Arizona republican., 1917-12-23
History of Hunt
 Campbell Contest

| I l l
 Thus ends one of the most remark able political contests in the history of the country Only one of greater inn portance was ever brought before q tribunal and that was the Hayes Tilden contest for the presidency of the United States
 The campaign for the eovernorship was the bitterest ever held in Arizona and from the beginning no other had ever before been so involved in doubt. It was the belief of many even of the enemles of Governor Hunt that he was lnVlnclble; that belief was quite com mon among the large, apathetic mass or voters, so that many who would | have voted for Governor Campbell did ! not think it worth while to go to the | polls.
 On the other hand. Governor Camp 1 bell had shown a remarkable strength as a candidate for the tax commission to which he had been elected two years before. He thus became the logical candidate to oppose Governor Hunt | last fall. He was, of all republicans | the one on whom it was believed the | an1-Hunt faction of the democratic l party could be brought together. Yet 1t was regarded as doubtful whether the democrats would not do as they had done in the past, bury their diff 1 ferences at the polls.
 But as the campaign proceeded. il became evident that the defection ot the anti-Hunt democrats was a fact o1 large proportions and the friends ot Governor Campbell with greater con- fidence than ever predicted his election
 In fact the interest ill his campaign of many democratic leaders of the anu-Hunt faction was more intense
 than that manifested even by the re. publicans. It is not to be understood
 though that there was a lack of proper
 interest by the republicans.
 This attitude of the anti-Hunt dem.
 ocrats was manifested later in the higl state of feeling that prevailed through
 out the contest in the courts At times
 when it seemed to be running agains
 Governor Campbell the comments O.
 the democrats who had opposed Cover,
 nor Hunt were more bitter than thos,
 of the management of Governor Camp
 bells contest
 The result of the election showed
 that the detection was greater thai
 had been predicted. Governor Hun
 suffered severely in every county
 Maricopa, with a normal democrati
 majority of about 600, gave Campbell
 a majority considerably in excess O
 5000, and Graham, frequently referred
 to as rock-ribbed for democracy, cas
 it's vote for Campbell. Governor Hun
 held his own nowhere except in coun
 ties or precincts where there was
 strong labor element, and not there
 unless the element was extremeI, radical
 The vote was so close that it wa days before there seemed to be a basi
 for a reasonable claim on either side In the beginning Campbell had a stron lead which was reduced day by da until unofficial returns had brough it to about 40 The official return later placed it at 30. But there Wa one precinct, Wilgus. in Cochise coun ty, whose returns had been lost bu where it was known Campbell had re ceived majority of 8. This vote wa later allowed in the contest. the re turns having been discovered in tn office of the county treasurer. The contest was begun on Decembe s and Judge Stanford. in whose cou1 it had been filed, ordered an inspectio of the ballots. He appointed Attorne \ T. w. Nealon as inspector represent ing the court Each side was allowe to appoint it's own inspectors. NJ Nealon, by the way, afterward repre