Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)/Arizona (supplement)

On 12 Feb., 1912, Arizona became a state, the forty-eighth of the United States ("America", 4 Jan., 1913; "Official Congressional Directory", 3rd ed., April, 1912). The Constitution of the state (61st Congress, 3rd session, Senate, 31 Jan., 1911) defines its boundaries as Mexico, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, California, and the Mexican Territory of Lower California (art. I). Phoenix is to be the state capital, subject to change by election on or after 31 Dec., 1925 (art. XX). The governor is to be elected for a term of two years (art. V); the legislature is to meet biennially (art. IV, sect. 3); the judiciary is elective (art. VI). The Constitution, as amended by vote, 5 Nov., 1912, extends the right of suffrage to women ("American Year Book", 1912, p. 182; Constitution, art. VII, sect. 1). It defines the "initiative" and "referendum" to be "reserved powers" of the people (art. IV, sect. 1), and the right of "recall" includes judges as well as all other public officers (Constitution, art. VIII, sect. 1). There is to be no religious qualification for public office or employment (art. II), and to every inhabitant there is to be secured "perfect toleration of religious sentiment" without molestation in person or property on account of religious worship or its lack. "Polygamous or plural marriages or polygamous cohabitation are forever prohibited" (art. XX). Under the "general and uniform public school system" (art. XI, sect. 1), there is to be "no sectarian instruction" or religious test or qualification required of teacher or pupil (art. XI, sect. 1). Neither public money nor property is to be appropriated for or applied "to any religious worship, exercise or instruction or to the support of any religious establishment" (art. II), nor is any tax to be laid or appropriation made of public money "in aid of any church or private or sectarian school" (art. IX, sect. 10). But "property of educational, charitable and religious associations or institutions not used or held for profit may be exempted from taxation by law" (art. IX, sect. 2). Statistics of the Catholic Church in Arizona are given in the articles TUCSON and UNITED STATES; according to the "Bureau of the Census, Religious Bodies, 1906" there were in the state 6175 Latter-Day Saints, 2884 Presbyterians, 2667 Methodists, 1034 Baptists, 1059 Protestant Episcopalians.