Weekly Arizona journal-miner., 1904-07-06
INEXCUSABLE INTERFERENCE.

Tie gifted editor of the Tucson
Citizen has worked himself up to a
white heat over the candidacy of Sen
ator Bard, of California, for re-elec
ton.
The condition of Editor Moore
seems to be contagious and the Tue
son chamber of commerce seems to
have caught the buttinsky fever too.
Letters have been received here
recently from that body, urging the
people of this section to join hands
with them in opposing the reelection
of Senator Bard.
The reason given for asking Ari-
zonans to "butt in" to the senatorial
campaign in California is that Sena-
tor Bard did not vote on some meas
ure before the senate to suit these
policticsl moguls, just as though be
had been elected to represent Arizona.
Tucson politicians have done a great
many foolish things during the past
twenty years but for consummate
gall, and asinine presumption this at
tempt to dictate to Californians whom
they should elect to represent them in
the United States senate is the high
water mark.
Senator Bard opposed statehood,
says these Tucson buttinskis. Sup
pose he did. 1t was his privilege to
do so it without being questioned by
the citizens of Arizona, if he felt that
it was duty to do so.
There are people in Arizona who
agree with Senator Bard on the state
hood question. People who argue that
until our citizens show more capa-
bility for self government the terri
tory is not entitled to don the robes
of statehood and assume the response
bilities that are connected with it.
They state, and with considerable
truth, that each succeeding legislature
for the past six or eight years las
saddled some new weight on the tax
payers, and has added to the already
overburdened debt of the people They
point to the tax rate of from two and ,
a half per cent. to over five per cent.
the rate in this county for county
and oity taxes being over five per
cent ) and ask if these conditions ex-
ist as a territory what will they be if
the territory becomes a state.
1t is true that these people are in
the minority and it is also true that
they are not making any active OPP
position to statehood. But as to Sen
ator Bard's opposition, no matter
how violent or unreasonable it may
have been. the people of Arizona have
no voice in bis election and to at
tempt to dictate to the people of
California whom they should or
should not elect will only make the
people of the territory appear ridicu-
lous and would strengthen, rather than
weaken his chances of election.
Let these Tucson politicians take
this matter home. What soart of re-
ception would petition from Cali
fornia receive, attempting to inform
the voters of this territory as to their
duties in the selection of a delegate to
or to some other position?
Would it not be spurned? Would .
not O'Briern Moore, of the Citizen, !
and the members of the Tucson cham
Der of commerce arise in their wrath
and exclaim, "hands OFF,
OF curse they would and they would /
be backed up by every voter in the .
territory from Moen Copi to the Mex
lean line, and from Bill Williams
Fork to Blue river.
There is another feature to this op-
position too. Senator Bard has con-
Quoted himself in office in man
ler which seems to have pleased his
California constituent, il some of his
Arizona constituents are dissatisfied. |
The outlook for his reelection is
extremely favorable, even as against
the opposition of the Tucson Citizen