Weekly journal-miner., 1919-02-12
CAMPBELL WINGS DEMO
 PROPOSAL
PARTISAN POLITICS UP IN SENATE FOR FIRST TIME IN SESSION; AN
 OPPORTUNITY TO PULL AWAY FROM GOVERNOR

PHOENIX. Feb. 7.-The demo- cratic majority in the state senate, which has had clear sailing for nearly half of the session, enabling it to put through some constructive legislation and just at a time when the opportunity seemed brightest for making a great record for accom- plisnment, has drifted suddenly into partisan politics. To date, there has been no division on party lines in the upper house and the people of the state had about reached the con- clusion that at last there has been assembled at the capital body of men on whom they could rely to put aside partisanship and consider leg islation solely on its merits and ef- feet upon the welfare of the state. The change came when the demo- cratic majority in the senate, went into caucus.
 It is now pretty well known that the principal matter considered in the caucus was the question of whether appointments to the high way commission and the board which will replace the commission of state institutions, should be vested in the governor, who happens to be a re publican, or in minor state officials, wno happen to be democrats. Of course no such question would arise, were the governor a member of the same party as the senate majority. The appointments would be vested in the governor in accordance with the usual custom. The only element en- tering into the question is one of political expediency.
 The democratic senators, who went into caucus, were not agreed on the course to be pursued. That much is known. A few wanted to play poli tics from start to finish and clip the governors wings. Others, who had the courage of their convictions, be- lieved that the best thing to do in the end would be the right thing and that they had better sacrifice a little temporary advantage than take the chance of making a mess of the sit uation and allowing themselves to be guided by their partisan prejudices.
 The result was a compromise and like most compromises, it is not sat isfactory to either side. The caucus determined to place the appointment of the highway commission in the hands of the governor and minor state officials. who will outvote the chief executive and the appointment of a citizen member of the board of control in the hands of the govern or The idea was that the governor would be willing to yield the one if given the other but those who know Governor Campbell are already say ing that if the senators are expecting him to sacrifice a principle for lit tie temporary advantage, they have reckoned without their host. The governor still has the veto power and while the senate majority is strong enough if they all hang to- gether to override the governors veto, his record will at least be clear and the senators are not so sure that all of their members will consider themselves bound by the caucus.
 The meeting had hardly convened before reports that the democratic senators were in caucus were in gen. eral circulation on the streets and in the hotel Hobbies. The reports caused considerable disappointment as many took the view that the pres ent senate, for which high hopes had been held out, was merely getting down to the same basis as some of its predecessors, where the party whip was regularly cracked through the instrument of the caucus and the minority in many cases ruled.