Mir Taft will think a mighty long time in the light of present public opinion be- fore he will veto our constitution, where our RIGHT to act as we did act, is conceded by all.
 | I have been afraid that he might disapproye the constitution on ac- count of the recall of judges, but l have never been afraid of it's op- eration in Arizona and, until the pres dent tells us authoratively that he WILL disapproye the censtitu- ton on that ground, l will adhere to my present belief that he VI
 NOT so disapprove it. Unless he plainly speaks to us to the contrary. Neither will he anticipate the decis- ion of the supreme court on the initiative and referendum and disap. prove on that ground
 Tn the light of these facts, and in the silence surrounding the pres ident, why should we turn down a constitution and reassemble the con ventiOn to have it acting as much in the dark as we find ourselves now acting The political atmos. phere every where is saturated with the initiative. referendum ani re call The president Is a candidate He breathes the air we are talking about. The earth is rumbling and his ear is at the ground.
 T take Sloan's statement cum gTano sails He does not bind, no,
 pretend to bind the nresident in hi.