Arizona republican., 1907-02-16

Ihe agony was unnecessarily prOlOng-
ed yesterday by the fllrtatious conduct
Of young Mr.. Williams OF Coconino.
Mr.. Williams traveTsed back and forth
the ground between his sense OF
justice and fairness and what he was
later led to believe was his duty to his
party.
But for the time consumed by him
the three-cent fare bill instead of oc-
cupying the entire day Of the house
would have been passed in the morning
and put out OF the way.
The measure came up after the routine
business of the morning. It had been
left on the verge of passage the day be
fore and all that was necessary was to
ask for an order for vote. There were
apparently thirteen votes in its favor
on Thursday and there had been no
outward indication that the strength
had been reduced.
AS soon as the matter was brought
up. Speaker Bailey left the chair to
make one last appeal TO the good judg-
ment Of the house. He asked for q
pOstponement of further consideration
OF the bill for a legislative day. He
reminded the advocates Of the bill that
all through the fight they had prated
Of justice and fairness. Now was the
time to display II. There had been the
speaker said a poverty Of argument on
the bill. He had expected some data
10 be presented 10 the house but it had
not yet come. II might have an i'm
pOrtant bearing on the subject and en-
tighten members who had been misled
by the wild and indiscriminate attack
which had been made on the railroads.
II might make clear why the tax pay
ers of the territory would be benefited
by the defeat Of the bill At anv rate
the position Of the honest advocates
Oi the bill would not suffer by the post
pOnement.
Mr.. Williams came to the support Of
the speaker. As things then stood. he
said he was in favor Of the bill but he
realized that the information on both
sides had been meager and he believed
il was quite proper that the fullest op-
portunity should be given the oppon-
ents Of the bill to bring forward any
arguments which they might be able
to present. As for himself he was con-
vinced that il the proposed law were
valid it would be a good thing but
doubt had been cast upon its validity
Mr.. Williams attacked the position of
Mr.. Bell the dav before in his famous
challenge" TO the railroad attorneys.
He charged him with having desired
that he be armed with a lance and that
the railroad attorneys be asked to de-
fend themselves with wax wands.
Messrs Bell and Crenshaw entered
hystertc opposition to the postpone
ment. The former said among other
things that formerly members OF the
legislature had travelled TO the capital
and wherever else they desired to go
on passes. The Hepburn bill wiped the
passes away and the Legislators were
without them and and said he. now
that being the case, the time has
come when we can do something for
the people
Mr.. Bell replying To Mr.. Williams
taunt relating to his challenge. said he
was not afraid of any railroad lawyer
in the territory or in the whole country.
In fact he was "skeered o. nothin' "
but he did not want to demean himself
by engaging in wordy warfare with
the hirelings Of the railroad in so sac
red n place as the legislature.
Mr.. Williams again asked him what
he was afraid OF in the postponement.
He replied that he was afraid Of the
intervening twenty-four hours Both
he and Mr.. Crenshaw impugned the in
tentiOns Of members and intimated
that they might be brought under i'm
proper influence unless the bill were
rushed through before they had time
to become acquainted with all the facts
concerning it.
In reply to a question as to the char
acter of the data he expected to re-
Ceive, Speaker Bailey said that a tel