Arizona weekly citizen., 1892-09-24

MARK SMITH has been nominated at Flagstaff, and before long will be in Pima county soliciting the votes of our people. Personally and socially he has many friends among the Republicans, but as a representative of Arizona ct the national capital, he has been a most lamentable failure. He claims to have done mora things than he has left un- done, but We ask the voters of the county who have kept apace with his political record to name one thing that he has done for the Territory.
 If he has done one thing for the Terri tory by which the Territory has reaped a benefit tbere are many who would be pleasad to know it. It IS of no use say ing that he could not do it; that Terri torial representatives are not hardened te, etc., for the reason that his claims are of :he mastodon variety. He will tell of the number of bills introduced but he will not tell of tte number of beneficial measures passed, for it takes shrewder politician than Smith has shown himself to be to get them through the congressional bodies and to-the president for his signature. The bill of all others that most effects the vital interests of Pima county is the Land Court Bill" This bill became a law, but we do not know whether it was with or without his assistance, but we do know that the bill IS notoriously de- fective. Fortunately for the people of southern and central Arizona the presi- dent appointed an incorrrptible court and prosecuting attorney. The judges are said to be five of the ablest men that can be gotten together, and the honorable Mat Reynolds, who repre- sents the people, IS brilliant, capable and Incorruptible attorney. With them the interests of the people are safe, and the grant men not daring to rely upon the justice of their claims do not dare go in before them, but continue to annoy and harrass the settlers in the district court. Mark Smith may not be responsible for this. bu: the chances are ten to one that he never raised his voice against it. If he did no one here knows it. There Dever was & worse ridden community than southern Pima The title of every house, to every or chard and grain field, to every COW pas- ture and potato patch, every ledge of mineral and stone quarry is s'iadowed by land grant, The court in ques- tion was organized and created for the purpose of deciding ths ownership of four-fiftbs the property values in south ern Pima and at the expense of the government so far as the poor settler was concerned. But the bill that made the court possible was land grant bill If the grant claimants cannot control the court they need not go before it, but can continue to nag at the home staader and the husbandman in the district court. Did Marcus see thls loop hole in the bill. If he did and did
 
 not cry out against it, he betrayed the trust reposed m him by the people of Arizon8, but if he did not see the glar iDg defect he is incapable and unit for the duties entrusted to his keeping. Take which horn of the dilemma he may he must face the fact that he is either corrupt or incompetent. He has been twice tried and Rs often found wanting. If the people again send him ! to congress they must not complain of the consequences of weak and ir- efficient representation. We do not say that Mr. Smith has not done the best he could. but if he is 10 be judged by the past four years service an effort i with a new man should be made to do better. We ask every Arizonan to seriously consider the matter.