Arizona republican., 1903-06-14
Concerning the Regulars.


 On the 10th day of June. 1903. the Tucson Citizen. in an ably written edi- torial on the situation caused by the tnobs at Clifton and Morenci, laid down this sound American doctrine:
 Without law there is no liberty. Without order there is no protection to property.
 "Forcible interference with the right of every man to work is no more to be tolerated than is riotous Interference with the duty of a company to fulfill its contracts.
 Mob rule is inexcusable and intoler- able in a country where the people make the laws and the peoples agents are intrusted with their enforcement.
 An assault by rioters whether they be strikers or anarchists, on the prop erty of a corporation is no more to be tolerated than an assault by robbers on a stage coach or of burglars on bank.
 The county of Graham seems to be fortunate in having a sheriff who un- derstands his duty. The right of men to refuse to work cannot be gainsaid: no man has a right to prevent another from working.
 Ut is the duty of the sheriff of the county where riotous disturbance may be located, and of the executive of the territory if the sheriff has not force enough. to exercise all the power at his command to protect property and de- fend liberty. Every man who desires to work in Arizona should be protected in that right. The man. whether act ing as an individual or a member of an organization, who interferes with the rights and liberties or property of another is a public enemy.
 observance of law is the first duty of a citizen; the enforcement of law is the first duty of an official"
 The same view Of the matter had been taken by the Hon. Isaac T. Stod- dard. acting governor. when he order ed the national guard to the scene of the riOting, and when, in response to the urgent appeals of the peace offi- cers of Graham county, he requested the federal government 10 cooperate by hurrying federal troops to the front. On the 11th day of June, 1905, the Tucson Citizen yielded to the tempta- tion to subordinate patriotism to po- litical buncombe, and it concluded that the executive had committed a great blunder in appealing to the president for assistance from the regulars. Thus: Arizona is placed in humiliating attitude. Here is a territory claiming a population of 1500O0, a large ma jority of Anglo-Saxon stock, knocking loudly at the doors of congress and demanding admission to the union. Yet the acting executive of the terri tory would have the world believe that Arizona has not strength enough or courage enough to enforce its own laws, to protect life and property with in its borders, to suppress a mob, to guarantee liberty and the pursuit of happiness and industry to it's people.
 Tt was entirely proper for the act ing governor to order the national guard to the scene of the threatened trouble when the sheriff of the county advised him that he was menaced by q mob in the discharge of his duty. But why should Arizona yell for help to Washington before it has exhausted its own efforts to restore peace and order?
 Tt is pity that our soldier governor is not at his post of duty. Brodie would not have yelled bloody murder at the re- port of a firecracker, and called upon papa to come and help him.
 "The whole action of Stoddard shows the reckless spirit Of militarism and imperialism that pervades the mind of the average republican official. Ari- Zona will suffer by the incident. It will be in the nature of notice to the coun- try that Arizona is rot able to execute its own decrees and that it has within its borders a class of men that only the United States army Is capable of cop ing with. Arizona is as capable and as willing to enforce law and to protect life and liberty and property as any state of territory in the union. Acting Governor StOddard has been guilty of a criminal blunder."
 MT. Stoddar0 in requesting federal troops was complying exactly with the urgent entreaties of Graham county's peace officers. The telegrams from Sheriff Parks have been printed before, but we reproduce two of them:
 We believe there is immediate need of large force to quell a riot which Is impending. The strikers are armed. Send militia immediately, but We want United States troops as soon us pos sible.
 CAPT. THOS. H. RYNNING,
 JAMES V. PARKS, Sheriff."
 Want United States troops as soon ts they can be got here. Situation