Arizona republican., 1914-10-01
Political Side stepping

The voters of Arizona will have a fine oppor- tunity to political stunts and other stunts requiring skill and agility this fall neat slack wire tricks. some expert balancing; illusions by which it will be appear that candi- dates will be both sides of the fence at the same instant. And all this will be followed bys some ground and lofty tumbling.
 There will be duc5ing of very important issues which the people have raised. Formerly, the people had opportunity to raise issues The politicians attended that and they took care not to embarrass themselves. The people have not been so considerate of the peace of mind of the poli- ticians.
 We have popular issues, and they will have to be met They cannot be met by lodging The peo- ole cannot De fooled They have their opinions on all these issues, and they will perceive that all who not with them against them. There is no middle ground In the space between is a deep chasm into which the foolish and the cowardly will fall
 The republicans in their state platform have ignored all these embarrassing issues The demo- cIats have vaguely referred to them in such way that they had better ignored them. The progress sivcs have courageously met the more vital issues and their candidates in the course of the campaign will unequvocay their position on all of them There will be no trimming and no unexplaining ex- plantations.
 The democrats have side-stepped all the dan gerous issues in this wise: We have given to the people the power to raise these issues for their amusement, and it is meet for the people to settle them among themselves without embarrassing and dividing the democratic party to the peril of it's candidates. We shall have nothing to say on one side the other They are matters that concern only the people. We are not the people but the democratic party. We are not therefore concerned in these things"
 The democratic party washes it's hands of pro- hbition, the eighty per bill anti blacklist bill the capital punishment question, all the consttu- tional amendments and all the proposed initiative and referendum measures. They nothing the democratic party which is interested only in the offices.
 If these matters, important many of them are, are be settled by the people without d hint the democratic party as it's attitude toward them, why should not the people, without the ad- vice of the democratic party or it's candidates be left say whom they should vote? That is, in cases, far less important than any the which the democratic party has so graciousy left with the people.
 It is true that of the issues strictly party measures. They have not been precpitated by any political organization, voters would not divide upon them along party lines But of them far more vital than any strictly party issue could be. The proper settlement of them is of greater the people than the triumph of any party Every private citizen has opinions corning them, and he will naturally know the opinions of the men who asking him for his vote. He will not be satisfied with the private opinions of candidates, whispered in his ear. He will want d public declaration
 The progressive candidates, being of the people, are deeply interested in these issues as any of the of the people, and they will let the people know precisely where they stand We do not know that all the progressive candidates will be agreed upon all the issues but the thing certain is that whatever their positions they will be made plain.