Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1899-11-09
THEY'RE INITIATING US ALREADY.
WE TOLD YOU SO!

a chairman. City Treasurer w. B.
Lount was accordingly elected. At this
juncture Eugene Brady O'NeiH, who
said he was not a citizen of Phoenix
but a "denizen of Arizona" and had no
other interest in the meeting than as
representative of certain bondholders
of the Phoenix Water company, entered
upon a wild and tumultuous oratorical
career. had to be cut short by the sher-
iff after the crowd had manifested
: its inability to howl him down. Mr..
O'Neill subsequently acquired the floor,
but what he intended to say will ever
remain a secret between him and his
( God. Between the county and city
peace officers and the hooting crowd
his suppression was finally made per-
manent
After an organization had been eff
fected the meeting was addressed by
Major J. w. Evans. who quickly came
to the point by describing the late con-
/ duct of the recalcitrant cOuncilmen
and mayor as traitorous, and named
| them. His speech was frequently in
terrupted by cheers, and particularly
that part of it denouncing the action
of the council.
DR.. w. w. Hibbard followed in an adj
vOcacy of a public water works system
and said that since it had been found
improbable to put the matter into the
hands Of committees, it should now be
left to a committee of the whole people
as had been proposed in the bond cleo
ton. The recommendation was loudly
applauded.
EXMayor ]. c. Adams addressed the
meeting. first on the desirability of a
public system and then upon the course
Of the council and its disregard of its
public and private promises. He al
luded to the appointment of the so
called committee last Monday night
and the councils confession of wrong
under pressure yesterday afternoon in
appointing a new committee. The tenn
per of the meeting was shown in fire.
quent expressions of applause of the
eX-mayor's suggestion.
Judge Baker followed Mr.. Adams in
4 statement that he was present with
out a knowledge of the object of the
meeting. He learned with great ra-
pidity, for he began a defense of the
mayor and two councilmen by vio-
lently attacking eX-May0r Adams. He
was called to order by the chairman
and the audience.
II. NJ. Willis reviewed the events
which preceded the meeting and the dis
regard by the councilmen of their
pledges last spring. Mr. Willis more
clearly outlined than any of his prede-
cescrs what was sought to be done in
calling the meeting together, and all
but led up to the introduction of the
condemnatOry resolutions.
District Attorney Flanagan followed
Mr.. Willis in a brief address in which
he called upon the defendant members
of the council to stand up and offer an
explanation to the meeting. They were
nowhere about the building.
About this time there was an intro
duction of the real business of the
night. 1t came in the form of the fol-
lowing resolution by z. S. Russell:
Whereas, A majority of the city
council of Phoenix have refused to
grant the request of the taxpayers of
the city that an election be called,
whereat the wishes of the voters might
be expressed in reference to providing
this city with a modern system OF
water works and sewers; and,
Whereas, This refusal to protect the
rights of the people, and this high
handed and revolutionary proceeding
on the part of the said majority of the
council was clearly the result of cor
rupting influence exercised by the
Phoenix Water company; and,
Whereas. The question as to the
water and sewerage facilities of this
town has merged into the larger ques-
ton whether the mandate Of the people
is to be overridden and their official
representatives debauched and dis
graced with impunty; now, therefore,
Resolved, That the taxpayers OF
Phoenix in this mass meeting assem-
bled do condemn unreservedly. the
methods which have been pursued by
the Phoenix Water company and it's
agents.
Resolved, That the taxpayers Of
Phoenix in this mass meeting assem-
bled, do solemnly brand as corrupt
and infamous the action of Mayor
CAM and Councilmen Morford and
Fickas and it is the sense If this
meeting that said mayor and council
men have forever disgraced themselves
and the city, and that we call upon
them to resign forthwith, since they
have forfeited the confidence and re-
spcct Of their constituents"
That was a crucifying resolution:
few had contemplated such a bitter de-
nUnoiation, but bitter as it was it was
received with cheers succeeded by a
brief silence. Judge Baker came for
ward. this time with something to talk
aboUt-nOt as citizen and taxpayer,
but as counsel for the defense. He at
tackled the resolution 1-ioIa1tIy- and 10
manded proof of its allegations. His
speech was turned to a plea for the
families and children of the men aimed
at, and lastly he urged their long resi-
dence in the community. This long