The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1904-11-02
FOWLER FIRST.
Greatest Demonstration In the His
tory of Yuma.

On Monday night at Elks Hall there
was the greatect outpouring OF the
people of Yuma which, has yet taken
place in its history. Every available
foot of space was occupied with a
human being, and scores had to leave
because there was not standing room.
The occasion demonstrated the crying
need of a larger public hall for the
use of our growing town. And the
occasion was the appearance OF b. A.
Fowler, the republican candidate for
delegate to congress, to address the
people of Yuma on the issues of the
day. The turnout was the more re-
markable as he had been advertised
but one day and half. The demon
stration was gratifying tribute to
Mr.. Fowler, and an ominots warning
to Mark Smith and his adherants, as
it foreshadows the certain withdrawal
of Yuma county from the Smith col
umn, where it has hitherto always
been, and the rolling up of a stiff
plurality for Fowler on election day.
The speaking was advertised to be-
gin at p. M, but the crowd began. to
gather at o'clock and at 7:30 p. m.
every available seat was occupied, and
those who came after that hour had to
stand up. AS Mr.. Fowler had to leave
on No. 10, going east, the meeting
was called to order at o'clock sharp.
MIR. Fowler was introduced by Thos.
d. Molloy, the secretary of the Repub-
lican County Central Committee, in a
few stirring remarks in which he paid
a deserved tribute as 70 the ability
and usefulness of Mr.. Fowler as a
public servant.
The most touching incident of the
evening was the presentation to Mr..
Fowler, Immediately before he began
his speech, of an immense and beautiful
bouquet on the part OF the Woman's
Club of Yuma. 1t was intended as a
joint tribute to the speaker and his
good wife, who is president of the
Arizona Federation of Women's Clubs.
The incident deeply affected Mr.. Fowl
er and his voice had a perceptable
tremble in it as he thanked the ladies
for their gift.
Mr.. Fowler spoke for an hour and
five minutes, and during every minute
of it be had his audience with him.
Mr.. Maxwell had led the people of
Yuma to expect great things from Mr..
Fowler, and the briefest and most ex-
plicit manner to describe the success OF
Mr.. Fowler on Monday night is to say
that in the incisiveness of his speaking,
the purity of his diction, and the clear
ness of his logic, he more than fulfilled
the expectations raised by Mr.. Max
well. After hearing his speech on
Monday night no one now wonders how
Mr.. Fowler accomplished the impos-
sible for the people of Arizona and
Salt River Valley in his work for them
at Washington. Another way of de-
scribing Mr.. Fowler's success on Mon
day night is to say that his speech was
everything that Mr. Smiths speech
was not. 1t was calm, logical and eff
fective. No one was abused or vilifed,
no innuendoes were cast, nor any
covert reflections attempted to be
made, on any individual or party 1t
was the unanimous opinion of every
person who heard both speeches that
Mr.. Fowler's speech was in direct and
favorable contrast to that of Mr..
Smith.
We regret that we are unable to re-
port Mr.. Fowler's speech at length,
and have not even the space to give a
synopsis of it. One of the most telling
points in his speech and one of the
most telling points ever made from
public rostrum, was his quoting OF
Mr.. Smiths declaration made from
eveLy platform in this territory in
1856, 1888 and 1892, that it would be
idiotic to send republican dele
gate to congress from Arizona to a
democratic administration at Wash
ington an d then expect to get statehood
or any other favor. Mr.. Fowler asked
why Mr.. Smith was not now preaching
that logic in this campaign, and when
he did SO he brought down the house
in most emphatic matter. He pune.
tured Mark Smith 8 statehood issue in
a most effective manner. He showed
conclusively that the only hope of pre-
venting joint statehood is to keep
Mark Smith as far awaJ from Wash.
ington as possible, and that
the gravest danger nf joint statehood
is the personality and campaign OF
Mark Smith himself. He showed that
it will be suicidal to send Mark Smith
to Washington TO badger and bait the
republican majority in the senate and
the house; and to antagonize and assail
the president. Mr.. Fowler first showed
that there never was any real issue in
this campaign on the statehood ques-
ton, and then he proved conclusively
that, if there is any issue on that ques-
tion at all, Mark Smiths position on it
is absolutely untenable, and that it
would be folly of the most egregious
sort to send Mark Smith to congress,
where any effort that he could make