Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-11-24
Meeting at Sugar City Held
Yesterday Afternoon Un-
der Auspices of State
Committee Was Success
in Every Way.
NIGHT EVENT AT
THE BUTTE CITY
Candidates at Both Meet
ings Discussed the Issues
of the Campaign in a
Clear, Logical and Force
full Way.

The Republican rallies at Glendale
and Tempe yesterday and last night
were Implications. in point of size of
audiences gathered and enthusiasm
displayed Of the great rally held at
Mesa Wednesday afternoon and even
ing. Residents of the towns and far
mers from the nearby ranches at
tended in force and gave marked at
tention to the utterances of the speak
ers. That the utterances pleased was
evidenced by the generous applause
which greeted the many telling points
made
As at Mesa. all the candidates on
state, congressional and county tickets
were present at Glendale. and at
Tempe. and to hear and greet them a
holiday was declared in each place
and in the countryside around
Judge Wells, republican candidate
for governor. made a particularly eff
fective speech, taking for his text the
enabling act and its provisions.
To perhaps the great majority of the
voters and others of Arizona the en-
abling act has been looked upon as a
more or less perfunctory measure
calculated To enable the people of the
state To hold a convention at which
To formulate a constitution. but it did
much more than that. and how much
more and of what great value to the
state that measure was Judge Wells
made plain yesterday to those who
heard him.
one Of the provisions of the enab-
ling act was that 5000, 900 acres of
the public domain should be donated
to the new state and the proceeds
from the sale thereof devoted to the
upbuilding and maintenance of the
public schools. thus assuring Arizona
of a public school system second to
none in the American union. In addi-
ton to the 10000 600 acres donated for
public school purposes. 100000 acres
were donated for other educational
and for charitable purposes. making a
total of 100000 acres. the largest
gift of land ever made by the general
government To any state.
That Arizona had been thus favored |
Judge Wells attributed to the tireless /
energy Of Ralph II. Cameron, through |
whose zeal the enabling act was 1
passed in spite of the opposition from |
within and without the territory. and |
i'm spite Of the fact that he had no
vote in congress.
But Mr. Cameron did more than Sc
cure this enormous grant of lands, and
Judge Wells called the particular at
tention of MaricOpa county people
present to what he was about To say
because it interested them materially. |
While the enabling act was upon its
passage through congress, Mr.. Cam
eron insisted that the general govern
ment assume the bonded indebtedness
OF several counties in Arizona, notably
COcOnino county, which owed. principal
and interest. s31s,00O; Pima county.
s6S6.000; Yavapai county. ..677, 900,
and Maricopa county. $3.50. .000-a total
Of s2,244.0O0. all falling due in 1912.
Mr.. Cameron's suggestion was deem
ed preposterous by the committee
That the general government should
assume the Indebtedness of three or
four counties in a state about to be
admitted into the union was out of the
question. Mr.. Cameron, however. was
insistent, and finally prevailed upon
congress. if il could not appropriate
the money. to donate to those coun-
ties lands. the proceeds OF the sales of
which would pay the debt, and 1,0OO,-
900 acres more wereg ranted the new
state. Attached to this latter gift was
Il prOviso that if the proceeds of the
sale of those lands should be more
than enough to meet the redemption
of the outstanding bonds, the surplus
instead OF reverting to the general
government. should be placed in the
school fund of the new state
You will see. therefore. said Judge
Wells in concluding that portion of his
speech. that the enabling act was ,
more than mere authorization OF the |
framing and adoption of a constitu
ton Thanks to the foresight and en-
ergy and ability of Ralph Cameron,
through the enabling act. not
only got constitution and the right
Of self government, but she got the
largest donation of land ever made by
the general government to a new state.
and the taxpayers of the state. but =.
particularly of Coconino. Pima. Yava-
pal and Maricopa counties We're re-
lieved of a great burden of debt"
Were il not for the relief afforded
through the action of Ralph Cameron"
he continued. the taxpayers of Mari
copa county would be facing de-
mand next year for the payment Of
more than half million of dollars.
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