Arizona silver belt., 1897-10-21

territory into political penal colony. With such mon in control of public affairs, men lacking in ability, often in common honesty. there could be but one result -mismanngement and mis- government. Where men have not been directly imported to fill the offices those who have been selected have owed their appointments entirely to outside influences, and as result have always been dominated to a greater or less degree by foreign in fuence instead of representing home sentiment and home thought.
 All political parties have recognized the injustice of the system. Every party in it's national convention for 16 years has pledged itself to rectify tho evil by giving the territory home rule, and such party in its days of victory has broken it's pledges. Then, too, though the home rule implied meant merely the appointment to office of such residents of the territory as had the greatest political influence without it's boundaries, regardless of how such sppointees might stand in Arizona. There can be but one home rule sys- tenn possible, and that by according to the people of Arizona the right to elect their own officers, administrative and judicial, from governor to justice of the peace, excepting only those officials as are of 6 purely federal character, such as the U. s. Marshal, the U. s. Surveyor General and the U. s. Dis trict Attorney. The time has come to secure this right. In congress grant ing it lies the sole salvation of Arizona, its future, its all. One house of con gress passed such law for Utah and it would have been put into effect had not that territory been admitted to statehood. What congress deemed just for Utah let it now accord to Ari- zona. Such right has never been asked for the benefit of Arizona, no bill has ever been introduced in either house to grant it, and no bill ever will be introduced until tue people of Ari- zona as body demand it.
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 Tbe power of governor in Arizona is absolute, for there is no force that can restrict him. The courts are . powerless to stay his hand and the legislature powerless to impeach or punish him. In his hands are cen tralized the entire affairs of govern ment There ia not a territorial off cisl which he does not appoint. They are his creatures, created simply to de- fend and carry out his policies, be those policies good or bad. On his acts the people have no safeguard, no guarantee of honesty, no power to even review or condemn. He appoints the attorney general and thereby controls every suit to which the territory Is 6 party. He appoints the auditor and the treasurer, as we'll as the superin- tendent of public instruction and all other officers Tn territorial school mat ters. To one favorite he gives the control of the insane asylum, to another the superintendency of the prison. He selects the board of equali- zation--a body absolutely controlling the matter of territorial taxatlon--and likewise the board of control that dis purses the public funds. For each he takes the clay that is most plsstic--the easiest to work to his own ends. He has created them and they are his to use. To him they are alone account able, to him they must only answer. Whom he favors they must favor, whom he disregards they need not care for. Under this system of govern msnt, based on personal favoritisrn, there can be no justice, not even se- curity, yet this is what constitutes government today in Arizona, and has constituted it for over 30 years past. | *x@
 As an example of what this rulo of personal favoritism means take the consideration which through it for eight years past has been shown rail road corporations alone by the board of equalization in the matter of taxa ton. In 1889 the total valuation of railroad property for the purposes of taxation in Arizona amounted to SC, S43, 214.54, and in 1897 in amounts to but S5,367, ,200.60, making total reduction in valuation since the first statement (only eight years) of S1 ,476,- 0l3.94 Deduct from this S403, IA. 72, constituting the amount for which the now abandoned Prescott & Arizona Central was assessed in 1889, and the true reduction in the valuation of rail road assessments Tn that time amounts to S1,072, ,269.22. Represented in taxes at the average rate prevalent in Arizona ($3.50 per $l00) this reduc- ton represents total loss annually to