Arizona republican., 1908-02-27
PHoENN ARIz. FEBRUARY 27, 1908
KEEP THE ISSUE CLEAR.

The somewhat personal aspect which
 has been given the controversy regard
 ing the sending of delegates to the na- tional republican convention should not
 be permitted to obscure that issue or to confound it with the ambitions of citizens or the wishes or welfare of re- publicans of the office holding class or the office seeking class. The veal or woe of neither is of any concern to the territory or to the republican party in Arizona. The main question and the only enc. is whether or not an instruct ed delegation can better serve Arizona at Chicago than a free and uninstruct- ed delegation can.
 We are minded to keep this issue clear and apart, by q letter from MT. Sims Ely, private secretary to Govern or Kibbey, in reply to certain inter views given out by MT. J. c. Adams, reflecting upon the activity of the fed eral officials of Arizona in the matter of the delegation.
 The letter seems to place the issue between MT. Adams on one side, and the territorial administration on the other. We do not think the republicans of Arizona will recognize that issue at all.
 As to the administration, we have little to say at present but as to MT. Adams position. We are sure that MT. Ely's assumption is wrong in that MT. Adams is charged with attempting to dictate to the party; to become a boss; to secure appointment as delegate, national committeeman or to attain some other position of leadership. We were assured by MT. Adams weeks ago that he wanted none of these things. We have never learned who is his choice for candidate for the presidency. We only believe that in common with a majority of the rank and file of re- publicans he wants a delegation which can do the most good for Arizona at the national convention and that he NdlAS e1 dtitSdlAOil NAlANh HAAA NA AAs represent the sentiments and wishes of territorial republicans, freely and fully expressed.
 There are one or two statements in MT. Ely's letter which convey impress sions quite different from earlier ones which had become so well lodged that they amounted almost to cony ictions. For instance:
 "Once for all let me say that Mir. Adams statements are lacking in the necessary facts for support Neither Governor Kibbey nor any Officeholder that consults him has decided upon or contemplated such a program as MT Adams states. On the contrary, the governor has formulated no program for the party"
 There has been a general under standing throughout the territory that a very definite program had been for mulated by somebody; that it involved first, the sending of an instructed dele gation to the national convention, and second. the composition of the delega- ton. of two federal officials. Repre- sentatives of the territorial administra- tion have gone hither and thither throughout the territory making known to the faithful the governors wishes The impression regarding the govern or's program may have been gained by the public from the frequent outlining of it by practically all the members of his administration, some of whom have gone so far as to predict the certain of his appointees on a program, which as We have said. somebody appears to have formulated, would almost justify the error of supposing that the govern or himself was the formulator.
 Mir. Ely understands that the pur- pose to send Judge Sloan as a delegate to the Chicago convention has come spontaneously from the republicans of the five northern counties. There had been an impression that whatever spontaneity may exist among the re- l'hbAiN elAio Ap Allflt HUN III llllS IT, it was suggested to them from Mari copa county. There are many who be- lieve that the governor himself sug- gested Judge Sloan as the only man in the north who could possibly win against the overwhelming northern sentiment against instructions. Those who have been led to believe that the governor moved the candidacy of Judge Sloan for a delegateship will not find their credulity violently assailed by Mir. Ely's statement that the notion of sending Judge Sloan as a delegate has the warm approval Of Governor Kibbey." They would have accepted an even less conservative description 1 Of the governors mental attitude. But there is one point at which many