Arizona republican., 1890-10-31


 have been built in large part by convict labor. With from four to 600 prisoners, while 1 was Governor of Mississippi, the penitentiary never cost the State as much in any year as the Territorial Prison costs the people of this Territory. The convicts of Mississippi were em- ployed upon public works and it is still the practice to so employ them there.
 Both political parties advocate the building of North and South railroad for this Territory. Is there any good reason why the convicts in Yuma prison may not be put at work on this great enterprise? But if the labor of the prison convicts should now be ap- piled under intelligent management to the construction of a North and South railroad, would not the people of the whole Territory be benefited?
 We need reservoirs in the mountains to store the storm waters of winter and hold them for summer use. Is there any good reason why convicts that are condemned by our courts at great cost for violations of law and endangering the peace of society should not be set to work on these reservoirs? Some of the defeated candidates in this campaign might go up to the head waters of the Rio Salinas and sdperintend the work if they are fit for such responsible posi- tions. l do not think my competitor would fill the bill, though, when summer comes he is liable to need water in the Highland canal very badly.
 There are vast fields of wild hemp spread over the delta lands of the Col orado river in Arizona. That hemp, ex- perts say, could be made very valuable for commercial use. As it now stands it goes to waste each year. rotting down without doing cents worth of good to any man. Might not convict labor be used to stop this terrible waste, and har vest the crop that bountiful nature has | placed within our reach?
 l will not now say how the convict labor can be used to best advantage i; that will be proper subject for Legis- lative consideration; but this do say, it is possible to make the Territorial prison self-sustaining, or nearly so, and pledge myself to labor industriously for the attainment of this end. If the burden of supporting that prison is not taken from the shoulders of the tax payers of the Territory it will be on account of the imbecility of management and the failure of our Legislature to do 1 it's duty.
 There are now about 125 convicts con fined within the prison walls at Yuma and since the pardoning mill of Gov ernor Zulick ceased to grind, the num- Der is gradually increasing. Do the people of this Territory prefer to be burdened with maintaining these con victs in idleness? If they do they will vote for my opponent, and for Mir. Brady, Thomas Halleck, John Behan and the others of the prison ring who stand committed to the existing order of things and who are responsible for the outrages against which l earnestly protest.
 1 shall favor the abolishment of the office of Commissioner of Immigration, which Governor Zulick vauntingly pro- claimed in his first message to an Arl- zona Legislature should be the means of bringing fifty thousand families" to the Territory within period of two years, but which, in fact, duirng his entire administration, is not certainly known to have brought five families, and not even one family Cncluding his own) from the State of New Jersey, where he is supposed to be most favor ably known.
 What the Territory most needs at present is capital capital to build irri- gating canals capital to build railroads {; capital to develop mines, bore artesian wells and build reservoirs.
 am in favor of abolishing the office of Territorial Geologist or at least mak- ing it merely honorary office, without salary or emoluments as it was before Governor Zulick coque.ted with it and blandly smiled it into importance for the supposed benefit of his friend Dr. Trippel.
 am in favor of relieving the general Territorial fund from all expense un- justly saddled upon it by what is known as the Sanitary Stock Law" whereby a Territorial veterinary surgeon and five stock commissioners are permitted to pile up large expense against the en- tire people of the Territory for the ex- elusive benefit of the cattle interest.
 I shall favor the most rigid economy in every department of the Territorial Government.
 shall insist upon changing the law so that the county hospital may be run upon much more economic basis than
  may be run at less expense.
 shall labor for the enactment of a law prohibiting the Governor from ap- pointing members of the Legislature to executive offices, thereby making them subservient to his wishes and destroy ing the independence of the legislative department of the Government. 1 shall endeavor to restore an Advis- ory "Board of Pardons" such as my competitor disregarded and arbitrari- ally set aside, in defiance of law and precedent, to gratify his own arrogant will Such board is necessary in order that wise and just rules may be estab- lished for the safe and judicious exercise of the executive pardoning power. The strongest possible argument in favor of the re-establishment of a Board of Pardons is found in the excessive and unrestrained use of the pardoning power made by Governor Zulick and on whose arguments, on account thereof, it must be said in sorrow, it has left suspicion of corruption that time can never en- tirely wipe out.
 Finally, fellow citizens, pledge my self to vote for and assist in the passage of all just and equitable laws intended to promote the peace and prosperity of the people of Arizona.
 Governor Powers was heartily cheered at the conclusion of his speech. Treasurer Smith then took the floor and for half hour talked to the people