Bisbee daily review., 1910-07-05

constitutional convention.
That the clause which abolished
the educational test for suffrage in
Arizona was inserted in the state
hood bill by republican senator is
intended to be used as a weapon for
partisan purposes the democratic
press has from the very start main
tanned That the republicans would
use it for that purpose has been fur.
ither maintained by the democratic
press and denied by the republican
4 papers until now the provision is a
part Of the law and the election Of
delegates TO a constitutional conven-
ton is at hand Now the Tucson
Citizen sweeps aside the veil and
( let's the republican party stand forth
naked and bare in the limelight.
The Citizen is one of the staunchest
OF republican papers and its express
sions IN editorial columns NAV be
taken as the expression OF the repub-
lican machine At this very early
date the Citizen shows the purpose
for which the educational test was
abolished. Editorially It makes a
plea for the support Of the illiterate
voter on the ground that'ff they do
not vote for the republicans they viii
be disfranchised." IN its editorial
columns, under the head Of vote to
get suffrage" the Citizen prints the
following:
Judging from the. action of the
last legislature. If democratic dele
gates are chosen TO the constitutional
convention. an attempt viii be made
to write into the fundamental law a
provision DISTINGUISHING the Spanish
speaking pioneers.
The election qualification law
passed by the last democratic legis-
lature was passed especially for the
benefit OF Pima county and aimed at
the many Spanish-speaking citizens
OF this community. who have been
here for great many years and
who have done much toward the up
building Of this county.
"of course the constitution cannot
provide for DISTINGUISHING the Span
ish speaking voters in the first cleo
ton. but it may disfranchise them
thereafter.
such a provision would not only
be a great injustice to this class Of
citizens but it would ieopardise the
approval of the constitution.
The spanish-speaking citizens of
Pima county have duty to them
selves to perform in the coming cleo
ton for delegates TO the constitu-
tional convention. and it is pretty
safe to say that they viii not vote
to disfranchise themselves
This is merely one Of the steps
which the democratic press has main
tanned the republicans would take If
they stoop to an appeal to ignor-
ance and illiteracy 1t may be ex-
pected that if this appeal to "rea-
son" Of the illitracy is insufficient.
they next viii appeal to the pocket
and that money win be used to Sc
cure the republican candidates for
delegates, later for state Offices. to
purchase the corrupt. venal. Nitrate
voters who were wisely disfranchised
by the territorial laws for the pur.
pose of the publication OF the bal
lot. BY the statehood bill the regis.
tration OF 1908 is to govern. and
there is reason to fear and expect
that the republicans win not hesitate
to substitute other iiiiterate voters
for those who were registered in
1903 but who may nave since died
or moved away from their place Of
registration The abolition OF the
educational test was deliberately
done to make possible corruption in
politics It was inserted to place a
weapon in the hands OF the republi
can party. The Citizen shows It ia
the intent of the party to use thiz
weapon
-out Of their own mouths do they
stand convicted"