Arizona republican., 1897-12-09
WHIPPLE SHOULD BE RETAINED.

Prescott is now before the secretary of war, and it will be decided in the near future If the secretary shall base his decision upon the facts i1 the case rather than the representa- tions of people who may be interested in having the post abandoned we are sure that the post will be retained and improved. The friends of Gen. eral Miles in this territory regret ex- ceedingly that he has made an adverse report to the secretary. With all respect for his judg- ment the people of northern Ari- zona do not agree with him that the post has no strategic importance. In the great railroad strikes of 1894 the value of Whipple to the territory was amply demonstrated. The troops from the barracks were hurried to points along the Atlantic and Pa cific railroad and did effective service in guarding the property and prevent ing the interruption of the mail ser- vice. The railway mileage of north since 1894 and the value of the prop erty that would be placed in jeopardy in the event of another disturbance similar to that referred to amounts to millions of dollars. There is also a great and growing mining industry in Yavapai county. Millions have been invested there since 1894, and a railroad is about to be built which district. One of the chief ar guments employed in favor of the policy of concentrating troops in the great centers is that the troubles of the future requiring the presence of troops for adjustment will largely be labor troubles. This argument can be effectively employed in behalf of the continuance of Whipple. With strange inconsistency the general of the army overlooks this entirely in connection with the question of sta t1oning troops in Arizona and as- sumes, apparently, that the only dan ger to be feared is from the Apaches. The fact that the independent and powerful Navajoes have a strong foothold in northern Arizona. and that at certain seasons hundreds of Apaches frequent the Pinal noun tains, not more than forty miles from the capital of the territory, has no part in the representation made to the secretary of war by those who want Whipple to be abandoned. Northern Arizona contains large area and varied interests and it can not be disputed that the presence of troops at Whipple exerts a Bremen dous force in preserving law and or der. The possibility of trouble with the Navajoes is by no means remote. as witness recent occurrences near the reservation. With the excellent railroad facilities afforded by the north and south road and the Santa Fe Pacific troops could be hurried from Whipple to any danger point in that vast region of country in a very short time. With troops no nearer than Grant, Apache or Hua- chuca- pests remote from railroads the margin of safety for northern Ari- zona in the event of an outbreak re- quiring prompt federal interference would be too slight to be reckoned on
 Much has been said of the alleged danger to the health of the garrison at Whipple through bad water and sewerage. It is we'll known in Ari- zona, but possibly not in the war de- partment, that the people of Prescott
 have offered to supply the post with
 pure mountain water in abundance if they can be assured that the post VII
 not be abandoned. Undoubtedly the
 existing sewerage system is unsatis-
 factory, but 1t could be. remedied at
 small expense. The post is admirably
 situated in this respect, being many
 feet above the bed of a nearby stream
 Let it once be known beyond dispute
 that the post is to be retained and
 improved and the water and sewerage
 questions will be satisfactorily ad-
 justed.
 The fact is indisputab,e that diff
 ferent generals who have command
 ed the department including Arizona
 have recommended the rebuilding ol
 Whipple. The opposition, however
 has been persistent, and in conse-
 quence the post has been suffered te
 fall into decay. If in the last few
 years the idea had prevailed at Whip pie that the post was to remain the:e
 is little doubt that it would today pre-
 sent far more attractive appearance Once an unsettled feeling takes roo in connection with an army post or z business proposition care1essness is bound to result. In the case O. Whipple. the story of the Arkansa. traveller has a direct application.
 | Tit iS unfortunate that GennraJ OtI,