Arizona republican., 1910-06-23
PHoENIx, ARIZONA. JUNE 2S. 1910.
A Civic Duty.

The choosing of delegates to the constitutional convention will be the most serious duty that ever confront ed the people of Arizona. Of the three stages of state making-the constitutional convention, the ratifi- cation of the constitution at the polls, and the election of state officers the most important by far will be the constitutional convention. Mistakes made in the election of unfit officers can be rectified in a large measure by electing good men as their suc- cessors. Mistakes made in framing our organic law will be exceeding. difficult to correct.
 The ordinary considerations of par tisanship should have no place in choosing delegates to the constitu- tional convention. The ideal method of choosing the delegates would be by a large committee, made up of representatives of both parties, this committee making the most rigid scrutiny of the qualifications of all the men suggested for the convention. If the delegates are nominated in the ordinary way, by political parties, the people will not get the best results. It is almost automatic that the men who are most likely to be active in seeking election to the convention by wire pulling methods are not the best men for the job of framing the con- stitution.
 Bringing the question home to Maricopa, county, there are special reasons why this county should have a strong and harmonious delegation, representative of both parties. This will always be the leading county of the state, and its people will have a big and direct interest in the affairs of the state The delegation from this county ought to be a delegation that will command the respect of all other delegations, through its ability and integrity and its qualities of leader ship. Our delegates should be men elected without the acrimony of a political campaign-men who as neigh If they are selected by the political machine method, it is almost certain that the delegation will be divided po- litically, for Maricopa county is all most evenly divided politically and it is practically certain that some men on each ticket will be elected. Con fronting each other in the convention after a hot campaign. they would not be in the best frame of mind for team work"
 Let us mention but a single reason, specifically, why Maricopa county should have a strong and harmonious delegation. It is conceivable that the repayment to the government of the millions expended for our water stor- age and canal system may, on the annual payment, ten-year plan, prove to be more or less of burden. It is conceivable that by and by it may be desirable to pay the debt to Uncle Sam in a lump sum, borrowing the money therefor, and spreading the payments thereafter over a long term of years. This could be done by hay ing the state lend its credit to the Water Users association, just as it has lent it's credit to counties and cities in order to enable them to DOT row money at low interest rates. The Water Users association could secure the tate. and the state could 'borrow the money at 3 per cent. But in or der to provide for this possible con- tingency the constitution must au- thorize it. Possibly it will never be worth while to borrow money as sug- gested But it would certainly be wise to give the state power to lend its credit to irrigation projects under proper safeguards. Maricopa will be