The Tucson citizen., 1902-11-29
THE GOVERNMENT OF TUCSON.

The strength of the Democratic can
didates for members of the city coun.
ell is demonstrated by the haste with
which two of the Republican mons
inees for councilmen withdrew from
their ticket after the Democratic
nominations were announced. Mr.. S
e. Gregory Republican candidate for
councilmah-a has withdrawn,
and so has J. K Brown, the candidate
for councilman in the second ward.
We hasten to compliment these
gentlemen on their perspicacity.
Defeat stared them in the face, and
they were happily endowed with
sufficient prudence to avoid the or
deal. For Mr.. Willis P. Haynes and
Mr.. F. J. Villaescusa we have SYM
pathy. They have been drafted to
meet an embarrassing emergency, but
their defeat is just as certain as was
that of the two more experienced and
better seasoned gentlemen who with
drew from the ticket to make room
for them. OF course the men nomin-
ated by the machine would be more
Subservient to the machine than men
named by the party in mass meeting
but we doubt If this will appeal to the
common sense Of the voters When
they go to the polls to cast their ball
lots.
The fact is, the Democratic ticket
stands for what is best in the commu-
nifty. The candidates for the city
council are unusually well equipped
and qualified to render valuable ser
vice to the people. There are no bet
ter men in Tucson than Philip Cont
zen, Dan Evans and M. G. Samaniego.
They are intelligent and public spir-
tied, they understand the wants of
Tucson, they are taxpayers, they are
progressive, and they stand squarely
on the reform platform adopted by
the Democratic convention. Mayor
Schumacher is the head of the Repub-
lican city machine. He will be mayoA
for two years more. Two of the candi-
dates for the city council now on the
Republican ticket were named by the
machine-that is to say, by Mayor
Schumacher. Do the people of Tue
son think it wise and prudent and
proper that the city administration
should be as compact and responsive
a machine as the main cogs of the
Republican wheel? The city govern
ment was meant to be composed of CO.
ordinate branches. If the mayor has
the appointing of councilmen-and
the naming Of councilmen by his ma
chine is practically the same thing
we might as well candidly admit that
We have one-man government.
In order to insure an economical, a
just and progressive administration
of the affairs of the city, the council
ought to be Independent of the mayor
Any one with grain of common
sense will recognize that members of
the council who owe their official being
to the mayor would ever be subser.
Went to him, and mere creatures of
his desire. For this reason alone,
the election of the Democratic candi-
dates for the city council is an i'm
perative' duty of wise and patriotic
citizenship. The mayor of Tucson has
good deal of power and authority
and the fdca Of the council Is to regu-
late and restrain that power and au
thority. This can not be done by
men who owe their position to the
mayors machine.
1t can be said, too, that, the Demo
cratic candidates for the minor ex-
ecutive Offices come up to the full
standard from the viewpoint of char
acter and equipment. Messrs. Treat
Flynn, Legarra and Taylor are honest
and capable. Flynn, Legarra and
Taylor have served the city for two
years past in the Offices to which they