Prescott, Ariz., nestles in a mile-high bowl amid the pine-covered knobs of the Bradshaw and San Prieto mountains. It was there that Grandfather "Big Mike" Goldwater, the Jewish peddler, settled in 1875, laid the foundation of a prosperous family merchandising business. It was in Prescott that Uncle Morris Goldwater served as a Democratic mayor for 26 years. It was in Prescott that Barry Goldwater himself made the opening speeches in his two successful campaigns for the U.S. Senate. And it was to Prescott (pop. 13,000), his "lucky town," that Barry returned last week for the formal kickoff of his presidential campaign.
He stood behind an old-fashioned wooden lectern set up on the stone steps of the Yavapai County courthouse. Nearby were his wife, Vice-Presidential Candidate Bill Miller and Mrs. Miller. Across the lawn to his right was the old stucco building that for years had housed the family store. These days, the Goldwaters' Prescott store occupies a more modern structure nearby. Off to Goldwater's left was "Whisky Row," dominated by the historic Palace Saloon, which still does a thriving business. Straight ahead was a bronze equestrian statue of "Bucky" O'Neill, a onetime Yavapai County sheriff who served as one of Teddy Roosevelt's Rough-riders. Barry is fond of saying that Bucky was the first American to fall in the charge up San Juan Hill. But Prescott historians ruefully admit that Bucky actually died before the charge, the victim of a sniper's bullet while relieving himself at a slit-trench latrine.
The Indictment. Goldwater's speech was both reasoned and reasonable, and it was delivered with a rare verve. He began with a cadenced indictment of the Democratic Administration. Cried he: "Choose the way of this present Administration, and you will have chosen the way of the regimented society with a number for every man, woman and child.
"Choose the way of this present Administration, and you have the way of mobs in the street, restrained only by the plea that they wait until after election time to ignite violence once again.
"Choose the way of this present Administration, and you choose the way of unilateral disarmament and appeasement in foreign affairs.
"Choose the way of this present Administration, and you make real the prospect of an America unarmed and aimless in the face of militant Communism around the world.
"Instead, I ask that you join with me in proving that every American can stand on his own, make up his own mind, chart his own future, keep and control his own family, asking for help and getting help only when truly overwhelming problems, beyond his control, beset him."
The Threat. Goldwater made headlines with a pledge that if he were President he would put an end to the U.S.'s "outmoded and unfair military draft system." Actually, President Johnson four months ago ordered a Pentagon study aimed at completely revamping or even eliminating the draft, and in Prescott, Goldwater was merely beating Lyndon to the political punch.