Arizona republican., 1915-01-03

was a necessity and railroads also l came under the beneficent influence of friendly legislation.
 As time passed, great dividend pro ducing mines were developed, and the railway industry prospered, and soon the sentiment was expressed, and widely absorbed, that the great cor porations were not contributing to the support of the government their just proportion of revenue. Efforts were put forth to correct this condition, but were quite successfully defeated during each legislative session by means of the great power of wealth which these corporations possessed. The sentiment was further assimilat- ed that reform legislation in the in terest of labor was combated by these powerful interests which continued to dominate legislatures and their acts.
 This condition maintained until the advent of statehood, when the people long deprived, as they believed, or their just rights in legislation, grasp ed the reins of government and by
  ton assumed to themselves proprie tary rights in the matter of leSisla- ton in direct form. As is ever the case. power long denied. is. when gained, likely to he used excessively and arbitrarily, and it soon became apparent that these same corporations now believed that they were to be practically legislated out of business, and almost without q hearing
 Considerable meritorious legislation was enacted looking toward equality of taxation, and for the benefit of labor but our lawmakers did not stop there. but proceeded to enact into statute every untried freak law which pondering demagosy could suggest, until capital, always tinid, ceased to look with favor upon Arizona, and re- fused to make further investment In til the approach of that evil day any meritorious prospect could easily be financed. but now it became impossi- be to interest capital in any kind of i q proposition, and the long expected benefits which il was assumed state hood would bring. were turned into disappointment. and development be- came limited to capital already in- vested.
 This condition has maintained un- til today. and there is the added danger of legislation under the initi- ative. which. if widely invoked through constitutional amendments. could quickly bankrupt the state, and
 cause q tax rate which would be pro- 1 hibitive and confiscatory
 1 l say to you in all sincerity, and
 with all the vehemence at my com mand, that the possibilities of the initiative, as applied to bond issues and taxation under constitutional
 amendments, is veritable sword of
 Damocles suspended over this com monwealth. beneath which capital can not be induced to enter, and which
 acts as prOhibitive factor against
 new investments within the state
 Here, then, is a system of govern
 ment which virtually places upon de- ,velopment of Arizona's resources an !, absolutely prohibitive and suicidal
 embargo, and under which friendly
 
 plication.
 The public man who cannot see the danger here expressed, is incompetent : for public service, and the one who, : with ear to the ground. and eye upon the gallery. coWardy refuses to re- ], cogniZe it, is too vicious for that ser vice By the same token. the journal iGt adif 1an f,l 7 the state. and recognizing his respon- , sibility as a molder of public opinion.
 will not hesitate to perform his full duty in pointing out, consistently, such danger, and advocating the remedy. What if a certain kind of criticism , does follow. The man who prates loudest about -dOdging corporations and reactionary newspapers, is some : times found to have lied to the asses sor and is himself absent from the , assessment roll, although he has plenty , of money in the banks. Why con } slider criticism such as his? And now, wherein lies the remedy? 1 an swer: First, in submission by the leg
 islature to the people for adoption r remedial measures and amendments, and, second, organization and educa- 5 tion of the people Educate the voter
 in the proper direction instead of all lowing him to fall under the influence of the malcontent, the agitator, and the : demagogue. and he may be depended <. upon to do his duty to the state l rghtfully and well.
 7 Such an organization should not he ' confined to taxpayers. but should be |. open to all who desire inst laws and ? civic vitrue. It should be non parti-
 san and should embrace the voters of
 both sexes, as the influence of Wo- t man, who inherently abhors anarchy n will be beneficent, and it should en- 2 courage-nay invite-public servants f and aspirants for political honors to T express their convictions.
 f An eloquent illustration of the pos . abilities of cooperation along con- l structive and intelligent lines by the - Arizona people, than whom there iS : none better. is at hand in the re-or-
 ganization of the Valley bank in this Y good city Here, indeed, is an itlustra- 7 ton of friendly finance"