The Coconino sun., 1920-10-01
IS STATE LAND TO
 BE POLITICAL BONUS?

It is becoming more and more :p- parent to the people of Arizona that the nomination of the Honorable Nit Simms in the democratic primary for governor was no more and no les' than big victory for the land aris tocracy which has been handing ovef Arizona's great heritage in pubic lands to a chosen few, thus freezing outhe small land owner and home steSyer, who develops the country e.v- tensNely, really puts the land to beneficial use, creates great taxabl, wealth and the population which zoe. with it.
 This land autocracy of which Bit Bill Moeur and Ben Clark are the moving spirits has many ramifica. tions. Necessary to it's success were the Honorable Nit Simms, secretary of state; Harry Ross, treasurer; Wiley Jones, attorney general, and Jesse Boyce, all members of the land board. From long tenure in office and undisputed sway in the land af- fairs, Billy Moeur had come to think that he was supreme until last spring, when Jones, Boyce and Ross jumped over the traces. Simms never falter- ed in his support of Moeur and Clark but stood in the harness. Ross was vulnerable and quickly whipped into line. Wiley Jones held out longer but when John Dunbar got into action, he too came back into the fold. Jesse Boyce, supporter of Winsor, was last to succumb.
 The land grabbers earned lesson from the performance of last spring. Down to the last member of the land board, they mean to take no chances. They, more than any other group, are responsible for putting the skids un- der Mulford Winsor. The latter would have been a dangerous man for them in the governors chair and while he would not be in the majority on the board, could make a lot of trouble. Ross, Jones and Munch are safe. The man they have feared is Charles de Sales Wheeler, Ross op- ponent for secretary of state. Wheeler has let it be known that there would be some radical changes in the land policy if he could get on the board. That was a signal for marking him for the slaughter and the Moeur-Clark-Simms combination seem to have turned the trick.
 Mir. Wheeler, Mir. Leroy, his friend, his counsel, Messrs. Struckmeyer and Whitney have brought some very ser ious charges growing out of the Wheeler-Ross contest for the office of secretary of state. We do not pre- tend to have the facts but the whole business looks very suspicious judg- ing from the case as presented by Kennedy. Of course the proper way to try it out is in judicial proceedings brought by Wheeler but unfortunate ly the law on the subject of contests in Arizona is very ambiguous and in- adequate, while contest proceedings are very costly, and it may be that Mir. Wheeler could not afford the ex- pense of making stand against the group of rich men who he says have counted him out.
 Whatever comes of the Wheeler Ross case, it has served one useful purpose. 1t has clarified the issues of the campaign in this state and brought to the front the paramount issue this year and that is whether the land autocracy at the capital shall be continued in undisputed sway. If the Moeur-Clark-Simms combination handles the state land department another two years, the small holder and homesteader might as we'll move out. If their leasing system is con- tinued, Arizona vii be divided into few vast estates, the development of the state along agricultural lines will be held up for a generation or more, and the great rank and file of our people will lose all the financial benefits of the great heritage of pub- lie lands which they received with statehood. News.