The Arizona sentinel., 1895-03-09

.Efective Spa'oking.
 The Prescott papers have recent ly published elaborate and care fully prepared but labored articles, addressed to the members of the present legislature. The articles contain many perversions of facts, are full of strained conclusions, show considerable mossback senti- ment, and most logically demon strate that figures will sometimes lie. Much stress is laid upon the fact that Prescott is the geogra- phical center of the territory. It is the old argument that used to prevail in the capitol removal days, and yet it was found abso- lutely necessary to pay less atten- ton to geography and place the capitol somewhere near the center of population, where 1t could be more accessible and visitors less exposed to violent climatic change. Hence. by a wise legislature, it was taken away from Prescott and per manently located at Phoenix, the true center of populated territory. Of course, the advocates of Prescott claim, and they are purely local to that section, that the territory will save an enormous sum annually by having the prison where they wish it. The Journal-Miner pub fishes a table by which it under takes to show saving in favor of Prescott, in the matter of transpor- tation of prisoners of &3,01S.00. It is table made to deceive, is in correct as to distances, fare and mileage, and even its own figures do not bear out the sums total Nevertheless, presuming 1t to be correct, that saving would be but bagateIle compared to the loss a removal of the prison would entail.
 In the first place there has been already expended upon the actual construction of the present plison, the sum of $250,00O, which sum, upon its abandonment, would be- come totally lost 10 tte taxpayers of the territory, who would have to pay similar or larger sum to con- struct, at Prescott, the same prison accommodations that now exist at Yuma. AS to the cost of feeding and clothing the prisoners, there is not person of any experience in the whole territory, but knows that the first cost of all articles of food and clothing in Prescott is far in excess of Yuma prices. No one who has purchased from the stores of both places, can doubt that fact. Take the item of freight alone, Yuma is on a main trunk line of railroad, and much nearer to market than Prescott. The latter place must sift it's freight from the main line, at a point farther from market than Yuma, over short line with the extra freight added, and that extra freight will be no small item. It is @ well-known element in the science of railroad ing, that railroad companies look upon short hauls as a means of recoupment against lesSened rates on competitive long hauls. It is nonsense to talk of competition on short feeders on any railroad lines, as there neyeris any2s the Prescott and Phoenix papers, judging from the press dispatches. have already found out. Whatever the rate may be, however, it is so much in ad- dition 10 the charges on the main line. The Journal-Miner and Prescott Courier mention the fact that, near the proposed site of the prison there is a quarry of granite, which could be utilized by means of tramways etc, in the construc- ton of the new prison, convict labor being used.
 Every pound of stone used in construction of ths presen. build