Arizona weekly citizen., 1885-11-28
Citizens Business and Enterprise
 Association.
ADDRESS OF DR. N. II. MArAs.

l MR. CHAIRMAN AND FELLow-CIrIzESs -Whenever a town, a city, or 8 nation Is besieged by an enemy, or mensced bS some great evil or danger. the instinct of conversation will stIr its peOpl,, bring them together and unite them for their mutual defense and protection, and tha. is what we have come here tOI to night.
 You are all aware that the danger Is at our doors and that all the interest of the commonwealth are mRnsced with ruin and de-trucuOn. and therefore the hour has come for us to call ourselves in council and to rally all our forces and elements which We can dispose of ard to organize and unite them into a solid and harmonious body or association by which we can successfully oppose the downfall of our city, revive our business and promote commerce and enterprise in our midst.
 Oar history shows that while Tucson is the most important city in the Terri tory, and has all the elements to be come a gres. metropolis, its inhabitants accustomed to depend on Nature anu on some accidental circumstances have barely exerted at any :ime their enefgIes to improve its condition or work for the common good and it's increasing wealth.
 The sun of prosperity which shone sO brightly few years ago when thls cltO controlled the trade of Sonora, and the arrival of the s. F. R. R. opened our doors to the world, bringing thousands of visitors to Tucson attracted by the booming news of our mineral wealth, has eclIpsed and the dark days follow ing have set its inhabitants Tn quite passive attitude parslyzing their nerves and energies SO as to content them selves with the preservation of their frsil individual lives and the faint hope of better days.
 This state of marasmus has since menaced to ruin our strong natural structure and resources, and IS debilltst- ing more and more our commercial and financial life, so much so, that its Ill effects are felt by every class of trade and by every individual.
 Now If we add to this bad condition of affairs the great political and tinan- cIal crisis which has hung for the last two years like a black cloud over the heads of the people of this country af fectiug this Territory like the rest of the land: the long drought of three years. which hss converted into a barrel desert cur most rich grazing lands, and IS menacing to destroy one of the most fiouriShIng interests of our country; anu principally the long and repeated mur- derous raids of our foe, the ApRches, We shall have completed the tableau of cur evils and We shall comprehend the ex tension of OUT difficult and dangerous situation.
 IL Is time, therefore, to open our eyes and keep ourselves wide awake. Let us stir our nerves, and face manly the dangers before us. Let us go to work with all our might and utIllZe all our brains and muscles If We want to mastt r the situation and see once more our city and county forever prosperous and lively. Away with our selishuess and incidence! Away with our indifference! Away with our fears and complaints Let us rise ai | unite like one man and work for the common cause. with s com mon purpose and foEf@ common object
 
 and interest.
 Let every one of us just put his hand to the wheel and exert all hIs forces and nerves and never rest until We have ac- complished our end which IS the pros perity and welfare of our city and coun. ty, our own and that of our children Now let us examine how We have lived in the past, what We Ihsve done until now, and what we can accomplish in the future If united.
 The people who first settled ID the Territory outside of the Indians, was 6 race whOse necessities were easily satIs. fed and had neither energy nor smbit ion, and their progress was therefore very slow. Since this country changed hands and became pa,t of the United | States, after the civil war and especially since $. P. R. R., put this city m com | municRtiOn with the rest of the world an influx of new people came to TucsoI who have since controlled the business and the public affairs of this city. Tn, new race are generally very energetic ambitious and enterprlsing; but for tb' sake of truth, we must say that for thu last two years their energIes have aband oned them and they seem to have beer | p8ralyZed ID the presence of increasin! | difficulties and the downfall of busi ness.
 The cause of the disaster has been tn want of union and good organization thereby losing many OppOrtunitie which would have saved them from tn wreck when night comes they retir to their homes to lodges O clubs, and complain to thei friends of bad business and dul times expecting always some improve
 ment or change by sn invisible cause O
 by some imaginary capitalist coming { invest here; and with, these hopes and a
 pectations, We see the days go by iron
 bad to worse with our goods unsold i
 the store, our property deprecisteC
 money scarce, streets deserted and tn
 whole city ID darkness ss the most It
 vealing sIgn of our deoadence and Tel
 repression. This cOnditIu n of affairs l
 indeed very unattrsctiye and less e1
 couraging for strangers to come on
 live with us.
 | And who could believe that such a
 energetic race ss the Americans ar,
 could SO long be spectators of their ow
 rum. without even having tried tO OI
 pose some effective means to cOunteraC
 Al least the progress of the dangerOu
 situation.
 We can not say that 1t is becauSe ther
 IS wanted the spirit of association, fO
 we have numerous secret societies al
 hourishing. We have also a Conner
 ciAl Club which unfortunately bear
 only the name and should be calle
 more properly "Social or TerpsichOrv a
 Club"
 We must acknowledge, however, tha
 some attempts have been made before [ ? organize Board of Trade and of la; a merchants protective association ? But they have failed on account of d.
 ,ective work in their basis or fouEdt ! tion.
 In forming our new organization, W b | must exclude politics. amGsements, q 9 cial attsinments and distinctions fro :. our code, and establish the principl that we must devote our time tol bus 1; ress matters exclusively and deal on }. with such topics as are of general Inte est or Of common benefit to Q
 This, is in our opinion, the only way |, which We can build a good solid found , ton for our assos iation which will eau = 1t to last and perpetuste ID thIs city al