Arizona republican., 1905-05-09

lagOnlSn MT. McAIee was sorry to hear personal attacks made by some of the speakers upon men who in the late election had differed honestly on the subject of gambling. He regretted that doubt had been cast upon the motives and intentions of the mayor and members of the council. He had opposed their election because he be- lieved that they were on the wrong side; but they were now his mayor and his councilmen, and he was dis posed to give them an opportunity to redeem the promises which they had made. The speaker desired that it might be understood that there was no longer a political campaign; there were no personal antagonisms; there was antagonism only to gambling and it's kindred evils,
 The speaker suggested that the time
 was now at hand for the formulation of a plan against that evil; that he understood to be the object of the meeting and not to thresh over old straw. He had heard that one object was to put in motion a petition to the council for the suppression of gam bling in the city of Phoenix; he had also heard that an object of it was to begin movement for the petitioning of congress for the suppression of gambling throughout the territory; also that there was to be considered the matter of establishing a local op- tion district embracing the whole north side of the river. He suggested the appointment of committees to form definite plans.
 Eugene Brady O'Neill urged a move ment against gambling all along the line. He favored municipal cam paign against it and at the same time a movement for it's suppression throughout the territory. A petition should be sent to congress. Every man and woman should write to friends in other states urging them to use their influence with their con- gressmen in favor of Arizona The various religious societies in the na- tion should be set at work Mir. O'Neill believed that within a week after the assembling of congress a bill expressing gambling in the territory would be passed. COngressmen, he said, were singularly moral when their own constituents were not affected. It took two hours to pass the bill making it crime to use the United States mails for lottery purposes It took a single day to pass a bill making prize fighting in this territory a felony,
 F. H. Cooper favored the presenta- tion of a petition to the council He had faith in the honor of the mayor and the councilmen. But all politics should now be lost sight of, he said, and he explained that that was why the citizens committee had been disband- ed. For the purposes of the election it had allied itself with one of the political parties. It's usefulness, there fore. as a citizens committee had de- parted, and 1t had gone out of business to make room for another popular or ganization.
 B. NJ. Clark favored a territorial agi- tation. He had understood that if gambling were suppressed in the city the games would be removed just be- yond the limits; the thing to do there fore. was to secure from congress an as to the whole territory.
 On the motion of MT. Hirst a com mittee of twenty-five was appointed for the formulation of some plan of ac- tion, and when one had been agreed upon the committee should call anoth- CT mass meeting. There was a further general discussion Of various plans. the majority of the speakers favoring an appeal to congress. Dr. Hughes op- posed the plan of the petition to the council as a waste of time. IL would be impossible. he said, to obtain the of 51 per cent of the voters of Phoenix; 1t would be impossible to secure the signatures of 25 per cent. The doctor offered in either event to donate his residence at the corner of Third and Adams street as a home for retired and superannuated gamblers.
 Others were in favor of giving the council a chance. That they ex-