Arizona republican., 1899-02-10

. greater delay in securing his just 3 rights
 : OPPOSES A CHANGE : MT. Barnes Believes the Period fol t Residence Should Be One Year.
 To the Editor of The Republican: . Sir: A bill has been passed through ? the council and is now befors the house, that should have 3 the careful attention Of every I member of the assembly, for underneath it's placid surface is c5r- f tainly most dangerous principle
 This bill is c B No. by Mir. Wolf of . Navajo and is entitled An act making six months the time of residence in the territory before one is eligible to vote This act would better be termed an
 act to allow railroads and other cor porations to properly coIontze such
 counties as they may wish to cary at
 an election
 It is one of the most dangerous
 measures ever before one of our as Isemblies and means untold trouble to
 Us il the future
 Take for instance in Yavapai county
 We will suppose that the new county of Verde does not get through at this legislature, what 8 very easy thing 1t will be for Mir. Clarke and his mana gers at Jerome to run in about six months before election an extra gang or men at the mine and around his railroad and so everbalance the rest Of the county that Prescott would find herself outvOted two to one. and in stead of Prescott as the county seat + would be Jerome.
 Suppose the Southern Pacific com pany getting tired Of going to Florence as the county seat Of PinaI cOunfy. shouId throw into, we will say Cas3 Grande, or even little Maricopa enough men on their track and other work so that by the time the electfoD can,a round they could all prove six months IesIGence-t they could move the county seat anywhere in the county they pleased and the day after election fr9 every last man and let the tax navers pay the bills
 Accompanying this bill is another changing the vote necessary to remove county seat from a two-thirds to IilnPle ,l!L majority vote. l am not sure, | I O.. S.
 There is no politics in this s3 far as am concerned but these measures aro belng pushed as democratic measures Tn the assembly and they should be watched, for they will be like two edged swords, they will cut both ways. when once they are on our statute books.
 Know l am not an alarmist, for the measures have themselves been in tFoduced for the very purposes. I have ! set forth and while they are only in tended to aid in further;ng the schemes of Q certain clique, vet they can and l am sure will be ussd in | more than one part of our territory if they once get place on our statutes |
 There is hardly county seat in Ari- zona but would feel this law to it's sorrow, for while year is tCo long for such a colonization plan to be carried | out, six months will be a very easy matter
 Men can be dumped into town and . kept at work very easily for that long on railroad and other heavy contract work and 1t is placing top great power in the hands of the officials who manage such great corporations
 If any reader doesn't think I am right, let him ask any fairminded man from Yavapai county, what part the CHlted Nefde company took Tn the last election, and how much mcnsy they spent to do it.
 Ask anyone in Maricopa county If they want to risk having thousand CT more. men put to work on an enter prise like the Rio Verde canal scheme about six months before the next e!ee- tion, all brought from without the ter ritOry and voted like so many sheep to defeat or elect some certain man CT men.
 l know exactly what I am saying, when 1 charge that this is back of this new law, and l want to sound the notes of alarm before it is tcO late, and we are all interested 100. for no one can say in what part Of the territo it will be used, once it is on the books.
 The law requiring a years residence to vote in Arizona and q tw0-thiTdS majority to move a county seat is the only safe one and should stand un- and untouched.
 We want no floating tramp voters, who stay a few months and are gone but residents and tax payers who will ] settle down and make their homes with us. i
 A years residence is little enough l for voter Please leave the law as it is Messrs Assembiymen.
 WILL c. BARNES (
 Phoenix, Feb. g. II