The Tucson citizen., 1902-11-18
The Scramble for Spells
Active and Persistent

| Now that the canvass of the election
returns has been completed and the
county officers are definitely settled,
| public interest again centers about the
| possible appointments of the new board
of supervisors. The fight for the princi-
| pal offices at the disposal of the board is
much like the election. The people are
playing favorites and to hear the differ
ent factions talkeone would be convinced
that their respective favorites had
down hill pull on anything hey set their
eyes on, while the other fellow chances
were hopeless. The other fellow, by the
way, is usually not entitled to the Office
nyway, and he is rather nervy in even
intimating that he ought to have it. He
never did do anything for the party and
there is no reason why the party should
do anything for him. Besides he don't
/ belong to the Infants, so what can be ex-
pect.
The new board may see the other fel.
low and the favorite in different light,
| but as has been said before, the Repub-
| liran ma iority is at loggerheads just at
present. OF course this is perhaps not
good thing for the voters to know, be-
cause the city election is so near. For
| this reason the surface has not shown
ripple-the storm effects have been put
on behind the scenes. The rnmbings.
however, will creep out over the foot
lights, no matter how loud the harmony
band may play. Of course, every one
understands, or should, that the appoint
ments are agreed upon behind the
scenes, and this is just where the ruo
comes in. The cogwheals of the ma
chine have refused to work in accord.
The fight by the way is between the city
factions.
Mr.. Roscoe Dale, it is alleged, has
chosen to become the dictator of the Re-
publican camp in Pima county. Andres
Rebel is said to be one of his lieuten.
ants and the Infants have also been
lined up. Mr.. Dale sat in his office but
a very few days ago and pointed out the
men for the supervisors to appoint. Mr..
Rebel acquesced. The dictator's work
must have been a little course. because
the Schumacher, Hart ct al. bunch
kicked over the traces at thought of it.
They declared that they had some say in
these appointments and they enlisted
Ed Vail, who was inclined to be neutral
in the row. Both factions then turned
tn Fred Ronstadt, the Democratic mem
Der of the new board. However, he was
immovable. Mr. Ronstadt refused pos
itively to take hand in Republican
row unless they should be willing for
him to make the appointments, which
of course was out of the question. The
problem now seems to be how long An
dres Rebel will hold out against what
seems to be the major half of the party.
The hottest fight is oyer the clerk
chip of the board. At the present
writing Farmer" Serrine seems to have
decidedly the best of it. Mr.. Dale it is
said insists on the appointment of John
Metz AS has been said before the lat
ter gained many supporters for his work
in the last campaign. Still there is
much grumbling just at the present
time about giving credit where credit is
due. 1t is now said that Metz acted on
ly under orders, that his work was laid
by others and that after all it was not
any too well done. They hint at some
treachery alleged to have been done by
him at Mesa during the Murphy cam
paign and some work that was not
done by him in Graham this last elec.
ton. Metz in this case is the other fell
low His supporters have different
story to tell.
Farmer Serrine comes in for few
bumps but h. appears to have strong
backing tor the place. He has been cir
culating a petition and persons who
have seen it declare that it now con-
tains the signature of nearly every
prominent Republican in the city and
some from outside. His followers point
out the fact that he is a heavy tax
payer, an old time resident and good
loyal member of the g. 0. =. camp.
Serrine also has considerable backing
in railroad circles. 1t Hooks as though
he was the candidate of the Schumacher
Hart ct al. faction. At any rate such
is the status of the candidates and its
up to the supervisors to settle the
mooted question:
The assessorship fight has cooled
down. 1t was inrimated in The Cit
izen some time ago that there were
too many candidates for the place and
that some other disposition would have
to be made of them. The party heads
have been at work and one more as
pirant has been sidetracked. Charley
Connell has been promised the office
of forest supervisor for one of the
nearby reserves. 1t looks as though
the G. o. Z. of Pima was ready to
promise anything to eXtricate them
selves from this tangle. A supervisor
of forest reserves Is government ap-
pointee. Guess they meant to promise
Mr.. Connell their support instead of
the office. This leaves Lyman Wake
field and Ramon Soto still in the race.
Waketi Id wants the Office and he would
readily accept but he is afraid the
party will make a roar. 1t can be
taken for granted, however, that he
will be the next assessor. The party
seems to thinks that Ramon Soto has
9 been paid for his work and he can
J wait until something develops. The
: fight is far from being settled and il
J may have some effect in the coming
! city election. Rosco Dale is said to bt