Arizona republican., 1904-09-28
Democrats Spent a Day
 Surprising Themselves
W. THOS. SMITH'S COUP
The Extraordinary Manner in Which It Failed of SuccesS-H0W the Un- expected Defeat of Sunderland Was Brought About.


 the democratic county convention Of Yesterday it cannot be called cut and dried affair. On the contrary ir vas a series of surprises even to the prlu- cipal actors Nothing was accumplish- ed by design Such things as could not be avoided fell out by accident The most astonishing thing Of the dar was the defeat Of F. Sunderland for The nomination for county recorder IL was too, not merely defeat but a SOFT oF a slaughter The night before even the friends of Leonard were willing to concede that his candidacy was hope less and arrangements had been urac- tically concluded to give him. as a salve, the nomination for treasurer His chances had not improved by the time the convention was permanentIs organized but immediately thereafter something happened that chaugei th-. whole face of affairs. The word hap pened" is used advisediy for the ef- feet of it was not foreseen by the men who made it happen
 The report Of the committee on Der manent organization and order CT business recommended among other things that all ballots should De outn- that is, that when the name Of a pre- cinct was called. the chairman should announce its vote. In case Of a dis pute within a precinct a viva voc poll should be taken. This method oE voting had been recommended by th- central committee when it met to ar range for the convention and in the committee there was a single dissent ] ing vote.
 | But when the report was presented ' to the convention it was vigorously .op- posed. so that an amendment was ? al ' ballot. Nine-tenths Of the d-Iegates | naturally preferred that system Of v-ot- | ing, though they did not have the con i test of Sunderland and Leonard uartie- l ularly in mind The Sunderland strength consisted of fOrty-five of the hfty-six votes in the city. Arrange ments had been made for enough on the outside to insure his nomination To this arrangement the parties were bound but as soon as the plan for an open ballot had been oyerthrown the delegates were bound by nothing but their consciR1ces. which were not par ticularly exacting.
 ON THE FLY PAPER AGAIN.
 The most startling surprise of the day was sprung by W. Thomas Smith upon himself and the convention AIr
 Smith had made an active canvass for the nomination for councilman At the
 last moment he decided that he dfT not want to be councilman and ft was given out in select circles that al the |. last moment he would withdraw in rz- vor of Sam F. Webb It was supposed
 therefore, that MT. Smith would asl-
 nouEce his withdrawal the moment he
 was put in nomination But that was not the way MT. Smith was going to
 do it. He had a more spectacuIar
 
 to the stage and he even went so far ] as to give the secretary a g. gold p-ece under a rule adopted by the convention with respect to aspiring gentlemen 1 While MT. Smith was passing from the stage entrance to the stage itself and was out of sight of the convention
 a motion to nominate him by accla- nation was made and carried He ad- dressed himself as a nominee. declar- 5 ing his allegiance to the platform d ~i 7 in concluding. said that there was an other democrat in the hall wEo had greater familiarity with legfslative matters and could better carry out the purposes of the platform committee He would therefore decline in favor of ; MT. Webb But the convention did not
 fall in with MT. Smiths wish and it was hOoted down. Thus again he ! found himself laundering about on the [ Sticky Fly Paper a situation with 9 which Mir. Smith has grown so familiar ] that a sort of contempt for it has aris- - en within him.
 THE PLATFORM.
 The platform adopted by the conven- Q ton was sufficiently radical and an r archistic to please those democrats who . were dissatisfied with the democratic
 territorial platform. including Citizen l EEivfT nthnFvr-fEa r T fE-e s r-a.
 territorial platform it recognizes the \ sanctity of Jefferson, Jackson and that more recent saint. William Jennings
 Bryan. It approves of Parker. Davis
 and Mark Smith It expresses satIs- s faction in a general way with the
 enunciation of democratic doctrines at
 St. Louis. protests against joint state
 hood and territorial vassaleg ge and calls
 upon the voters Of the territory ire - spective of party to rally around that - ancient and frazzled banner. smith l and Statehood. % The nominees for the 2 legislature are pledged to legislation cn , the subject of freights and fares and 3 especially to compel railroads to car 2 ry people within the confines Of the - territory for not more than three cents e a mile. The nominees are furthe- 0 pledged to abolish the territorial board E of equalization and to pass a law . which will equalize the burdens or tax ] atiOn. The live stock law is also ta { be remodeled in the interest Of the
 stock raiser. and the Arizona Tang-rs f are to be wiped out of existence There ! is also a pledge in favor or Q primary g election law.
 HE TICKET.
 - But the most important thing ths g convention accomplished was the ncui- s nation of the following ticket Ws.ir D r was made up in part to meet geogTaF h.