The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1889-09-28
The CONFLICT OF AUTHORITY.
The Views of Candid, Impartial
and unprejudiced Gentleman
Upon the Subject.

Realizing the great Importance O
the deplorable condition of affairs oc
casioned by the dual government il
Arizona, and believing the time ha
arrived when the business men, tax
payers, miners and laborers should b
heard upon the subject and that
halt must be called and the true in
terests of Arizona looked after. Tn,
Enterprise deputized Il special repre-
sentative to interview eX-Governo
A. p. X. Stafford, in Tucson, upon the
subject His views on all important
questions are always sound and rrac
teal and in tho present instance they
will be read with increased interest
by the people.
The following is the result of the
interview with Gov. Stafford:
Rep.-In view of the conflict Of
authority of the territorial officers,
will You kindly give your views as to
the best methods of settling the same
Govt is an unfortunate condi
ton of affairs and should be har-
monized and settled as speedily as
possible, but [ prefer not to become
entangled in the controversy.
Rep. We do not expect you to
take sides in any factional fight, but
as matter of public policy and for
the good of the territory we SHOULD
very much appreciate any suggestions
you might make relative to settle
ment of the difficulties.
Gev-As to the matter of the
legality of the hold-over officers OF
those appointed by Gov Wolfey, !
have nothing to say; it is now purely
question for the courts to decide. |
have no doubt Gov. Wolfey conscien
clously believed he had legal right
to make said appointments, and /
have no doubt that the hold overs are
equally sincere in the belief that they
have a legal right to hold the Offices.
AS matter of political propriety it
would have been a gracious act on
their part to have stepped down and
out and allowed the new Governor to
make the appointments from his own
partisan friends, whatever views they
may have had as to their legal rights;
but as they did not see proper to do
this, the conflict of double set of
officers was forced upon the territory,
and in the contest that is going on
the people of the territory are very
much in the position of the boy who
was taking load of hay to market:
The wagon turned over and threw the
hay in the mud, the horses became
entangled in the difficulty and were
liable to be seriously injured, when a
gentleman came along and found the
boy tearing his hair and in a frenzy
Of despair. He tried to comfort the
boy and told him they soon would get
the horses extracted and the hay put
back in proper place, when he scream
ed that he aid not care d--n for the
horses nor the hay, but that dad was
under the load and that was what was
the matter.
SO it is in this conflict; the people
could look on the fight for the SUI
premacy of the officials with indiffer-
ence, but the Territory is at the hot
tom Of the load and that is what is
the matter.
[ am informed that since this con-
fiict arose, not dollar has been paid
for the support of the territorial
prison or the asylum. Whoseever
furnishes their supplies will neces-
sarily charge an extra sum for coma
pensation for the delay and risks.
Territorial warrants, [ am informed,
have fallen from par to siXty-fve
cents on the dollar and no buyers now
at that figure. The assessment of
property and collection of taxes is
seriously endangered by this conflict,
and the good name of the territory
and its financial credit is being seri
ously impaired, while the rate of
taxation is burdensome in the extreme.
This conflict cannot be settled by
calling each other hard names, and if
there ever was time when all the
officials and people should pause and
see what can be done to extricate the
country from this unfortunate con
dition, now is the time, and this can
only be accomplished by forbearance
and mutual concession.
When the new officials were ap-
pointed and qualified they demanded
the surrender of the several Offices
from the old officials, which was re
fused. I believe from that time to
the present it is conceded that the |
only way the new officials canget pos
session of the archives, seals and |
offices occupied by the old officials is
the courts, and so long as
this question is undetermined by the
courts there IS no legal power to take
from these officials said books, papers,
seals, etc, or to drive them from the
of the several offices and
buildings owned by the territory, such
As the insane asylum, territorial
prison, ETC., and | think | am safe in
saying that in all such conflicts it has
been the custom in to treat the Off
GERS who have possession of the books,
papers, seals, Offices and buildings, as