Bisbee daily review., 1908-02-23
BRADY o'NEtl'S
PLATFORM,

PLATFORM,
me Review YESTERDAY morning con-
tslaea an article from Phoenix which
contained What is said to be the plat
form upon which Hon. Brady o'Neil
viii ask 10 be endorsed as the DEM
oeratie candidate for congress next
fall, Il seems that Mr.. o'Nem lays
particular stress upon the fact that
he has heretofore favored legislation
which would regulate railroad charges
in this territory. We agree with Mr..
o,Neil that the people of Arizona are
contributing entirely too much to the
railroads in the way OF freights and
passenger fare. But when he offers
the inference that the present dele
gate to congress is in any way re-
sponsible for this we are net going
to agree with him and do not believe
that he believes such rot himself.
After the attempt at railroad legis-l
lation in Phoenix during the last leg
islature it became known that the
question of rates in this territory was
only subject to regulation by and
through the interstate commerce com-
,,,s.-so,. +b;z x,-nz +ba oonfontiay, nf
some Of the members of the legisla-
ture and their views have since been
found to be correct, as we understand
that the interstate commerce COM
mission has all power in fixing both
freight and passenger rates in the
territories and that a local commits
sion here could do no more than an
individual or business firm in bring
ing wrongs to the attention of the
national commission. A commission
in Arizona would amount to no more
than giving few more fat positions
to those who want ofhce.
Mr.. o'Neil has not stated how he
could right the wrongs done to the
people of Arizona by the railroads
more effectively than could the Hon
Marcus A, Smith, our present dele,
gate. or Hon. Henry Ashurst, oil
Flagstaff, or the Hon: Tom Norris, OF
Prescott, or the Hon. Geo. w. P
Hunt of ella County, or the Hon
Thomas Weedin, of PinaI county, Of
the Hen. Wiley E. Jones, or the Hon
James Hampton, of Graham county
All these gentlemen have long stood
high in the Democratic party an(
would be equally as able to represen
Arizona in congress as Mr.. /O'Neil
granting that he is all that he claim
to be as an enemy of railroads ant
other corporations
Until Arizona becomes state on
people will be powerless to get NOR
relief from the railroads than the in
terstate commerce commission wi
give US, therefore the important wor
expected of a delegate in congress
from this territory in the irnmediat
future win be the matter of passing
bill for the admission OF Arizona a
a state in the union. Another impo
tant and first duty. perhaps, will b
the prevention of the passage of tn
joint statehood bill with which "
wero threatened during the last col
gress.
Believing that the preservation
Arizona from joint statehood and ii
passing of a bill which win give sc
arate statehood to the people
Arizona wifi be the paramount duty
a representative in congress it wou
seem to be the height of folly to CO
Mark Smith from his post OF duty u
Ill this work is accomplished and
say this with all due respect 10 Il
many able and worthy Democra
whose names have been prominent
mentioned as probable and availat
candidates for congress in Arizona.
Mark Smith has a record which
clean and honorable from the day
first entered congress more thi
twenty years ago up to the prese