Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-12-15
Cunniff, Member of the Con-
stitutional Convention,
Will be Candidate for
Presidency of the State
Senate.
FIRST SEEKER
AFTER THE JOB
President Will Have the
Committee Appointments
and Therein Lies the
Prestige That Attends the
Place.

Already the tremors of a higher
ambition are stirring the statesman
like frame Of Michael c. Cunniff,
Gre Of the two democratic state
senators elected last Tuesday to rep
resent Yavapai county in the legis-
lature of Arizona Mike wants to
be president of the body whose per-
sonrcl he will grace at the coming
session.
This interesting event was fore
casted by the Republican some time
ego. Five weeks or more before the
election this paper said that, in the
event of Mr.. Cunniffs election. and
should the senate have a democratic
ma jority. he would probably make a
Try FOR the honor. The machinery,
according to the news from Yavapai
county. is already in motion.
Mr.. Cuniff is known to good
many people in Phoenix and this
county. He is engaged in the min
ing business at Crown King, having
come TO Arizona from Massachusetts
few years ago. lie is university
graduate. claiming Harvard as his
alma mater Before embarking i'm
the mining business he was editor Of
Worlds Work. a popular eastern
magazine. At one time he was also
an editorial writer on the New York
World
Despite the fact that he was only
recently transplanted from tho effete
cast, Mr.. Cunniff is. politically. as
radical q thinker rs can he found i'm
Arizona. As member Of the late
constitutional convention he worked
early and late for the adoption of
many Of the features of the states !
organic law. He fought hard for the |
incorporation of the direct legislative |
program in the constitution and he /
made his work count. There was no !
man in that convention who did more |
of the grinding work than he.
Cunniff has had some political ups |
and downs in Yavapai county lately. /
For instance he was defeated in his /
aspiration To attend the late terri 1
torial conference as a delegate. But I
he has kept going ahead. playing the /
political game in his own way. and, 1
from all the indicationsn he ought to
be able to pull down this little plum. |
All the more so since the plum isn't |
a very big one and may not be |
sought BY many other members.
There are two or three good rea-
sons why Mr. Cunniff may be able
to win. His own county has as
many senators as has any other coun-
ty Again, he is the first man. So
far as known. in the field. And
finally, he has the prestige and the
that comes from his
at the constitutional con-
For there are a good many of
those delegates who will come To- the
Not all of those who !
DO come will, of course. come as
members of the senate; but influence
is worth something. even if urac-
by vote. And it is fair
To presume that the constitutional
of their own number.
The president of the senate will
have only a brief reign. Also. he
will get no increased salary. Seven
dollars Il day for sixty days will be
his stipend. But he will appoint the
And that is where the Importance
IF the job comes in. So. if Mr.,
Cunniff succeeds in his ambition and
becomes the presiding officer of the
first senate of the new state of Ari-
zOna, he will be one of the busiest
men about the capitol building when
the Legislature gets down to work.