Arizona republican., 1915-04-16
Where the People
 May Have Hearing
FRONT LAWN OR BACK YARDS

TO the Editor of the Republican, Sir:
 An interview with MT. Hugh McPee 1 after a business trip through Arizona, ! IS printed in the Los Angeles Times of April 12, and reproduced in the Re- ! publican of April IA.
 Mir. McPhee has many compliment tary things to say about Arizona, in cluding Phoenix, which he character iZes as metropolitan in appearance. Thank You, MT. McPhee. When we deserve it, we all like it.
 But let us look a little carefully at 1 the article. What does all this pros perity in Arizona, all the wonderful resources so kindly yet truthfully DOT trayed, all the possibilities of our in- land Empire mean? To MT. McPhee's mind, to the Los Angeles, to the Cali fornia mind and according to the facts as they have heretofore with our ac- quiesence existed, it means that much more BACK COUNTRY TO LOS AN GELES.
 Quoting him: "He felt inspired to call upon California to make of all Ari- zona a back country for Los Angeles ana the l.. A. Harbor" Arizona is important to Los Angeles in so far as it is a feeder to the greatness of Los Angeles-in so far as it supports and pays tribute to Los Angeles. The in terview is headed in large type: EM- FIRE IN OUR PACK COUNTRY. We acknowledge the Empire but how about ''our back country" Look it | squarely in the face. It looks nice i does it not? A nice morsel for us to digestion the people who are wrestling the precious metal from it's l rugged mountain fastness, who are | braving the desert in it's native sands and causing it to bloom as Gods fair | est garden-a back country made to 1 exist for the profit it may bring a city | 800 miles away. Quoting again: If our Clos Angeles) people did this | MAKE a back country of AriZona). !, the growth Of the city Ios Angeles) would take care of itself The logical result would be Railroad Terminals for Los Angeles, Packing Plants, Whole l sale Houses. Machine Shops, a bigger | Pay Roll and, of course more people 1 and more homes our growth would be a necessity" Again: T could go on talking about Arizona for a week, but maybe I have said enough to make us wake up in Los Angeles to 3 slight | realization of what a rich neighbor we | have at our dOors"-why not finish it:
 to exploit.
 There is one legitimate point in all | thic Tho I is,
 present our nearest available harbor for ocean commerce with the outside
 world. But Arizona a BACK COUN-
 TRY to build up for Los Angeles her
 railroad terminals. her packing plants,
 her wholesale houses, machine shops,
 her bigger PAY ROLLS, of course more people and more homes. Shade
 of Patrick Henry, How long will we
 continue in swaddling clothes? How
 iong tied to the apron strings of an
 other state? What Thos Jefferson
 among us will write our declaration
 of independence? What Alexant\ar I Hamilton will build up the construc-
 tive frame work of our positive
 achievements? Who can advance the
 slightest reason in the world why Ari-
 zOna should not have her own railroad
 terminals, her own packing houses,
 factories, wholesale houses, machine
 shops, her bigger pay roll and of course more people and more homes l VIII We grow our own vine and fig
 tree, and enjoy their shade, or will We continue to crawl around in the
 Los Angeles back yard? Will we
 prove worthy of our birth right. build up a state of our own. and be self
 centered. not provincial. ignoring com
 merce with our neighbors, but metro- politan in fact, coordinate with our
 esteemed and respected neighbors,
 North. South, East and West. build :
 ing up and sustaining the institutions
 pertinent to a elf-sustaining and self
 respecting people? Independent or
 subservient? Stalwart free men or
 peons? Arizonians, the parting of the
 ways is before you. Need it be asked which road will be chosen?
 l F. F. RICH'