The Coconino sun., 1926-07-30

Declaring that it is not within the
province of the state committee to
nominate candidates for public office
and that such procedure would be
subversive of the primary law, E. S.
Clark has issued reply to "chal-
lenge" made by Tom Maddox and
announced that the republican candi-
date for governor will be selected at
the polls.
In his letter addressed to E. S.
Clark Mr.. Maddox suggested that a
meeting of the republican state COM
mittee be called in Phoenix on Satur-
day, July 81, at which time each can
didate for the republican gubernator-
ial nomination be given one hour in
which to present to the committee
reasons why he should be the party
candidate.
Mr.. Clark's reply to the challenge
issued by Mr.. Maddox follows:
'I have your letter of the 10Th inst.
Briefly stated, you challenge me to
unite with you in requesting the
state chairman to call a meeting of
the republican state committee for
Saturday, July 81, at 2 p. M, at the
capitol city of our state, where we
both reside, with the understanding
that we both be allowed one hour in
order to present to the committee the
nomination. That without further
argument the committee then vote in
dividually, not being subject to the
unit rule or by recognizing proxies,
and that whoever receives the major
ity of the votes be the candidate of
our party, the other agreeing to with
draw from the race You say that
may have the choice of presenting
my candidacy either first or last, no
rebuttal being permitted. / am to be
given "a hours to agree to this pro-
posal.
Replying, permit me to say that /
appreciate the friendly tone of your
letter. However, your challenge is
not acceptable and | am obliged to
decline it, for many reasons, some of
which follow:
l. "It is not the province of the
state committee to nominate candi-
dates, therefore your challenge is
would be, rightly, resented by the re-
publican voters of the state, to whom,
as a body, the right of choosing par
ty nominees is legally committed.
This was forcefully Illustrated in the
democratic conference at Tucson in
1922, when the endorsement of that
organization was given to a certain
candidate In the face of this selec-
ton another candidate entered the
primary and was nominated, largely
upon the ground that an attempt had
been made to forestall the verdict of
the rank and file of the democracy.
/ am reliably informed that at re-
cent meeting of our own state COM
mittee a proposal was made to en-
dorse candidate for governor. This,
l am told, was successfully opposed,
and rightly, as | believe, by Mr.. A. j.
Baumert, who is said to be one OF
your political advisors, who gave, in
substance, the same reason | am now
stating. 1t is true that the move then
proposed was an expedient to obtain
a candidate and your challenge in
wolves a method of eliminating one,
but the principle is precisely the same
in either case. If there is to be any
elimination, the primary has been in
stituted for that purpose. Of course,
a candidate can lawfully and properly
eliminate himself by withdrawal and
in no other way can the electorate be
fairly and legally deprived of the
right of Judging the merits of op-
posing candidates at a primary.
2. 'But even if your challenge were
not otherwise Objectionable it is clear
that under it the entire committee is