Arizona republican., 1908-03-26
PHOENIX. ARIZ.. MARCH 26,l9OS
THE CoCHIsE COMMITTEE.


 A letter from C. l. McReynolds of Bisbee to The Republican which ap- pears in another column. thoroughly Eliminates the controversy between the factions of the republican party there and wipes out a great deal of the misrepresentation which has been made in defense of the action of the county central committee in under taking to appoint delegates to the ter ritorial convention.
 The committee offered as an excuse for its disregard of the call of the ter ritorial executive committee, that it had no official knowledge Of the call and would therefore proceed to select delegates as it had done before. Mir. AIcReynolds proves that the call had been sent to the committee and that. as a member of it, he had received a copy. Moreover, the call had been made known by the newspapers to every man in Cochise county who couid read.
 Mir. McReynolds also discloses, what every one familiar with Cochise coun- ty politics suspected at the outset that the action of the committee hith- erto supposed 10 be antagonistic to instructions, had been influenced by conferences with prominent instruc- tionists from this and other counties. as result of which. Hoval A. Smith was to be allowed to nestle under the federal wing.
 Mir. Smith had already been favor ably regarded as an anti instruction delegate to Chicago and as such, there IS little doubt that he would have been selected. It appears though that he and his friends of the county commit lee have imperiled his chances for primaries are to be held in Cochise county to elect delegates to the Tue son convention in conformity with one of the two plans laid down by the executive committee. The delegation so selected will have the advantage of regularity and will undoubtedly be seated in the convention.
 The worst thing about the action of the Cochise committee is not that it has sought to misrepresent the senti- ment Of the county in the matter of instructions but that by the snap judg- ment 1t has taken, il has attempted to misrepresent it at all There is an inevitable aftermath of the turning down of voters in this manner. Re sentiment is aroused and the party suf- fers at the polls Whatever may be the result at Tucson, the action of the Cochise county committee spells a lessening of the republican vote in that county and the defeat of republican candidates.
 IL is characteristic however. of those who are endeavoring to carry out the order from the White House to disre- gard the welfare of the party as well as the welfare of the territory. On their own showing this sacrifice of republicanism is unnecessary They confidently assert that the people of Arizona are overwhelmingly for Taft That is conceded by all and it is fur thermore conceded that Taft delegates will be selected at Tucson. There has never been an effort to secure dele gates unfriendly to MT. Taft.
 Then why this disruption of the re- publicans of Cochise county by secret trade and compromise, unless the pu- pose is to prove to the president that his authority over his servants in Ari- zona is as absolute as that of the Centurion who said unto this one: Co | and he goeth; to another, Come and he cometh and to my servant. Do this i and he doeth it?"
 So. all for a sentiment, an idea, with ! out, on their own showing. any possi- l ble advantage to MT. Taft, the instruc- | republicans of Cochise county. The ! harm has already been done. which | eyer delegation may be seated at Tue ! son. To the followers of Loyola. the | end justified the means, but the end | was never an idle or vain one, which ! would have been attained of itself
 The action of the COchise committee [ is indefensible and the plea that cOun- | ty committees had previously chosen | delegates to territorial conventions is ' no defense IL is true that authority has now and then been conferred by . the call, but in this case there was no such authority. The act of the : committee was one of recalcitrancy. " unworthy alike of the committeeman and their conferees and which we be- lieve will he punished by the cOnven- tion.
 It does not pay in the long run to