The Coconino sun., 1923-11-02
ARIZONA FIRST

The editorial from the pen of Col. Fred Breen,
publisher of the Coconino Sun, is in reply to- an
editorial effuSion by Bill Kelly recently in which
he referred to COL Breen, who was recently elect
ed to fill the unexpired term of the late Senator
Hugh Campbell in the Arizona state senate, as the
"Magnus Johnson of Arizona.
just the other day good and staunch demo-
crat remarked to us: Eyes, am a democrat, but
after following the trend of events IN Arizona the
past few years, | am determined to be indepen-
dent in my democratic beliefs. II to be what IS
known as good democrat | must let the so
called party leaders do my thinking for me, then
am ready for divorce from the party"
In that vein we will say that although COL
Fred Breen is a republican, and although he has
been dubbed the "Magnus Johnson OF Arizona, s
the lack of more men OF Breen,s cahber IN our
legislative halls is the direct cause OF Arizona
present plight.
Party lines, the sole salvation of the profes-
sonal politician have been twisted and bent SO OF
late that til no wonder that the average citizens
who are the majority, are becoming more and
more disgusted with the general program OF
events.
Col. Breen has seen fit to voice some poignant
facts regarding the taxation SO vigorously COM
planned of by the mining companies OF Arizona,
and Immediately the faithful hurl their gas at
tack
COL Breen may be guilty of being republl-
can, and the faithful" may dub him "Magnus Ii,
b. he is looking further and seeing clearer than
the blinds" on the brides of some others will
permit-Tombstone ProSpector
The democrat mentioned by The Prospector has
horse sense. Not merely because he happens to
be democrat, but because he is one of the few
who have commenced to realize that it is time the
people with their homes and their all IN Arizona
should come to the front regardless of party and
cast off all and any entanglements and outside IN
fluences tending to hold back the development OF
OUR state. 1t isn't exactly OUR state under ex-
stng political conditions, but it will be OUR state
when we Arizonans have CUTS enough to reclaim
it.
Any man who wants to deliberately penalize
mining companies or any other big corporation,
is absolutely wrong When the big mining COM
paries or corporations attempt to penalize the
people of Arizona and make them pay the freight,
then they are wrong. The great, big, generous
class of people in between have the figures but
seemingly are afraid to use them. They are too
kind-hearted to start anything for fear OF II
nancialy injuring some personal friend.
The cold-blooded interests usually build up
their bilking schemes on personal friendships.
Is a friend friend when he gets in the way OF
progress to help the cold-blooded element get
away with their financial program-a program
which reacts to the financial cost of the friends
he has influenced? The gutless statement so of
ten heard that "the politicians have the state
grabbed" is the inane urge of those too feeble TO
think for themselves and too ready to follow those
who talk most and loudest. 7'-
Neither the big mining companies, the labor
unions, the ]. w. w. nor the big corporations have
the state of Arizona grabbed.