Arizona republican., 1890-05-23
WHAT IS THE LAW?
Early History of the Ballot
 in the Territory.
How the Republican Judges Helped the Democrats.
Reasons Why the Fifteenth Legisla tive Assembly Abolished
 First Papers.

To THE REPUBIIcAN.--I noticed an ar, ticle in your paper of 22d inst. headed This is the Law" Having been citi zen of Arizona prior to it's being organ. ized as Territory, and while Arizona was a part of New Mexico, and having been member of the second, third and fourth Councils of the Territory, will state that this question was always Q knotty question to deal with. As a member of the judiciary committee of the Fifteenth Legislative Council, l will state that the committee did inves- tigate and consult with the leading attorneys of the Territory upon the sub ject, and we believe that we were right in passing the amendment at the last ses- sion.
 It is matter of fact that the organic act, (the organic act of New Mexico was made applicable to Arizona) was very liberal in it's terms, Section 6 read That every free white male inhabitant above the age of twenty-one years who shsll have been resident of satd Terri tory st the time of the passage of this act shall be entitled to Uote at the first election and shall be eligible to any obice within the said Territory" The act further states.
 "But the qualifications of voters and of holding office at all subsequent cleo tions shall be such as shall be pre- scribed by the legislative assembly," It IS possible that Congress has passed an act allowing persons to vote Tn Territor- ies upon their first papers, but do not believe it. It is true that persons having taken out their first papers can locate and hold land. Our lands should te held and protected as far as possible from speculation and monopoly for the rising generation. It is fact that for nearly twenty-six years the Governors that have been sent to Arizona have been more like tramps than Governors. As coon as their terms of office were out they have left the Territory. Of course any or all of them that are alive are ready to return to the Territory if they can be appointed or elected to office. It is also true that Judges that have been sent to the Territory have been in most cases but little better; more especially for the first twenty years of the Territor- ial history.
 These first Judges were appointed by Republican Presidents and confirmed by n Republican Senate, but strange as it may seem, these Judges in nearly every instance saw fit to appoint the liveliest and best workers from among the Democrats as their clerks. It was q common thing for these clerks to go out prior to election and issue first papers. And it has been frequently charged that Mexicans by the hundred have been gathered up near the line in Mexico and brought over the line, given first papers by these Democratic clerks and then registered and voted at general elections at Tombstone and Tucson. It is a notorious fact that at the election of 1876, Clerk of the Court Wilkinson, of Prescott, did leave his office and go to the remotest parts of Yavapai county, and issued first papers and certificates of registration to over one hundred pre- tended inhabitants. It was matter of record that the canvassing board of Yavapai county did throw out such re- turns as illegal, but the little tramp Governor, contrary to law, did send for a statement of all such votes thrown out, and the Democratic clerk did send to said tramp Governor state ment of all such votes thrown out and counted them and counted in a Democratic Delegate to Congress. This is not the only case, but near one hun dred cases of fraudulent work to carry the elections of the Territory during the first twenty years of the Territory's ex- istence.
 It was for the purpose of protecting the purity of the ballot box that the amendment of 1889 was passed.
 But for four years past the matter of manipulation has been entirely with the Democratic party. There have been no Republican clerks appointed by Demo- cratic judges. That is not the Demo- cratic way of doing business. H.
 PHOENIX, May 22, 1890.