The Tucson citizen., 1902-09-11

ing over what seems to him as the
discontinue of his enemies. He
appeared to lay all of his discredit at
the hands of the party bosses at the
door of trio composed of Judge Kirk
patrick, Colonel Zabrislie and Farm
err Serrine. What tickled the judge
most was the fact that all three had
failed to qualify. Wilson fought from
start to finish yesterday to throw
down the machine, and there were ru-
mors afioat during the afternoon of
compromise. He no doubt would
have succeeded in his purpose had he
also put straight ticket In the field.
The railroad and Mexican vote was al
most solid for the independents.
Strange to say the machine men are
equally jubilant today. They seem to
see Wilson's finish in the not distant
future. They declare that the justice
can never receive the nomination, and
intimate what will hapen if he does.
So the party knife was not buried yes
terday nor will it be buried after the
convention on the 18th instant.
There were really two contests being
fought yesterday. The one was open
and above board and the other was
subtle and under cover. The first
was pushed into the foreground to
hide the second. The one was on the
surface, while the other played as a
strong undercurrent beneath.
Few of the voters who entered the
polls yesterday were aware that they
were deciding the fate of W. F. Coop
er the present district attorney. The
strange but cunning thing about it all
was that the name of w. F. Cooper
was kept out of the air. The machine
"cappers' kept up a continual howl
about the price of justice in Wilson's S
court; how he thew down the push
in certain cases and what poor run
he would make This was merely a
buster. The real question of the day
was the district attorneyship. It
looks today as if the machine, cleverly
manipulated by Roscoe Dale, had hood
winked the Republican voters into
casting the straight ticket on the pre-
sumption of defeating L. S. Wilson
While at the same time they were ig-
norantly sealing the fate of W. F.
Cooper.
The story of the campaign is long
one, but the recent moves IN it are
truly artful 1t will be remembered
that W. F. Cooper some time ago with
drew from Pima county politics and
removed to Los Angeles. He was at
the time THE idol of the party and was
recognized as the only possible candi-
date for his office OF course longing
eyes were cast toward the Office on his
withdrawal, but Mr. Dale's were there
first. The machine had organized the
Infants" about this time, for the
avowed purpose of naming the party
candidates. Mr.. Dale of course was
named. though not publicly. Things
were moving along smoothly when the
versatile Cooper did the unexpected
and reappeared on the scene. The
CONSERVATION that followed was some
thing awful.
Mr.. Dale had fixed his eyes on the
office and there was no letting 60 Be-
sides. Cooper was not on the machine,
but nevertheless he was dangerously
| in the way. The field would have tc
be cleared for the machine candidate.
so the push ribbed Mr. Cooper up to
run for Congress. The way the victim
| bit was something amusing to them
and they pushed it along. But Cooper
will do the unexpected, and this occa-
sion was no exception, for he unex-
pectedly got wise and returned to his
race for the district attorneyship.
There was Just one thing left for the
big bunch to do, and that thing was
done yesterday. Mr. Cooper was
knitted to finish. The game in fact
was laid in the mass meeting of last
Monday evening. Three machine men
were' appointed on the committee of
five to select fifty names. These gen,
tlemen had their list compiled ahead
Of time. SO that their names went on
the ballot first, and made a straight
ticket. f>~F '""'sz
The fight, on the whole, is one of the
most bitter in the annals of the local
party. Personal grievances have
been made political issues, and the
results are too apparent for comment.
If there is any harmony in the Re-
publican ranks today, it will take a
good musician to discover it.