Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1899-01-18
CAPITOL CONSTRUCTION BILL

CAPITOL CONSTRUCTION BILL
 The suggestion thrown out by the JOURNAL MINER in its last issue seems to have had beneficial effect on our contemporary. As matter of fact its issue this morning contains only about five or six of its usual, insinusi- ing iuuendo squibs against the IoUR- NAL MINER, while it actually contains an article of an argmentative nature in regard 70 the capitol construction bill. The latter feature is such a gratifying one that, paying uo atten- tion to it's little inu,ndOeS, th, JouNAL-MINER will produce it. Here 1t is:
 ''The CourieT's opposition to th' capitol bill was based On the fac that It was an extraordinary appro priatiun Of public funds for au e1- trsordlnary purpose, and should have been left to a vote of the p~o. pie whose money was appropriated. The people cert ainly would have voted the matter down. No mat can say that the capitol of this terr % tory is permanently located. and a, appropriation for a capitol building is out oi order until it is. Had tbv people voted this appropriation, the capitol location question would have been morally, if not legally, settled The people behind the capitol bill did not dare put the bill to such test. We insist that when the peO- ple's- money is appropriated Tor such purpose, against the will of the rsSass. that morally theft has been committed, and our belief IS that n would not require a Philadelphia lawyer to prove that a legal theft had been committed. Like soms other bonds, this bill required con gressional legalizing varnish, and our belief IS today that if Mark Smith had not taken a hand in applying the varnish to those capitol bonds that be would be delegate-elect to congress from Arizona. Unlike other legalizers, Mark had no eye ou bond speculation. He simply wanted to please Phenix and Maricopa, and he made 6 mistake"
 Aside from the use of the word eX- traordInsrv we can agree with the first sentence of the above. The building of a territorial capitol IS not an extraordinary thing. but al- most an absolute necessity. Tbe second sentence, which appears as an almost positive assertion, IS simply the private opinion of it's author. We believe that there IS sufficient spirit of progress existing in the territory, that if this proPosi- tion had been voted on it would have carried overwhelmingly. This IS also an individual opinion and not given as a positive assertion. In regard to the proposition contained in the third sentence. it is doubtful if a score of men can be found in the territory who thinks the terri torial capitol is not permanently To- cated.
 As to the proposition of taxpay' CTS being allowed to vote on al propositions involving heavy or e1' traordiuary expenditure of theiI money We quite agree with our contemporary. But as stated the building of a territorial capitol l: not an extraordinary event A'lihe public buildings of the territorJ have been erected by territorial leg islative enact ment and without be ing submitted to a vote of the peo pie. Some of them 1t IS true are monuments of legislative folly and a burden upon taxpayers of abso- lutely no benefit. In the case oI the capitol building the revenue that can be derived from it, in reGts and the money saved by the terri tory in the payment of rents will almost if not entirely pay the inter est on the bonds, in addition to pro viding a greater safety for public records. as well as consolidating ID one building all of the territorial officers, an item of DO small signlf- icance to parties having business with them.
 As to the CourieI's opposition to this bill during the time it was pending in the legislature, If such was the case, it has been overlooked As to Mark Smiths action on the capitol bill having had anything to do with keeping him out of con- gress such an assertion seems too fiippant to notice, as every one who attended the territorial democratic convention knows that Mark Smith could have had the nomination on the first ballot if he had not with drawn from the race and he came e1- ceedingly close to it despite his withdrawal. The logic through which the deductions that a steal has been perpetrated, by the en- actmeut of this bill, we leave to our readers without comment. The ex- penditure of the money appropriated for the construction of the capitol building is in good hands. It will be honestly expended and the terri tory will not be defrauded out of a cent of it but will get value re- ceived for it. The building will be a credit to the territory and will prove a good investment.
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 Refreshing reading are the Ari- zona Star, Pres ,o.t Courier, Arizona Republican. Ariz 1na Gazette and other Arizona newspapers, with their hogwash about bond deals, funding