The Washington herald., 1911-08-07

A poll of the Senate indicates
that the joint resolution admitting
the Territories of Arizona and
New Mexico to Statehood will
pass with colors flying when it
comes up to-day for consideration
Only some unforeseen contingency,
say the hackers OF the measure,
can defeat the favorable legislation
conceded on all sides. If the reso-
luton does pass the Senate, it will
end fight for Statehood that has
endured for over sixty years in the
case of New Mexico and for nearly
twenty in Arizona.
READY TO CELEBRATE.
So sure are the hackers of the mea-
sure that success awaits them in the
Senate, that large delegations from New
Mexico and Arizona are to-day prepar-
ing TO celebrate the history making leg
islation on an extensive scale. Confer
Ralph Henry Cameron, of Arizona, and
William H. Andrews. of New Mexico,
are in order; and everywhere about the
hotel lobbies groups of enthusiastic
Westerners are discussing the optimistic
outlook.
The cause of the long delay in admit
ting New Mexico and Arizona to State
hood lies in the ultra-progressive con-
SfiruffnO f,f lar
taken by the legislators in Washington
to the Arizonian provision for the recall
Of the judiciary, and in many quarters
the initiative, referendum, and recall
eatureS in general were also viewed
askance. The antagonism that these pro-
gressive features called forth. coupled
with a refusal of certain members of
Congress TO permit the admission of /!
either Territory separately, for a long |
time defeated their efforts to gain ad- |
mission to Statehood
To obviate discussion upon that moot |
question the recall of the judiciary, the |
United States Senate, in its vote to-day !
upon the JOINT Statehood resolution, will |
tack on an amendment providing that |
the recall provision of the Arizona con- |
stitution must be construed as not ap-
plying to the judiciary. This amend |
ment must be agreed to by the people of
Arizona before they get Statehood, but
as their constitution provides for its
amendment at any time within three
months they will probably interpose no
objection. Statehood at the present ses- |
sion is the wish of every one in the Ter
ritory, and the recall of the judiciary
can be left out or put back, as the ma
jority wishes, once Statehood is attained.
President Takes Stand.
The Arizona constitution is modelled
largely after the Oregon constitution,
and is admitted to be, by those who have
examined it, the most modern of all the
present-day popular government expert |
ments." 1t provides for the initiative,
referendum, and the recall which is ex-
tended to include the judiciary Of the
Territory. 1t was thH last feature that
President Taft opposed. and while he has
been committed all along to Statehood |
fo- the two Territories, he insisted he |
could not and would not approve this ex-
treme constitutional provision. and it is !
TO be cut out to secure Presidential |
sanction.
New Mexico goes almost as far to the |
other extreme in her constitution. 1t is
a staid. practical, unamendable, funda-
mental law, containing a variety of the
best features from the constitutions of |
other States, with the exception of the
method of dealing with corporations, in
which II stands alone among the States.
The New Mexico constitution provides
for corporation commission of three,
elected by the people and having direct
supervision over all corporation doing
business in the new State. The peculiar
feature consists in an automatic trans
fer of matters before the commission
to the Supreme Court Of the Territory in
cases where a corporation fails to carry
out the instruction of the commission |
within time specified. This, It is claim
ed by the drafters Of the constitution.
will do away with the intermina BILE de-
lay which can be brought about in other
States by injunctions sued out by cor
porations.
Divided as to Politics, l.
Nominally New Mexico is Republican
by about 5000 majority, while Arizona is
about equally divided between the two
parties, with the Democrats having a
slight advantage. Arizona, however. has
q large number Of progressives in both
parties, and contains a greater propor-
tion=of American-born citizens than does
New Mexico, where probably so per cent
Of the people are of Spanish decent, al
though natives OF the Territory, descend
ants Of the early Spanish settlers.
There is a spirit of concession among