Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1900-10-31
The Democratic Rally at Camp Verde.

Camp Verde, Arizona, October 2S. Editor Jornal-Aliner: The demo
 cratic candidates spoke here on the
 evening of the 2Gth. Reese Ling
 opened the ball by a general reference
 to the democratic candidates and by
 pouring hot shot into Geo. C. Rufner
 and telling how he had twice barred
 his breast and begged and implored ] the people to vote for him. but now he
 had thrown off the party yoke and
 was running independent. and warned
 the faithful to stay by those who stayed in the traces. Mir. Ling told
 us about the democrats he had sent to the pen at Yuma, where they could be taken good care of and out of all danger of being won over Co the re- publican party. He then gave Us a long-winded "set to" on Oalses Mur- phy, told all about that bond business from a democratic stand point. and said if Oakes Murphy was elected he would steal our water of the Verde river. If my memory serves me right. and I think it does, the rails and roll ing stock of the old Prescott and Ari- zona Central was all taken up. bag and baggage, and moved to CalifOr- nia under a democratic judge, and when papers were taken out to enjOin their removal. on the grounds of it being personal property, the court de cided it was real estate and when the case was presented in an amended form the court then decided it was personal property or rather a case of now you see 1t and now you don't see it-in favor of the railroad company. Since party lines were drawn here we have had one republican, or populist sheriff, Buckley O'Neill, and he was a good sheriff and as good and noble man as ever lived. Jim Lowery and George Ruffner and John Mmds have all been good officers and I do not believe one of them has ever taken one cent of the peoples money ua- lawfully, but as cowboys they have worked for S35 per month, and as sheriff they have received of the peO- pie money in round numbers about S25,000 per annum for the past ten years, or about a quarter of a million dollars for their services as fees in criminal and civil cases much per annum as We paid Abraham Lincoln for being president. Our taxes are now S360 on the S100 assessable property and yet the P. & A. C. bond taxes have never been levied. l say if this legislature does its duty, no matter what party Is elected, it can with perfect safety reduce the salary of every county officer in the territory at least one half, and the people can . get just as good men for officers aswe . now have. Only for the enormous . sums paid the officers they could not afford to pay the poll taxes of so . many people so as to get their votes. The democrats have had a man riding all over the valley distributing free poll tax receipts in order to get the voters to register. Several of these receipts were issued here and the party issuing them did the registering act.
 All salaries ought to be cut down at . least one-half
 Col. J. F. Wilson made one of his dowery gesticulating speeches lasting over am hour and scared the people nearly to death about our miii.ariSm and imperialism. and governing the people without the consent of the gov arned, and our enormous army of nearly one soldier to every one million Said he would soon return the trust reposed in him in a ,potless condition. Said he honestly he was the legal and rightful nominee of the democratic party, but he trouble was the other fellow bought the same way and Mark Smith, like BanquO's ghost, would not Town and to save the democratic party from complete ruin he had with lrawn. What great pity for the benefit of the people Of Arizona that le had not remained in the field.
 He begged the democrats to vote or Mark Yaller-dog, and all his re- marks reminded me of the old woman loctor that treated all manner of dis ,ases with fresh butter on the ground hat if it done no good 1t done no larm. He said if Mark could do no ,ood he could do us no harm.
 But with sour grapes as big as oranges falling thick and fast with very sentence he urged and begged lis party following to stay with the ticket.
 I have heard a good many political speeches in my time but for real, gen line 'tommy-rot' this last meeting not only took the cake but the whole bakery. I think if there was a case pure ald simple of the prejudiced blind man leading the blind il is in he case of the democratic candidate or assessor who goes about lighting he administration and officers he vol Inteered to serve. The history of the country in all our territorial acquisi iition is and has always been that We reat with the government owning the erritory. Hoist old glory to the breeze and establish the best govern nent on earth. God Almighty and he republican party and the loyal dement, of the democratic party will stay with President Mckinley until hat is fully accomplished in all our new possessions without the aid or .onsent of any other nation on earth ,r the democratic party here at home With our l222l2 people here and a epub.ican president and congress md senate. Governor Murphy is the nan the people of Arizona should -ote for irrcspec.iEe of party.
 Am sorry my last letter got sije ] racl,ed and reached you too a.e for , In my next letter 1 may eli you of o;ir visit by the republican andidates and mayspeakof the dem ,crats in plain terms but ! always iate to slv mean things about any iarty but asa newspaper correspon- lent | must dJ my duty to the pco- ,le among whom I have lived SD long.
 C.. ". Ii,