Graham guardian., 1911-02-17
AqEs OF LE0si. ,,s,snTisin;.
FEBRUARY II. 1911.
THE RESULT

nc pcOp'e VI al 'hN'o hoNN w
cared their independence of the
cGt0ratc m,crcsts that have con.
trol.ed It's p,iit;cs md legislation fol-
years, by an overwhelming vote In
favor oil q progressive constitution
The large vote cast N ratification oi
the constitution is proof positive
that the people of Arizona know
w;,at they want and that the consti-
tutional convention did its duty in
carving out the wishes of the peo-
pie by framing a constitution that
would give the people the right to
govern themselves.
The constitution will now so to
Washington. President Taft will
have the opportunity Of showing
himself in his true colors by the ac-
tion he takes in carrying out the
provisions of the enabling act.
BY refusing to approve the con-
stitutioii, be will pace himself in
the position of one who is opposed
to progress. By approving the con-
stitution he will give evidence of
his belief in republican form of
government.
1t is impossible for any one to be-
lieve that President Taft will refuse
to approve the constitution on the
grounds that the initiative, the ref
erendum and the recall are bad or
Canic laws. The fact that these
laws are on the statute books of re-
publican states and that recently in
the legislatures of Ohio. the presi-
dents state. and California, the re-
call amendment has been introduced,
is such strong evidence that the
people of this country want to make
their own laws and govern them
selves and do away with system
of government by which the big
interests" control everything, even
to the bread the people eat, should
be sufficient warning to the presi-
dent that an era of reform in the
method of making laws, rs we'll as
the kind of laws, has been inaug-
urated by the people, who are fully
determined to take care of their
own interests.
The people of Arizona are de-
termined to write their own organic
laws. They voted in favor of dele
gates to the constitutional conven-
ton whom they believed would car
ry out their wishes, and the result
showed that the delegates did not
fail to do their duty, and gave to
the people Of Arizona the best con-
stitution ever written for a State.
and so satisfactory that the people
ratified it by an overwhelming vote:
a percentage so large that it must be
convincing to the president and con-
gress that the people of Arizona
know what they want and insist on
having it.
The old method of letting the pol
iticians who represent the inter
ests" make the laws has been put
to death in Arizona and will never
be resurrected.
1t is time now that the president
of this great country and the con-
gress should awake to the fact that
the people will insist on their oc-
cupying their real positions, that of
public servants, and not dictators
of laws or of anything else in the
government of the people.
A new light has dawned and the
people all over the land are realiz-
ing their own strength and their
own ability, not only in the making
OF laws under which they must live,
but the enforcement of those laws
when put on the statute books.
The people of Arizona have de-
clared for their own constitution
and insist that they must have it.
Neither President Taft nor congress,
by refusing to approve the constitu-
ton, can change the opinion of the
people that they are standing On
their rights and will insist on writ
ina ,E,ir twn organic laws.