Arizona republican., 1908-02-08
PHoENIx ARIz.. FEBRUARY s, 1908
FOR WHOSE GOOD?


 Those who advocate. the sending of an instructed delegation to the national republican convention are indulging in a bluff in the frequent statement of a self evident truth that if a majority of the republican voters of Arizona favor an instructed delegation one should be sent. We will go farther and assert that if a majority of the republicans want an instructed delegation they will have it.
 But at the present writing we do not believe that any considerable number of Arizona republicans want an in- suucted delegation and it has been our observation since the subject has re- ceived some discussion that the oppo- sition to the scheme is broadening and solidifying. Anyhow this is a matter that is not going to be settled by a handful of politicians in each of the counties, but by the great mass of the voters by precinct and county.
 The Republican has no wish to run
 
 its advocacy of an uninstructed dele gation it believes that it voices the sentiment of a large majority, of prac- tically all the republicans of Arizona except those who are intimate ly or remotely connected with those offices within the gift directly or indirectly of the national administration. Every office holder big and little, that is every hold CT of an appointive office is in favor of an instructed delegation. The mem bers of little cliques within the influ- enCe of such officers are. presumably friendly to the scheme of instruction. There is no one but believes that the handspring of the instruction move ment is a desire either So remain in office or to break into office. No one believes that the good Of the territory or the good of the party is ta.-en into account by these campaigners lor in structions.
 We have even heard quoted by the advocates of instruction, MT. Bryan's recent utterance in which he advised those states which are friendly to him 10 instruct for him. There are two reasons why MT. Bryans views have no bearing on the general principle of instruction. With -the national dem | ocratic party there is no contest for the nomination. There is only the 1 question of the availability of a candi- | date who has been twice defeated; | there is a question whether he can | bring together two great sections or the party which divided on him in 1896 1 and have since been unable to cOalesce. l This Is matter which perhaps can be ! better settled state by state than in | any other way. But at any rate the | republicans of Arizona are not to be | bound by Mir. Bryan's speech or gen. | erdl views on the subject of instruc- | tions.
 There is another thing which the i proponents of an instructed delegation | slur over in their arguments-the diff ference between a state and terri tory. The former has nothing or little to gain in a national convention and | can afford to indulge in the expression 4 beforehand oi its choice of an array | of candidates. We of Arizona are diff ferently situated. We may prefer the | personality of this or that candidate or We may endorse the general policies of one candidate rather than those of an ether. But our interest in all this is | academic in comparison with possible . results to us of the rational convention | If our delegates there are left free to | embrace such opportunities as may be . presented before the convention " reaches the business of nomination. | By free We do not mean, merely un- !! bound by instructions but We mean . Unencumbercd by any selfish aims, so . that they will bc ready to sacrifice { their own personal feelings for the . good of Arizona.
 We have before pointed out we ! think to the entire satisfaction of our | readers. that there is no possibility of I benefit to the territory that could fol- | low the instruction of a delegation. [ There would be no benefit to in" ' republicans of Arizona. that is. to the | great mass Of the republicans. though We admit that We can see how. in a !! certain contingency the office holders l might be benefited. But their well | fare should not seriously concern the | republican party. There are not so many of these office holders, and fully i one-thiId of them are democrats. who ' by the way are also active in the i movement for an instructed delegation to the republican convention