Arizona republican., 1919-01-13
ORGANIZATION
 OF LEGISLATURE
 |S IN THE AIR
Speakership of House Is Be tween Howard of Gila and Peterson of Graham I'm pression Last Night

The only reasonably sure thing about the organization of the fourth legis- lature today is the nomination and election of A. A. Johns as president and the senate. One of the democratic can didates for speaker of the house will be 4. C. Peterson of Graham. There will be at least one other, and perhaps two. There was a contest in the Cochise del egation between Charles T. Francis of Douglas and William Delbridge of Bis bee, and last night it was uncertain which of them would be put forward but it was stated that one of them would withdraw. Dr. Lacey of Globe was also mentioned with increasing in tensity throughout the afternoon, as a candidate.
 But the situation was influx. New agreements were being constantly reached At nine o'clock last night it was stated that Francis had withdrawn in favor of Delbridge and that+he La cey movement had been abandoned. A half hour later a new candidate was brought out, T. r. Howard of Gila, to whom it was said the twelve Lacey votes would be thrown.
 Graham county had two candidates, MT. Peterson and J. W. Lines. It was q friendly rivalry They agreed that one of them should withdraw and fin ally the matter was left to g. mediation committee composed of c. l.. Coffey of Greenlee, A. J. Eddy of Yuma and M. A. Perkins of Yavapai. Just what the committee was expected to do is not quite clear. but what it did do was to eliminate MT. Lines, and he accepted the verdict. Some were of the opinion that the committee was to be sort Of steering committee for caucus, but it contented itself with the solution of the Graham county imbroglio.
 The only member of the house not in town last night was Mrs. J. II. West over of Yuma, and though all of the members were interviewed in behalf of the various candidates, the situation was so cloudy that it was decided last night to hold no caucus on the eve of the legislature, as has generally been done in the past. It is quite likely that an arrangement will be reached by the democrats among themselves before the opening of the session.
 The Howard boom in the course of the night grew with marvellous rapid ity. Beside the Lacey vote, which would in itself make a big hole in any democratic caucus it was given out that several of the Lines supporters were inclined to Howard, and his friends were claiming his nomination at any caucus that might be held, whenever it might be held
 The only names mentioned in con-
 nection with the major clerkships were those of Sam P. Bradner for chief clerk
 of the house and P J. Farley of Pres
 colt and H. A. Davis of Phoenix for
 the secretaryship of the senate. Wheth
 CT other candidates will come out de- bends upon the changes that may oc- cur before the caucus of the house democrats nominates a candidate for speaker. Candidates for minor jobs thronged the hotel Hobbies, but theiI troubles failed to secure respectful at tention. There will be time enough tc attend to them after the house is or ganized and ready for business. It was said that the democrats ot each house will meet at ten in readiness 1 for the formal opening of the sessior on the stroke of twelve, noon.
 The streets were crowded last nigh by members, prospective attaches anC citizens drawn from all parts of tho 1 state to witness the opening of what i l is believed will be the most importan
 session since the first state Legislature was convened.