Arizona republican., 1905-04-30
Answering the PharIsee.

It is always the way Of the pharisee to assume to be better than his neigh bor A few political pharisees have assumed in this campaign to be pet ter than the entire citizenship of Phoenix. That is why the republican party. to a man, has been offended. A campaign of bluff and bulldozing was undertaken by few men. and they are still trying to brazen it out.
 These men know that republicans are always sensitive on moral ques- tions. They thought. therefore. that they could command the republicans like a drove of sheep. and drive them into a corral prepared by democratic politicians. when a brass band cru sade on the gambling question was concerned. They thought republicans could be bluffed and bulldozed by the charge that the republican party is a gamblers party" and by chasing had the manhood to stand by the re- publican ticket.
 But the effort to stampede the re- publlcans of Phoenix has failed.
 If one has any curiosity in the mat ter he may ascertain the attitude of the party by talking with any aver , age republican. He will find the av
 craze republican saying substantially this: T am opposed to public gam5 ling. have no sympathy with the business. It has gone on from year to year as an inheritance from the from tier days There have been no local efforts at regulation or suppression of the business for two reasons. It Is made legitimate by territorial statute, and one democratic legislature after another has refused to repeal the law. Nor has there been any evidence that , the democratic attitude would be changed. I recognize. of course, that
 when gambling Is suppressed it must ] be done with a strong public senti- ment back of reform laws, or the laws will be a dead-letter. In the second place, have gone about my own af- i fairs and have started no crusade on my own hook, because I have had ] plenty of things to do. MT. Adams and 1 the other candidates on our tickets. | as well as the hold-over councilmen, l have pledged themselves to carry out | the wishes of the majority any time | these wishes are expressed. so the
 way is clear for the suppression of gambling if the people want it sup ] pressed. A bona fide petition will do | the business very quickly. I know i that Adams and the other republican candidates are honest men, and I
 would take their word in any business
 matter. I can afford to take 1t in
 this case, certainly. You can count
 me as against gambling, and I don't 1 thank any democratic politician for l chasing me as a gambler or my party as a gamblers party. I have mighty little faith in these fellows who claim | to be better citizens than I am, or as having a higher regard for my family
 most of them, and I know that some
 of them are so good that they won't
 take anything that doesn't belong to | them-provided it Is nailed down."
 And the inquirer will find the !n-
 telligent republican continuing: My
 own party will not only take care of
 the gambling question, but I am for
 Adams and the republican ticket be-
 cause 1t represents the progressive
 spirit of the town. Few men have the
 confidence of the business community
 to a greater degree than Adams has
 it. and the whole ticket is able and
 clean. Adams is one of the heaviest taxpayers in town. I don't regard
 him as a philanthropist, but I know
 that he will always work for the good of the town, because his interests in