El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-03-22
Of
arizona SPLIT
Picking Successor to Hunt Is
Proving Difficult; Ross
May Be a Moses.

Phoenix. AriZ. March 22-Wil Henry
ID. Ross. chief justice OF the supreme
court OF Arizona. be g Noses to lead
the Democratic party Of this state out
of the wilderness ir which it is now
Laundering helpiessIyc
The name of Ross is beng mentioned
with increasing frequency among Dem
Ocraug politicians since tLe public has
come to realize the true extent OF the
fiasco staged by the second legislature
in it's regular session. IT, is not with
Ross own consent. or by his desire,
FOR it is claimed he mas no ambition
to be elected governor. But frightened
Democracy may rush TO Ross and be-
seech him to save it from total de-
structiou-
Election Now Would Mean Defeat.
Almost any Democrat viii admit that
if a state election were held at this
time the party would be showed under.
The people have just spent $4,000 on
a Democratic legislature that passed
only one important bin, and that i'm
such form that it VIII have 10 be
amended or referred TO prevent &c de-
mOraliziuG the states eduCation sys-
TEN. Both the Hunt an auti-HUnt ele-
meuts are receiving ceusure. Republi-
cans in Arizona are no longer split
into two parties.
Dozen Are Willing 10 Run.
Democracy is not WttnUuu guberna-
tOrial aspirants At east a dozen
leading their party TO victory next year.
But each Of these ambitious ones knows
that the present moment he probably
could not be elected over the weakest
Republican. They all hope that in the
next IS months the people viii forget
about this legislature They also have
some faint hope that the legislature
will partially redeem itself in the extra
session that is shortly 20 be called by
Four strong Ones ut start.
At the opening Of the regular session
there were four members who. it was
generally conceded. might emerge as
strong EubernatOrial timber They were
W T.. Sims Of Bisbee president Of the
senate; Dr. John T. Bacon. senator from
ella county; Hugh Campbell. senator
from CoconinO; and William L. Brooks.
of Globe, speaker Of the house. The ef-
forts Of O. s Stanley. senator from
MaricOpa county. 10 place the states
affairs on a business basis and curtail
expenditures, soon directed attention TO
him and for brief time placed him
in the list Of gOvernOrship possibilities.
But Sims, Bacon. Campbell. Stapley
and Brooks are extremely unpopular
at this time, with the Hunt wing OF
the party They all favor specific mine
tax law. which is an unforgivable sin
in the eyes Of the governor and his
friends The party could hardly unite
on any man aligned with either ele-
ment
il is also patent that in the 1916 cam
paiEu a simple record OF having been a
member Of the do nothing second" may
be sufficient TO damn any man. no mat
ter what his personal record as a
legislator may be-
Taking everything into consideration,
IL is evident that the Democrats will
have to look elsewhere than to the
legislature for their standard bearer
CallaEhHn a Possible Candidate.
!. C. Callaghan. present state audi
tor, IS another person frequently men
toned as a possible Democratic candi-
date for governor. But Callaghan is
more distastful to Hunt than anyone
else. Close friends OF the governor say
that he would get into the race a third
time rather than see the nomination so
10 CallaEhan-
Hunt Mentions Three.
When naming over list OF men
whom he regarded as possible sue
cessors 10 himself, Hunt recently men
toned Fred Golfer. senator from
Apache county. Homer r Wood. OF
Prescott. and c. v Roberts. Of Dos
Cabezas- But Roberts could not be re-
elected senator from Cochise county
last fall Wood was recently defeated
for mayor Of Prescott and the senate
refused 10 confirm his appointment TO
the state fair commission Golfer is not
regarded as being strong in the CEN
trial and southern counties
W A. MOeur, Of Tempe, and Sidney p.
Osborn. present secretary OF state. have
Ions had the idea that they might be
elected governor in 1916. but neither
is regarded as sufficiently strong to
anal Eamate the warning elements Of
Democracy and lead the party ticket
TO victory.
Ross Only Available one
OF all the possibilities suggested. su-
preme justice Ross appears to be the
only one acceptable 10 both elements.
His ability is recognized by all and his
record ON the supreme bench is be-
youd attack. Last November he polled
a higher vote than any other candidate
for the supreme court but by a peculiar
twist OF fate he pulled from hat the
slip paper that gave him the short term
Of two years
Justice Ross present plan is 10 run
for the supreme court again in 1916.
If elected he viii hold Tor six years
longer and draw $4,000 q year. while the
governor serves only two years and re-
ceives $1,000 year
But If it comes TO the point Of urging
Ross To step I'm and save the party il
will be urged upon him that a success
ful term in the governors chair may
mean his elevation TO a United States
senatorship. That he will heed the call
of ambition is the prayer Of many Dem
Ocrats who are sincerely grieved by
the present condition of their marty