Arizona state miner., 1923-09-01
PACT PRATTLE.
BuIl-PeddIing'' Camouhage
to Fool Democrats.

Phoenix Messenger recently
said:
The Republicans of Arizona hope to
split the Democratic party at the next
election and they believe the Colorado
compact will afford the opportunity.
Then comes the Arizona Re-
publican with the following cam
outage:
On the contrary the few Republicans
In the present legislature as well, we
believe as every Republican newspaper
in the state, has recommended course
that would keep the compact question
out of partisan politics. They have
proposed the disposition of it this year
by its ratification, the only way which it
can be disposed of by people of Arizona.
The Republicans, and not only Re-
publicans but Democrats as we'll, agree
that if the pact should be ratified, it
will be neither political nor any other
issue. 1t will be permanently put out
of the way. But if it should go over
to the next year, and should come
before the people either as an initiated
measure. or as an issue to be finally
settled by the Seventh legislature, it
would produce bitter fight in the
Democratic primaries in every precinct
IN the state. There would be few or
no contests over it in the Republican
primaries.
Bat the last sentence of the
preceding paragraph exposes the
punk admission that the contest
over the pact will produce a Bit
ter fight. Democrats will clearly
have to get ready for the fight,
since republicans are secretly
making the pact an issue.
Where is the sense of having
pact anyway? Senator Golfer
points out that a pact or treaty
is only necessary where trouble
is imminent and an agreement or
regulation is needed to prevent
a clash of interests to protect
the weak against the strong.
Arizona is only a baby in state
hood, but she is a lusty one,
with her boundless resources-the
only asset she has-and this pact
would absolutely strip her of her
power and water rights and al
locate them jointly with other
states, just where difficulties
and contention over similar rights
are bound to ensue. Why should
Arizona join a pact, or treaty,
when by keeping out of it she
avoids all entangling alliances.
Pacts are seldom needed and as
Mr.. Golfer says, this compact
involves land, water and power,
the fundamentals of Arizona's
very existence"
Our forefathers came to Amer
lea to avoid similar agreements;
that they might work out. their
own destinies. without rigid laws
that did not protect the weak
against the strong. This great
nation itself refused to enter the
pact of nations to avoid COM
plications that would prevent her
natural commercial development.
And so it is that if we can keep
Arizona out of an entangling al
lance with six other envious
states, she is going to see new
growth, new population and
boundless prosperity.
In nearly every state geograph-
ically situated for larger power
units. says the Eng. Journal, ex-
tension and connections for early
consolidation are being made.
These consultations are being
rushed for fear of interstate and
super plants being owned and
operated as competitive public
utility plants. Over 700 millions
of dollars are back of western
power companies who :are boost
the Coloraeo pact.
Sec. of State Kirby is quoted
as in favor of submitting the
Colorado pact to a vote of the
people. That's just the program