The herald., 1897-04-06
OLD SALARIES
Arizona Officials on the
Anxious Seat
WILL SUSTAIN HIS VETO
HENRY F.. AsHuRsT AND HIS
sHEEPsKIN
Appointment of Commissioners to
Promote Uniformity of Marriage
Laws-Some Real Bad Men

1t begins to look as though the trouble
would be unending unless a new occu-
pant of the gubernatorial office is soon
chosen. The latest bone of contention
came to focus today. when Attorney
General Wilson, on behalf of the COVER
nor, filed an opinion to the effect that
the reinstatement of salaries act passed
over the governors veto is Illegal.
This was the only bill that was agreed
to by both houses, the dissent of the
governor Notwithstanding. 1t allows all
county officials who held office during
the past two years the same salaries as
those paid for the preceding term of
office. The eighteenth legislature passed
an act curtailng all the salaries of coun-
ty officials, but by an error in engrossing,
the act went into effect two years before
its trainers intended it should, and thus
reduced the pay of the officials then in
office.
1t was held to be unfair to reduce the
salary of a man after his election, and
the nineteenth legislature went to work
quite early in the session to rectify the
mistake. Indeed, many of the members
were pledged to vote for salary rein
statement bill.
HARD ON THE TAXPAYER.
After the veto message of the governor
on the salary reinstatement bill four
separate efforts were made to pass the
bill in the assembly over the veto but
not until the last'effort could the neces-
sary two-thirds vote be secured, and
then only by the vote of Cowan of Mo-
have, who was an office, holder during
the time In question, and therefore
clearly a beneficiary under the law in
fact. His vote was demanded by the
house, however, and upon the chairs de-
Gliding that he was not beneficiary, he
answered: Aye" and the bill passed
on to the senate, where the two-thirds
vote was more than secured. The bill
means an additional expense to the
counties of about $40 1000.
Now Governor franklin claims that
the bill is illegal because the man who
cast the decisive vote was beneficiary
and therefore not entitled to- vote. At
torney-General Wilson's opinion does
not lay very great stress upon this
point, but in the main denies the legal
ity of the act on the ground that the
Legislature had no right to pass a retro
active law. Upon the whole, think the
taxpayers will side with the governor in
this fight, for as rule, the salaries Of
Arizona county officials are quite suf-
flcient to keep the wolf from the door,
even at the reduced figure If 5he act
stands the test of the courts the tax
payers will feel the drain, and taxes are
already pretty high.
Mr.. ASHURSTS SHEEPSKIN.
I heard, a bit of interesting gossip yes
terday about how Assemblyman Henry
f. Ashurst became admitted to the bar
and how Butte county was lost because
A.l.s of he al
to vote for it.
Ashurst represented Coconino coun-
ty and was by long odds the youngest
man in the legislature. He was also one
of the brightest and most intelligent
of the assembly. Early in the session,
in payment of vote for prison re-
moval, Ashurst bartered his vote on the
Butte county bill, which was plan to
divide Maricopa county into two pecu-
liar pieces and call one of them Butte.
Later in the session-just before the
vote occurred on Butte county-Ashurst
was promised admission to the bar i'm
mediately after the adjournment of the
legislature, If he would vote against
Butte county, Ashurst coveted the
sheepslxin, though in due time it would
have been his by reason of study Ash
urst wavered and fell
II can't vote for Butte county. I'm
fixed," he told Maricopa delegate just
o moment before the ayes and nays
were called. Then he voted mo-
The other day rode up from Maricopa
with Ashurst, and he incidentally men,
toned that he had been to Solomonville
Incidentally mentioned this meeting to
another man and then the gossip came
out. OF course it is only gossip and
should be considered as gossip always
il. Ashurst had been to Solomenville to
get hts promised sheepskin before an
examining committee chosen by Judge
Owen T. Rouse, who is district judge Of
the Second Judicial district and ex-of-
ficio justice of the supreme court. In
the regular order of things Ashurst
would have been admitted to the bar in
his own judicial district which is the
Fourth, of which John j. Hawkins Is
judge. 1 do not mean to say the pro.
ceeding was irregular in any way, nor
that Ashurst will not be shining light
of the Arizona Bar association I'M due
time. 1 only claim for the gossip that
it is interesting and newsy That it Is
true or false, who can say?
LA FIESTA VISITORS.
In compliance with the provisions of
an act passed by the late nineteenth,
Governor Franklin has appointed ]. G.
Hernden of Prescott and United States
Attorney e. r. Ellinwood of Phoenix
promotion of uniformity of legislation"
This movement is OF far more than local
Importance. The commission in ques-
tion will meet in congress with like com
missions from other territories and
states and endeavor to take such action
as will create interstate uniformity of
laws regarding marriage, divorce, pro-
bate and notarfal matters.
AS have already remarked, to the
good people OF Phoenix the selection of
Miss Francisco Alexander as queen of
La Fiesta de Los Angeles came as an
appreciated compliment Though Cali
fornia Is her birthplace, in Phoenix she
has spent the larger portion of her life
and here reside her more immediate rel
atives and those who know her best
through long association,
Last year Phoenix had fiesta all her
own, and those who know about such
things assure me that 1t was second only
to the greater fste In the southern me-
tropolis. Phoenix rememberA too, that
among those who gave her carnival
kindly mention and due appreciation
were the occupants of car full Of good
fellows from Los Angeles-and their
1adies-who came in to aJetend its clos
ing hours. This year Phoenix will not
cslsbrate, but q large proportion Of her
population will Join In paying homage to
the queen Of the AnGo1 C1ty.