Arizona republican., 1912-08-25
BELOW
 OF THE MOOSE
It Echoed Through the City
 Plaza Last Night When
 Candidate Fisher and Committeeman Cleaveland Sounded Note of Alarm

| the clty plaza last night to witness the i firing of the first campaign salute of i the progressive party, but the timid manner in which it responded to high | and mighty sentiments, indicated that i the greater part of the crowd was 1 drawn by curiosity rather than politi- l cal ferver. The battery consisted of the 1 heaviest two guns in the Arizona bat 1 taiOn, Robert $. Fisher and J. F. l Cleaveland, with a rapid firing ma | chine in the person of J. l.. B. Alexan- | der directing proceedings with a pre- | liminary alarm before each of the heavier volleys was discharged. The sum total of the oratory was an
 other recital of the stories of the re-
 publican national convention from the progressive viewpoint which stories are offered as sufficient warrant for
 the existence of the progressive party, i with a final statement at the close of i his address. by MT Fisher, touching on
 the water contract recently promulgat- ed in this valley by the reclamation service; alleging that if the Arizona l delegation in congress had not been
 asleep at the switch it's devising would have been thwarted and promising
 that if he should be sent to congress
 nothing like that would ever get by l him.
 The meeting was called to order by J. L. B Alexander, chairman of the | provisional state committed who in 1 troduced J. F. Cleaveland national ! committeeman. MT CleaVeland spoke at some length and in a manner very | creditable to his forensic talents, for
 outdoor speaking is a task for any but l men of powerful voice His remarks 1 were along the conventional lines of i progressive sentiment, drawing a har- | rowing picture of the deVasting work
 of the Roosevelt steam roller, when
 manned by a picked crew of Taft me
 chanicians. It having been demon strated that the device could be used
 with such deadly effect upon it's in
 ventor, had convinced all patriots who viewed the future through his telescOp | ic eyes, that the republican party was | corrupt beyond salvation and a new | one must be formed.
 When MT. Fisher was introduced | there was a briefer but somewhat sim i liar recital, preliminary to his state | ment that the progressive platform i contained all the good things that had ! ever been found in either the demo- 1 cratic or republican parties, and some l things that neither had ever pretended
 to stand for. MT. Fisher was hoarse,
 and though he spoke clearly at first l his voice grew very husky toward the
 conclusion of his address. His speech
 was punctuated with a few humorous
 remarks but possibly owing to his
 voice, lacked something of his usual
 effective delivery though he held close l attention and received measure Of l applause from time to time.
 Passing over the national situation
 and getting down to the main issue, his | own candidacy for congress, he as | stunned that Carl Hayden and T. E. Campbell are to be his opponents and
 said that both gentlemen had come as | near solving perpetual motion as any ! body, both being perpetual candidates l He asked all who wanted to vote for , him at all to vote this year for they
 can vote for the other fellows any old time.
 The speaker insisted that there was
 a chance for his election but that
 whether he was elected or not, he was l
 more concerned in the future of the
 new party than in his own fate. As
 warrant for supporting him he gave attention to but a single local issue, | that of the proposed water users con
 tract recently given publicity by the
 reclamation service, which he de- 1 scribed as infamous and the responsl- 1 bility for which he laid at the door of
 Senators Smith and Ashurst and Rep
 resentative Hayden, who he said were
 so busy keeping the pie in the demo-
 cratic oven until after March next. i that they had failed to note and fore | stall the activities of the reclamation
 service which was trying to shove the objectionable and outrageous contract l down the threats of the Salt river val | ley farmers He promised that if he were sent to congress no such a pro | ceeding would occur but that he would 1 be constantly on guard while the home
 folks were engaged in their peaceful
 pursuits of homebuilding and the de- velopment of the wonderful resources
 of the new state.
 Closing his address with the reas-
 ons for his own fealty to the progress | Sive cause, the speaker said:
 | q was born a progressive. Down on | an old farm in Central Missouri my l father was a keeper of the sheep. The ] fear of my mothers heart for me as ! baby was not that l. like modern chil- | dren might be crushed by the wheels | of street cars or automobiles, but lest, i l. like the lambs of the fold, might be eaten by the wolves. I grew up to hate
 and fear the wolves Year after year l the farmers of that vicinity hunted the ', wolves, but the crafty brutes eluded 1 capture and continued their depreda-
 tions upon the flock. Finally the far
 mers decided to move the sheep to an
 other pasture. I believe that the pro-
 gressive movement is giving notice to i the wolves of the republican and dem
 ocratic parties that we have moved the | sheep camp.
 | ''I am a progressive because I be- lieve in constitutional government
 real constitutional government. The i constitution provides that the citizens | of the United States shall be protect ed in the rights 0f life ihartv and the