Arizona republican., 1898-10-01
THE YAvAPAI BONDS.


 the Yavapai county railroad bonds
 were valid. and that ultimately the territory would have to pay for them. Wilson. notwithstanding his for mer pronounced attitude toward the bonds, now is stumping the territory and vociferously declaim- ing against the validity of the bonds. It is convenient for him to for get his early uttsrances or this impor- tant question. Before this campaign is over General" Wilson will discover that the people have long memories.
 Incidental to the effort of the Yava- pal repudiators to drag the fair name of the territory in the mud they held an indignation" meeting in Prescott | for!,he purpose of working up sentiment against the funding of these bonds. Up to within short Eime the interest on 1 the bonds had been paid regularly, $27,00O of the principal had been paid, and $40,O0O worth had been funded Yavapai kept full faith until the repu- diators secured the floor. The Pres colt Courier, their organ, has never ad- vanced single substantial reason for their course Personal abuse of every person connected with the bonds has been the eNtslt of its contribution to the 'argument" sought to be set up against the bonds. A few days ago the Courier printed the following: "Arizona's territorial and county democratic platforms have de lnounced the attempt to saddle the illegal Yavapai P & A. iC. railway bonds upon the peo- pie of Arizona. which bonds have been doctored by various legalizing pro cesses until their payment or non-pay msnt has become a matter of vital in- I'terest to taxpayers all over Arizona, and especially lere in Yavapai county where a gold-bug republican minority stands committed to their payment, while the democrats oppose it. If the payment of these illegal bonds is forced upon our people, the raise in taxation will be 32 cents on the $100. Our dem ocratic candidates are pledged to fight this injustice. Our republican friends are certainly for it. Our democratic board of supervisors has refused to make the levy for this nefarious deal. When there was an indignation meet l ing held in the court house to protest against this infamous IegaliZing scheme, R. M. Ling, our present can didate for district attorney, was the only attorney in Prescott who appeared there and spoke defantly in the inter ests Of the people against this deal, which he has opposed, from first to Hast, and which he, in conjunction with democratic board of supervisors, will i fight to the last, while just the reverse will happen with the election of the republican ticket-for every candidate is certainly pledged by his party plat 1 form. At this indignation meeting of citizens, held to remonstrate against this bond outrage, the taxless railroad attorney with a large railroad follow ing, was there to discrganize and break up the meeting. He was assisted by the then republican district attorney who spoke in favor of the payment of these illegal bonds, although his advice had been before the legaliZing process, against their payment. Let the tax payers bear this in mind that vote fer the democratic ticket means at | least a fight against this bond outrage, with the brightest chances of winning 1 the fight, while vote for the repub- lican ticket means an endorsement of this bond deal and a desire that the 32 cents on the S100 valuation shall be added to our present heavy tax rate"
 Then the Journal-Miner called i tte turn on Wilson and the Courier in this vigorous way:
 | meeting the Courier attempts, in it's usual bungling manner, to condemn a :, former republican district attorney of this county for having, in the first in- stance, declared the P. & A. c. Yava- pai railroad bonds valid, and then af- t.r the passage Of the act of June 6, 1886, which legalized these bonds, stating, at the meeting referred to- that these same securities were valid and legal.
 ''The; position of that district attor- ney, Robert D. Morrison, having been attacked in this particular, it is proper 1 that the public should know that it was only after consultation with the then attorney general and the now demo- cratic candidate for delegate to con gress, Colonel J. F. Wilson, and Will sons positive declaration that these bonds were valid, and made so by the famous act of congress Of June 6, 1896, that MT. Morrison asserted the valid 1 ity Of these obligations. Colonel Will son, in that consultation, cited authori- ties to sustain the constitutionality of this act.
 "If republicans are 10 be censured by democratic sheets for their honest and 1 legally correct actions in this matter, then justice demands that Colonel Will son shall be treated the same as the republicans and the Courier must, from Q sense of fairness, proceed to scourge it's own particular candidate for delegate to congress.
 "The public has right to know the record of candidates for delegate to congress on this bond question and particularly the present democratic enc and his record is as above stated. i The rcnlV of the Courier to this