Arizona republican., 1904-05-01
RECORDS OF CANDIDATES
The Only Certain Evidence of Their
 Fitness for Office.

l One of the most important questions that come before the people of any city is soon to be decided by the voters and taxpayers of Phoenix. The people of Phoenix are to choose who shall be councilmen from the Second and Fourth wards for the next two years
 and as the question is one of vital importance it behooves US all to weigh the matter carefully, shunting political preiudices and-petty jealousies, adhe-- ing only to those principles that guide all good business men in securing such persons to look after their interests as are honest and who have ability and experience.
 | The best way to judge men when we choose them to look after our interests is to know of their past records-what they have stood for and what they stand for now.
 | In the Second ward there are two candidates. MT. Greene and MI. Nor ion. Both are good men and both have the respect and confidence of the com munity. Both are men who have ideD- tified themselves with the movement that resulted in rescuing the city from tho grasp of the Phoenix Water com pany.
 There has been considerable printed in certaip daily in the city that l feel sure is an injustice to MT. Greene, coupling, as it does, his name With NJ IT. Sherman and MT. Ainswo-th and iu- siStinS that he would be controlled by thesa men in the interests of the Phoe- | nix Water company against the inter ! ests of Phoenix and her citizens. It would seem that MT. Greene's stata- mena over his own signature, a few days since in the papers, ought to be enough to satisfy us 2s to his attitude on this question. He states that he is and always has been interested in and identified with the movement for mu- nicipal ownership of waterworks for Phoenix and that if elected councilman, he is in favor of securing the best sys- tenn of waterworks possible for the least money. He has also stated to the writer and others that if elected he will. if it is found necessary to pur- chase the present waterworks, use his best efforts toward purchasing it at the lowest dollar possible and at what it is worth as a second hand waterworks. without considering franchise values. He has stated to the writer and others, and I feel sure will so state to anyone who will ask him. that if elected he will use his best efforts to meet the desires of the Citizens committee Of which he has always been a working member), in connection with tEis mu- nicipal waterworks question.
 If MT. Greene can be controlled hy the Phoenix Water cOmpany's at>or- neys, why wasn't he controlled by thsm during all these years he has been work ing for municipal ownership? He is one of the oldest workers in this mova- ment, having been1 a member of the first committee of seven, and has been closely identified with it ever since
 He has been in business here for years and is recognized as one of tte best business men in the city and I, for one, have never heard a word against his integrity and integrity is the first requisite where men are to be trusted with handling our money and attending to our business. Next comes business ability and experience. All these qualifications I believe NJ. Greene possesses. His record in this community and in his earlier Illinois home all bear us out in this belief. We can but trust him on his past record and unequivocal pledges fer the future. His record Is good and his pledges are to the point. And so the whole question rounds up to this: There is about $7C0O per month handled by the mayor and city council; in addition to this. there Is s20O, 900 to be spent ir the building Of first class waterworks system. To attend to this business we should have men of honesty, experience anl ability. Which man possesses these qualQc7- tions in the greatest degree? Which man would be chosen by us to attend to our own business affairs?
 These are the questions that should guide us in casting our ballots. If ev- cry citizen could but spend an evening at the city council meeting and observe the business judgment necessary to de- eide questions of importance involving thousands of dollars, it would not take him long to decide between the gco1 fellow and the good business man for councilman.
 The writer of this respects both can I it1AA>as in the Second ward, and writes t1 los cause of a desire for fair play aS U.- the outcome of the coming