Arizona silver belt. [volume] (Globe City, Pinal County, Ariz.) 1878-19??, 1884-10-25
DEMOCRATIC MASS MEETING.
A R0UsING DEMONSTRATION.
Able Speeches by c; r. Head. Thas. #.
Weedin and Local Candidates. A
Large and Enthusiastic Audience.

county assembled IN StallOS Hall, OF
Wednesday evening, to welcome Col
G. P. Head, Democratic candidate fol
delegate to Congress, and Thos. F
| Weedln, of Florence, and to listen t.
the discourses of the several speakers
Mr.. E. O. Kennedy was made chairman
of the meeting and DR.. Trippel, Alon
20 Bailey, Capt. Watkins, w. w
Lowther, DR.. S. G. Heineman and DR.
TIC. Stallo occupied chairs on the
platform.
Col. Head, the first speaker, upon
being introduced, thanked the people
of Globe, where he considered himself
a comparative stranger, for their gen.
erous welcome. He dlsclaimed any
merit as an orator, but said while he
might not be as fluent of speech as in
his younger years, he hoped that he
had lost little in his earnestness and
convictions. He was not before them
as an office seeker, but plain bust
ness man having the welfare of Arizo-
ma at heart, and had to the best of his
ability studied the Territory's mate
rial interests, not her political. For
these tangible interests, which will
directly benefit Arizona, he would
work, if elected. Reviewing the par
amount wants of the Territory, he
said: First, is the educational inter-
est; he believed in the universal edu-
cation of the rising generation educa-
ton prevented idleness, dissipation
and vice, and made better men and
women. This, he affirmed, was great
part of his politics. Free schools
should be maintained wherever there
are children and as taxes, in many
sparsely inhabited sections of the Ter
ritory, are onerous, it was the duty of
Congress to provide for the education
of their children, and that the next
Territorial legislature should be urged
to memorialize Congress to make a
liberal appropriation for this cause.
The land question was then taken
up. and the wretched state of Arizona s
public lands reviewed; the immense
land grants which have been wrong
fully given to railroads, embracing
some of the best lands in the Terrific
ry; great part of these lands being
unsurveyed, it was impossible for peo-
pie desiring to take up homesteads to
ascertain whether they were settling
on railroad land or not; this cause has
greatly retarded the prosperity of the
Territory. He said the House had
passed bill abrogating the Texas &
Pacific grant, which includes much of
the finest agricultural land along the
ella and Salt rivers, and which the
Southern Pacific r. r. claim under an
assignment from the Texas Pacific; TIE
Senate had not yet passed on this
question. He said he was in favor of
an early settlement of this matter.
Proceeding, the speaker reminded the
audience that there were eleven In
dian reservations in Arizona, embrace
ing within their limits some of the
best timber, grazing, agricultural and
mineral lands of the Territory; these
were unnecessarily large and should
be circumscribed. Bogus land grants
he asserted also hindered the legal set
Element of lands. Immense tracts of
country now useless on account Of the
scarcity of water, could be utilized by
the sinking of artesian wells, and Con-
gress should make appropriations for
this purpose. Half the land in the
Territory had been given to railroads,
why should not the remainder be
given to citizens for homes? To some
of the eastern states Congress had
given lands which are more valuable
than all Arizona. Arizona has re-
ceived no benefit at their hands; the
only appropriation ever given to this
Territory was the proceeds from the
sale of public lands for one year QS67)
but that even was never drawn as it
was very small, and reverted to the
government. He urged the necessity
of an an enlargement of our judiciary
and advised an additional judge and
district for Arizona; the improvement
of our public roads was another necessi.
ty. Was it not reasonable and just that
appropriations should be made for
these purposes? The speaker prom
Used, if elected, to work for these meas.
ures. He said he had faith in Arizo-
ma Territory. 1t possessed climate
rivaling that of Italy, fertile valleys
immense areas of timber and grazing
lands, and mineral deposits which will
pour out a wealth of precious metal
long after we are all dead and gone
In the not far future he expected t(
see Arizona occupying a place in the
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