The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1889-07-27

they have Charge Vt the material
int, rests ut Lincoln county. they
are not IL law ct themselves:
Executive OFFICE.
Santa Ee, \. NJ. July %.
Ncssrs. Michael Cronin. Thomas W. Hen.
ley and Ananias Green. County Com
m%issioncrs OF Lincoln County.
Gc.:,lcmcn: An official letter
from the pr. bate clerk e. Lincoln
county Ia the secretary OF the ter
ritOry states that ''tlie county con =
mlssioncls have refused to call an
c%lciicn and appoint Judges etc
Chapter 90 of the laws of 1889
OF The territory provides for the
helding 81 Il Constitutional convcn-
tiOn. and sect on 3 of said act ON
tains specific dir, cti,ns us to the
method of election Oi the M mbers
eft such convention. BY this act
the c"un y e. mnis>i"ncrs of each
county are required 10 prctrlm
various acts both before and after
the election. Among tie duties
thus imposed is this: 1.-The sew
eral boards OF county commission
crs of several counties OF the terri
tory are hereby required to issue
notice of such election and the
hunter Of the delegates to be
chosen from the county"
They are also to designate vnt-
ing places and appoint Judges ct
election.
1t is the above plain provision OF
the law that the probate citri
states that ven have nrgi, c,ul to
comply with. 1t is scarcely to be
supposed that You were ignorant
OF this requirement OF the statute.
us it is OF ours the duty OF public
officers to "cquain, themselves with
the acts OF t. Legislature VIII eli,
affect their p~crticular positions, but
it is tar more incredible tliat-huv-
ing Il knowledge Of the law you
should willtully violate it.
In either case my duty is plain
The goycrner is sworn to see that
the laws Of the territory are faith
iully executed.
therefore notify You of the OK.
~ist~ncc OF this law in order tina,
you may perform the duty therein,
imposd upon y"v While tn.
tinu fixed by the statute Is passed.
yet that is not OF vital %ilnl~rtanc.
and by an immediate compliance
with the law you can practically a-
one tor the previous neg, ct.
lfyrur %noi-action has o ell will.
tul. then | CAL upon You to do
your duty. The language Of lhc
>tntut, is plain and Is mandatory.
I'll. S is n@t na.rrr OF discrc
lion but tle simple per:.ormanc,
nt an official duty absolutely lmprs
ed. Nothing could be more dist net,
The county commissioners arc
hereby required to Issue notice
There IS no room ior upubt ur hcsi
tattoo or neutrality-suspicious.. Th'
,iuty is distinctly set forth and it,
performance required 1t is nat 10.
YOU or ME OF any official TO consid
or eN,cdieney of laws; We are sim
ply 10 perform tie duties which
they impose upon us.
VIII c this oblipat on is legal
tic same III all cases, yet / q n"
Out remind you ot the spe ial t"e
: rancy Of such a violation as Vol
nave apparently proposed. TIL
right of suffrage lies at the iour
, ,%iation of Republican government
10 deprive Is citizen OF it is to d.
| him an irrepara5le wrong 7,
,eur %aciion. il willtul, WAS an at
tempt to di>iranchise the people ,
a whole county, and deprive then
A., Of tlIei right TO be represented i
;he formation of the g%ovcrnmer
under which they are TO live.
t would DC difficult Ia conceive
" more dangerous attack on th
/ Isarest rights of Il tree people.
me county commissioners la
power TO to d~isiranclii>e the ci
.zcns of their county tilS year, {
: curse they could 10 it ut amy otht
II lection. and thus The right of III
people 10 representation IN til
government and ia the free choi,
X Of their officials would be- subie'
r" the caprice Of three men wi
, 'ould psrpriuatc their own p"w,
, " preventing Tie election OF the
: successors.
II This might be the theory {
d which YOU have acted It yam la'
\ lone so wiiltullv. surprising t,'
a W refusing to give the legal noti'
and to pre!orm your duties
y "a Judges. etc. yon cenld pr vel
Il my election being held. and so q