The Coolidge examiner., 1937-03-18


form boyhood to the present" the
late Benjamin B. Moeur told this
writer more than a year ago in his
office in the State Capitol when he
was governor.
Former Governor Moeur's funeral
and burial services are to be held
At Tempe, tomorrow (Friday) after
noon, at 8 o'clock, and will be at
tended by Former Bank Commis-
sioner Y. C. White and family, and
probably a number of other Coo
lidge citizens who are friends Of
the Moeur family and who were
ardent supporters Of the deceased
in three Of his campaigns for the
governorship of Arizona, two sue.
cessful ones that kept him at the
helm Of the States affairs four
years-four Of the worst years in
the history or the nation.
DR.. Moeur suffered from a heart
attack at the family home at
Tempe, Monday. March s, and
fingered until 1:07 p. m. Tuesday
at which time his death occurred,
with the wife and his children at
his bedside. He would have become
6S years old next Dec. % had he
lived.
DR.. Moeur had a reputation as a
fighter, both as a politician and as
an individual.
His four years in the governors
office were studded with many bold
strokes calculated to protect A1i-
zona's rights and lift her from the
mire of economic depression.
He was the father" of Arizona's
sales, luxury and income taxes.
which he credited with placing the
state on a cash basis and greatly
reducing property taxes before he
left office. In the face Of criticism
of the levies, he boasted during his
third campaign that the sales tax
"is my baby"
A number Of DR.. Moeur's acts
while governor placed him in the
national spotlight.
Taking the most drastic step i'll
Arizona's 14-year fight over waters
of the Colorado river, he became
one of the few men in the nation s
history to mobilize the militia to
"repel invasion Of the sovereignty
of his state.
When all other protestations fail
ed to halt construction of the
Parker dam by the Metropolitan
Water District of Los Angeles in
the spring Of 1884, Governor Moeur
determined upon more severe
measures to end what he believed
an imposition on Arizona's rights.
Mapping his strategy carefully,
the governor on March 9, 1884, sent
a squad Of six national guardsmen.
under command of Maj. F. I. Pome-
roy, to the banks of the Colorado.
observers" he labeled them.
For seven months they were just
that. Their duties were confined to
reporting the progress of contrac-
tors preparing for construction of
the dam which Arizona opposed.
Not until November 10, when
contractors were ready to begin op-
erations on the Arizona side of the
river, did Governor Moeur use the
weapon he had carefully concealed
Martial Law Declared
On that date he decalared martial
law over an area three miles long
and one mile wide, embracing the
region in which the Parker dam
would be anchored to Arizona rock.
Advising President Roosevelt and
Secretary of Interior Ickes of his
purpose, Arizona's, governor dis
Patched a froce of 40 infantrymen
AID 90 machine gunners to the
river front.
His troopers orders were to ere
pei the threatened invasion of the
sovereignty and the territory of the
state of Arizona and the threatened
trospasS upon the property rights
Of the state of Arizona"
He forbade entry upon the mar
tai law area of any person with
crt a military pass.
-. W'Hen Governor Moeur issued his
NATAL law decree the action was