Arizona republican., 1903-03-07
For the Honor of the Territory.

For the Honor of the Territory.
A public duty of a high character
was discharged by the house of repre-
sentatives yesterday when it killed the
Wilson Barrows reputation bill by the
decisive vote of % to 2. The actual
vote was % to l, but it seems that Rep
resentative St.Charles voted against the
bill not knowing what he was doing.
We have never believed that ma
jority of either house of any Arizona
legislature could be enlisted to dis
grace the fair name of this territory
by undertaking to repudiate the con-
tracts made by the territory and where
from the territory has benefited 4
thousand-fold, but it is especially graft
flying to every loyal citizen to have the
assembly go on record so emphatically
and unanimously in defense of the pub
lie honor We designate the measure
as the Wilson Barrows bill because,
while it was introduced by Representa-
tive Barrows, we understand that it
was drawn by ]. F. Wilson, delegate
to congress from this territory.
Had the bill passed Arizona would
have been in deep disgrace. The meas
ure proposed two things, both vicious.
First, it was provided that hereafter
all railroads in Arizona should pay, in
lieu of all taxes, license tax ranging
from $175 to 500 per mile, according
to length of line. Second. it purported
to repeal all the laws heretofore en-
acted whereby exemption from taxa
ton for a term of years was granted
to new railroads thereafter constructed.
Pursuant to the inducements held out
bySthese various enactments, new rail-
roads were constructed, and others are
now in process of construction.
Had the bill become law it would
have worked, by virtue of the license
plan, direct loss of many thousands
of dollars to the southern counties.
Yli11la county. for illustration. now re-
ceites in railroad taxes revenue
which approximates $3.50 mile for the
railway mileage in that county.
The sections of the bill providing for
the repeal of the exemption laws and
necessarily the reputation of the
contracts so solemnly entered into by
the territory, could have no practical
effect, of course, except to place the
brand of dishonor upon Arizona, Tor
no court in the land would uphold sucn
anarchistic legislation.
On behalf of the people of the terri
tory, we congratulate the house of rep
resentatives. Our readers will remem-
Der that during the last campaign, In
discussing the mossback and repudia-
ton platform so persistently defended
by Candidate Wilson, we assured the
world at large that any reputation
INDUCED in by Arizona would be the
Republication of Wilson himself. By 4
tory only failed to repudiate him and
llis platform because the voters were
nisled into believing that his election
would assure the passage of the state
hood bill at once. His own county, ths
great mining. county of Yavapai. did re
pudiate him by an overwhelming vote
andsnow the legislature has placed thu
seaEof it's condemnation upon his poll
cies.e f--e-s--s. ----s -:>s..-
To be sure, no, sensible and progress
sive body of men coulc have taken
position different from that taken b,
the house OF representatives yesterday
Notwithstanding all the bowls of SO
cialistic agitators: and newspapers. not
withstanding all the howls of vote
seeking demagogues. the fact remain
that no laws in recent years hav
brought such enormous benefits to tn
people, have so directly contributed I
the creation of taxable wealth, or hav
operated so clearly to promote tn
prosperity of everybody, as have tn
laws exempting projected railroad
from taxation. What Arizona ha
needed above everything else, was NOR
railroads. By means of these exemI
To- dc 1af ,,,-c