El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-06-26
To
FIGHT RATE
MEASURE
Consider Three Cent Rate in
Arizona Confiscatory and
Oppose It.
POLITICAL LINES IN
ARIZONA FORMED

there is a disposition among those most
/ vitality affected by the legislation to
/ take stock and adjust themselves and
! their interests to the new conditions.
/ Particularly is this true as to the large
! business concerns. most tines of which
| will be more or less affected by the
/ laws which have been placed on the
! statute books.
There is ground to believe that for
Z the most part the mining companies
/ and some of the other interests will
] accept the work of the legislature and
! will proceed at once to adjust them
! selves to the new conditions. But, if
! report speaks truly, this is not true Of
\ all the business concerns Particularly
is it not true Of the railroads. So far
| from accepting the new conditions, it
I is said the railroads are making prep
arations to attack the validity of the
new laws, and fight out the issue in the
courts.
Among the laws affecting the rail-
/ roads of Arizona are the semi-mOnth
" pay day law, the anti-pass law, the
law prohibiting the use of steam blind
ing locomotives, the law limiting the
number of cars to be used in freight
and passenger trains, and the three
cent fare law. The last named, particu-
larly, IS Objectionable to the transporta
ton companies.
A few days ago several representa-
tives of the Santa Fe and the Southern
Pacific were in the city in conference
with the corporation commission with
how much time would be given them in
arranging their business to comply
with the new regulations; and it was
thought following that conference,
that there would be no trouble over
the proposed adjustments. But since
the legislature has adjourned it is said
the roads are getting ready TO fight
the enforcement of the new laws Tt is
said they will pool their interests and
VIII take the matter to the court OF
last resort before they will comply
with the requirements OF the recent
" enacted statutes.
Stringent AntI-Pass Law.
The anti-pass law IS especially strin-
gent. According TO an opinion by the
attorney general this law would shut
out the railroad men themselves from
accepting free transportation within
the state except when actually work
ing For instance, a conductor or
other trainman who might work 4
one way run, II he did not work on the
return trip would be required to pay
fare the same as any patron. When
this bill was under consideration it
was brought to the attention of Mr..
Billiard who gave the opinion quoted
above; hut the legislators decided they
would rather risk their own Judgment
ana SO they proceeded to enact the law
according to their first intentions
But the three cent fare is the one
especially Objectionable to the railroad
companies Some of the railroad Of
IlCldlS say the law Is COntlScatOrT and
that the roads cannot operate under it
IN Arizona and make any money On
the other hand a well informed rail-
road man recently made the statement
that under a three cent law the roads
viii make more money than they are
making under the fiVe-cent law be-
cause of the necessarily increased bust
ness This law will not go into effect
until the twentieth of September; and
II. the alleged intentions of the roads
are carried out they will before the ar
rival OF that date bring an Injunction
TO prevent the enforcement of the act
and the fight will be on
\ fight against the enforcement OF
this statute will have strong bearing
on the coming election here Practi-
cally every Democrat in the legislature
voted for the three cent law. while some
OF the Republicans opposed it. So IL
IT gets into the courts that will happen
Just about the beginning of the cam
paign; and if it should become a poll
Ilcal issue, as 1t Is almost certain to
do, It is not hard to see that much will
be made Of it by the Democrats and
the progressive Republicans" 1t is
not to be supposed that the Republi-
cons would, in political sense take
the side of the railroads in a fight If
this kind; but that would make little
olIIerence- The fact would remain
that Democratic legislature enacted
the measure and that not all the Repub-
ncans voted for il. So it can easily be
imagined that, in such a contingency
the Republicans might allow them
selves to be put in the same kind OF a
hole in which they found themselves
in the first state campaign when they
were forced into the attitude of having
opposed the constitution, even when
the question of opposition to the con-
sttution was a dead letter.
The Political Outlook.
The work of the national convention
Is gong 10 nelp shape the political des-
TIMES of this state; but Just what the
final result will be is uncertain. The
formation, or the talked of formation,
Of a national Progressive party will go
long way toward sOlidifying the
plans of the 'PrOgressives" here.
For instance, there is the governor
snip. The proposed Roosevelt candi-
dacy has fired the ambition of the
PrOgreSSiVeS" leaders in Arizona in
both the Republican and the Democratic
camps The late primary seemed to
mark a turning Of the tide. for general
~ speaking, the less. radical of the Dem
ocrats came out far in the lead in
that contest But just now the secession
OF the Roosevelt supporters at Chicago,
and the talk of another national con-
Ventlon that is to unite all .'rOgressives
INTO a single party have given a won
derIuI incentive to insurgency in this
state.
YOUnS's Opportunity.
Whatever prestige is to come to the
radical Republicans from the present
Just one of the Republican leaders is
IN position to take advantage of it, and
that Is George U. Young, former secre-
tary of the territory. and who was beat
en- for the gubernatOrial nomination
last fall by the regular republicans. As
stated some days ago, Mr.. Young in
slsts he is not in politics.; but that is
what he said last fall just before enter
ing the race for the Republican nomina-
ton against judge Wells. And it is a
Wen settled belief that with the turn !
affairs have taken it would take very
little persuasion to induce Mr. Young ]
TO enter the lists again and try for the |
nomination.
And to the DemOcrats-weu. there ]
IS something happening in their ranks |
almost every day. It is almost certain /
that Dr. H. A Hughes will enter the 4
race for the governOrship. It is known /
he has had the matter under advise |
ment and only a few days ago said his |
course would be governed by events |
1t is believed the events have happened |
that viii make him decide to become an 1
active candidate for the nomination.
Hampton n Possibility.
But that is not the most interesting |
nor the most important of the recent |
developments. Another possible candi- /
date is looming above the horizon in /