Arizona republican., 1900-09-13
After Day of DsgraGetu Wrargrg Personal Encounter and Orgies by the Territorial Democracy in COnVen
 ton Assembled, Requiring Police Intervention the
 Contest Between Smith and Wilson is as Doubtful as EVer-Not Even Temporary Organization Yet and
 None in Sight,

The territ 1rial democratic convention is now in progress under the surveil- lance of Sheriff Murray. but for whose intervention carly yesterday the cor oner would probably had a part of it under consideration. It can hardly be said that the convention is in pro- gre'ss any m re than a race may be said to be in progress while the horses are merely scoring for a start. Even a temporary organization has not yet been effected.
 The democrats commenced at the wrong end and in an irregular way by trying to get a report on credentials at the outset without waiting for the ap- poirtment of a credentials committee in due form. Hence all the trouble, heartburnings and parliamentary tan gles from which it seems now the con- Nention can hope for eXtrication only by the continued application of the rules laid down ia Sheriff Murray's Manual, the case having gotten beyond the principles set forth in Roberts Rules of OIder or those other excellent text books on parliamentary law com piled by Jefferson and Cushing.
 These well known and time hOnored authorities used to be adequate to the proper government of deliberative bod ies. but times and democrats change. so that within the last ten years a speaker of the house of representatives founl it necessary to establish more rigid regu- laions for the control of a democratic minority. These regulations have since been compiled and called Reeds Rul-s. |. democratic assemblies by the princi- ples laid down and enforced yesterday by Sheriff Murray.
 THE OPENING.
 A bigger crowd was never called to- gether in Arizona by political con Vention. The start was not au- spiciOus. The delegates were in fairly good humor but back of ;his pleasing circumstance was the fact that three days had been spent in vain trying to agree. It was plain that an agree ment on any point would mean the absolute backing 9Swn of one side or the other. There was no such thing as q compromise. The who'll fight rested upon the disposition f the Maricopa contest. If it were sustained. Smith was defeated, and if not. Wilson was a beaten man. The fight was even narrower than that for the whole issue came to lie with the temporary chair man. The duty Of every delegate was so simple that there was no possibility that either side could profit by a mis- take of the other in voting. Tn Will son people seemed to have a decided advantage in Chairman Parish of the territorial committee who called the rn lnv, tA outset he permitted an action which may be construed to ba a mistake in allowing the contest to come up in directly but prematurely. and fall into the hands of Secretary Trott. who was known to be unfriendly to it. His treatment of it was intended to decide it in favor of the contestees by re- fusing to recognize the delegation in making up a roster of those entitled to vote for temporary chairman.
 Whether Chairman Parish really made a mistake IF not depends upon the result for skill Is measured by sue cess whether or not the success is the direct result of skill. or failure the re- suit of a want of it.
 It may be said that it was not con- templated that MT. Trott would reject the contesting delegation; that he had no authority to do so, but if a man sue ceeds in doing what he has no power 1T authority to do. it is the same as if he had been invested with full power and authority.
 The secretary declined to recognize the contesting delegation. It Is argued that IL is not the business of a secre- tary to recognize or fail to recognize anything. His business is to silently accept every document presented for the consideration of the convention. IL is true that if he had accepted the c5ntesting delegations credentials there would have been too many votes in the convention. That. however. would have been no affair of the sec 1etary's. The convention would have fixed that at the proper time.
 TWO MEN OF NERVE.
 The convention, though disgrace fully riOtOus, requiring the in tervention of the police, was in many respects remarkable. The riot was not holly unexpected, and both sides had made the most careful preparation for il. Each had chosen the man bes, pre- rared for the trying position of tenn porary chairman. Though both have been serving in that capacity since the dual election, neither has had all op- portur:ty to show any especial parlia-