Arizona republican., 1906-03-30
PHOENIX. ARIz.. MARCH 30. 1906.
Two Campaign Methods

Leaving out the question of the su- perior fitness of MT. B. A Fowler or Dr. F. " Wilbur to be president of the Salt River Valley Water Users as sociation the plan of the campaign conducted by the friends of Dr. Wilbur is to be deprecated.
 If in order to insure his success it Is necessary to inaugurate factional fights throughout the valley, his cause must be lacking in merit.
 Everyone must have observed the difference in the methods of the two narties. The friends of MT. Fowler are trying to solidify all the interests of the valley. The friends of Dr. Wilbur are doing their utmost to disintegrate the valley and to create conflicting in terests.
 These statements we think will be admitted by any honest observer of the events O. tha last week.
 We will suppose that some stranger were watching the conflict and the methods of the combatants, without any knowledge of the merits of the controversy or the candidates.
 Would he not conclude that right was pn the side of qualification and attempt at harmony and wrong on the side of disintegration and attempt at the creation of sectional rivalry?
 Let every man who intends to vote at the election next Tuesday put him. self into the place of this unbiased observer and decide who is right and who is wrong.
 It will be universally admitted tha' the methods of MT. Fowler and Eis friends are for the peace and prosper itv of the valley.
 It does not require that a man shall be very wise to understand that no community was ever built up by the process of tearing it into pieces.
 The Republican has hitherto called attention to the efforts. in the course of the campaign against Mir. Fowler. to set the south side against the nort.. side and to divide the north side b. arraying the water users under the old canals against those of the Arizona canal.
 For a long time systematic attempts have been made to breed among the farmers a distrust of the business men of Phoenix. We regret to admit that in some instances these attempts have been successful. The farmers have been told that since they have to pay for the maintenance of the Water Users Ch d. vice which me-. come to them from within the corporate limits of Phoe- nix
 The fact has been overlooked by some that nearly every business man who has taken an active part In be- half of MT. Fowler is himself a land owner, supporter of the association and ir precisely the same position as the farmer. His interests are exactly the same as those of the farmer The fact that he may be living in town does not deprive him ot the right to desire the best thing for the valley.
 But if he did not own an acre of land and were dependent wholly upon his bank, his shop or his store, under it all would be the prosperity or the ranches. There could be by no possi- bility a conflict of interests between the town and the country.
 If it is true that the business men of Phoenix more ardently desire the reelection of MT. Fowler then some Of the farmers do it is because they are more appreciative of his ability to serve the whole vallev.
 Any man who tells any other man In the Salt River valley in the course oe this campaign that he can profit by fighting some other section or some imaginary. opposing interest is an en- emy and should be disregarded.
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