Arizona republican., 1911-11-06
The Constitutional Convention

years her efforts to be admitted To
the union on an equal footing with
the older states resulted in nothing
but one bitter disappointment after
another. Delegate after delegate
who was sent to congress promised
TO secure statehood. and until 1910
they all failed. Delegations of pri-
Vate citizens went to Washington
at their own expense to urge Ari-
Zona'S claims to statehood, but all
they brought back was promises.
Every governors report transmitted
to the president carried strong
recommendation for the admittance
of Arizona. Presidents incorporated
similar recommendations i'm their
messages to congress and several
bills passed in one house or the
other, but for various reasons.
mainly political, they all failed Of
enactment.
Numerous arguments against
AriZona's admission were advanced
at Washington. The world at largo
knew little of the territory and
members Of congress supposed, as
great majority of the human race
supposed. that Arizona was mainly
trackless desert. containing a
small and unstable population. Ir-
responsible magazine and newspa-
per writers helped To foster this be
lief by eXaggerating the conditions
of early days and contending that
they still existed. years after Arr
IONA became the peaceful land il is
TO-DAY
Finally the people Of the terri
tory decided that if they drew up an
acceptable state constitution their
chances would be much better at
Washington. The legislature pass
ed the necessary law and delegates
to a constitutional convention were
elected from all the counties. In
September. 1901. the convention met
i'm Phoenix and drew up a funda-
mental law, which was submitted
To the voters December l of the
same year. 1t received popular APP
proval, carrying by a vote of 5.440
To 2.2S2. The proceedings cost the
territory 100000
\ statehood bill was Immediate
ly presented in congress. Ii passed
the house but was defeated in the
senate The same fate met a num-
Der of other bills. 1t came to be
a matter Of course for the Arizona
delegates To introduce a bill at each
session for the purpose Of admit
ting Arizona as a state. The great
majority died i'm committee.
Every territorial legislature, for
a number of years. memorialized
congress and asked for statehood.
The memorials received even less
attention than the recommendations
of the governors to the presidents.
a statehood convention" COM
posed of delegates from all counties.
met in Phoenix. October 90, 1901.
Strong resolutions were adopted
and n volunteer delegation of patri-
otto citizens went to Washington.
The Phoenix Board of Trade and
other commercial organizations sent
personal representatives, but all To
no effect.
In 1903. after another bill had
passed the house. a congressional
investigating committee mode
tour through Arizona to determine
its fitness for statehood. That COM
mittee was very favorably impress
ed and when its investigation was
finished the people though that
they saw the end Of their long
fight 1t is a matter of historical
record that nearly all the members
of that committee failed To live up
10 their promises, direct and i'm
piled
Upon the return of the commit
tee to Washington, certain senators
conceived the plan of linking Ari-
IONA and New Mexico together To
form one state A joint statehood
bill was framed and Immediately
storm of protest shook Arizona.
kilograms by the thousands, pro-
testing against the contamination
of the "unholy alliance" were sent
to Washington. Messages poured
in upon the president and men,
bers of congress, asking that the
bill not be made a law. 1t was at
once evident. even to the most
casual observer. that the people of
Arizona were unalterably opposed
to iointure. Arizona wished to en-
ter the union as one state, not as
part of a state. New MeXicans
viewed the bill with more favor.
since it fixed the capital of the
nroDosed state at Santa Fe As
they outnumbered the AriZonans,
they knew that even with jointure
the reins of government would re-
main in their hands.
In the house the bill was passed.
II was defeated in the senate by
narrow margin, due to the strenu-
Gus protests of Arizonans. Friends
of the measure Immediately an
nounced that they would bring it
up at the next session and make
more determined fight to have it
enacted into law.
In his annual report to the presi-
dent for 1905, Governor Kibbey
wrote:
The defeat of the bill enabling
New Mexico and Arizona TO Jointly
form a state constitution and pro-
viding for their ultimate admission
TO the union as one state, was re-
,eived by the people of the terri
tory with universal qualification.
The small margin by which the
lefeat was effected in the senate
and the prompt avowal by the