Arizona republican., 1902-08-31
PHOENIX, ARIZONA, AUG. 31, 1sO
The Reservoir Issue.

The democrats or ArlZona Seelll ui9 posed to make political issue out or the construction of the Tonto basin reservoir by the government. The ball was set rolling by the democrats or this county in the Tempe convention last Wednesday. It was generally un- derstood that the question was brought up then for the embarrassment of Col onel Wilson. after it became evident that he would secure the support or this county in the Tucson convention. It was not expected that the matter would so any farther than Tucson.
 Since then the Tucson democrats have held a convention in which they resolved, among other things, that there must be given no preference to the Tonto basin site over any other site. There is likely to be a good deal of pickering over this question before the democrats nominate a candidate for delegate. and it is easy to see how the noise raised by them might be heard at Washington. It is not so easy to see. though, what effect the quarrel might have upon our chances of securing a reservoir at all. The quarrel itself cannot certainly be re- garded as an argument in favor of the reservoir.
 There is no reason why the demo- crats of this county and of the counties of Pima, Pinal and Gila should agitate themselves Two sites have been con- sidered by the department, the one at San Carlos and the Tonto basin site. It has been explained that there need be no antagonism between those who favor the one and those who favor the other. Though both, if built at all, would be built under the same law. they would be built under different pro visions of it and for different purposes. The construction of one of the reser- Voirs would be no argument against the building of the other, and would not remove the necessity for it. In either case the government would ex- pect to be reimbursed for the cost of construction. It would be reimbursed. though. in two different ways. In the case of the Tonto basin reservoir. the water users of the Salt River valley would pay for it. and in the case of the San Carlos dam the purchasers of the public lands would have to pay for it. So there is no reason why the government should net. at the same time begin work on both reservoirs.
 There is a possibility. slight perhaps. that this quarrel among the democrats of the four counties interested may re- suit in the construction of neither of them.
 There is no use in pledging the can- didate of either party in this matter. Whoever may be sent to Washington as delegate can do nothing. More powerful influences than any delegate from Arizona are at work, and if either or both the reservoirs are secured it will be through those influences. Our delegate in congress. whoever he may be, would be a mere gnat on the ox's horn, so far as the securing of the res ervoir is concerned.
 If Colonel Wilson wants to pledge himself for either, both or neither of the reservoirs, let him do so. The pledg- ing can do neither good nor h2 rm. II would do neither good nor harm if he should put himself on one side or the other of the moon and green cheese controversy. But much harm may be done by a sectional quarrel concerning i the location Of the reservoir.