Williams news., 1904-03-12

time ago.
 Mir. Stoddard was first Charged with making a false report to the governor of Arizona. in which the matter of fees received for the filing of articles of incorporation and other papers were in question. He was also charged with maintaining a corrupt lobby in order to defeat House Bill No. II introduced in the last legislature by Representa- tive Cowan of Pima county, in com pliance with the recommendation of Gov. Brodie, to the legislature in his message. At that time it was common gossip that large sums of money were being used to defeat the measure that had for an object the turning of the fees amounting to something like $4O,00O or $5O,- GOO annually from the secretary's office into the territorial treasury.
 He was also charged with de- stroying the official fee books to prevent the legislative committee from ascertaining the correct amount of fees collected. The burning of the fee books was said to have been a violation of the the law and under the statutes a felony. When tle legislative com mittee visited the secretary's office they were at first denied admit tance, but later, Chairman Will jams was told that the books he requested had been destroyed. An examina ton of the records by the committee disclosed evidence that a false report had been made to the governor and so reported to the house.
 The fight that followed the filing of the charges is well known. Mir. Stodda1d went to Washington to present his side of the case, and was given respectful hearing. When the papers were finally turned over to the attorney gen. eral he returned to Phoenix.
 Although there are speculations as to who will be the next secretary of the territory, nothing definite is known at present. The president, it is understood, is considering sev- eral applications.
 Going further into the matter, the Gazette prints the following editorial:
 "If corruption goes unpunished in popular government, then gov ernment by the people will ulti- mately fail; they are best friends of the people who make it evident that whoever in public office or in connection with public office sins against the fundamental laws of civic and social well-being, will be punished with unspairing vigor," said President Roosevelt in a letter to Postmaster General Payne, con graduating him upon the conviction of the postal department boodlers When he, was first inducted into office the president announced openly and publicly that no man, no matter what his political "pull" might be, could hold office under his administration unless he was honest and upright. His record bears out the statement.
 Isaac T. Stoddard, secretary of Arizona, is the latest man to real ize that the chief executive of the nation was not joking when he ut tered those words The acceptance of his resignation" just at this time, three months before the ex- piration of his term, is nothing more nor less than a removal and a rebuke automatically admins tered by the administration. It is rather severe inasmuch as it estab fishes a precedent. for Mir. Stod- dard is the first and only secretary of this territory who has not been allowed to serve out his term and retire gracefully, although charges might still be hanging over his head. Mir. Stoddard might have been allowed to continue in office until July 1, when his suc-