Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-01-05
ARIZONA AND ITS AFFAIRS
A Candidate for Its Governorship
Talks About the Territory.

st. Louis Globe Democrat: Mr.. Thomas
II. McMullin, of Phoenix, Ariz., is in
the city, and since the election of Harri
son he has become a candidate for Cover
nor of the territory. He was an attorney
in Jefferson county, Mo-, until about two
years ago, when he went west, but since
he has been in Missouri he has been can
vassing the tenth congressional district
for Kinsey.
How are politics in the territory?" he
was asked today.
I'VE see very little of politics down
there he replied. I'VE are only direct
ly interested in netionai politics to the ex-
tent OF one congressman, and we usually
abandon party when we are e~lecting him
and vote for the best man. A congress
man cannot do much for the territory if
he is opposed to the administration, and
we generally select one of the politics of
the party in power, unless his opponent
is a very much better man. There is gen.
orally a little Tight over the county Off
GERS, but that doesn't amount to much.
The governor, judges and marshal are APP
pointed by the president. OF course we
look for IA complete change, as the men
now in Office are Democrats
rs Arizona thinking Of coming into
the uniony'
yes. Arizona, New Mexico, Wash
ington Territory, Montana and Dakota
are all the applicants, and we of the ter
ritories think that the last four will be
admitted during the short session. but
Arizona is really not ready yet. How
ever, if we continue to grow as we have
we will he ready within two years"
rs Arizona Republican,
1t is hard TO say. We gave a Republi-
can majority of s, ZOO for congressman,
but, as | said, this is not a test. On
county affairs The parties are about evenly
divided"
You figured in the reduction of the
price Of government land in Arizona, did
you not?"
Eyes. | spent the whole winter in
Washington getting that bill through.
There were 30, 000, 600 acres that we were
selling at 81. 80, twice the government
price. The land had been a railroad
grant, but it had been recovered, and the
government was selling it at the price the
railroad received for it. We had that extra
81. % knocked off, though, and a great deal
of it has since been taken up. There
will be a good deal of land legislation in
the December session of congress, l
think. We expect the presumption law
to be altered so that no man can take up
land unless he takes it as a homestead or
reclaims it. Then | think more will be
done toward making preparation for re-
claiming the arid lands. There is plenty
of rain and snow that falls in the west to
irrigate all the arid lands, but it runs off
and leaves the land dry during the hot
summer. Congress appropriated $780,
600 for a photographic survey of the
mountains of Arizona, Colorado, southern
Idaho and several other sections of the
west where there are arid lands to locate
the best PAGES for building dams to hold
water so that it can be let down on the
low lands for irrigating purposes. Four
parties are now equipping, under the d.
rection Of Mr.. Powell. of the geograph-
ical survey office. When this is done
there will be millions of acres Of good
arabic land which may be taken up by
homesteaders."