Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1890-05-05

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S,
Mr.. Ross is incorrect in his statement
that it is impossible at this time to make
Il correct and satisfactory apportionment of
the members Of the state legislature. The
constitution which we are discussing
does make a correct and satisfactory ap-
pointment and upon one of the best bases
possible, the registration OF voters made
for the last general election in 1885, This
registration WAS not made with any view
to such an apportionment, and may be
fairly taken as truly representing, the
proportion OF population in each county.
If there is any injustice i'll the apportion-
ment of representatives it il against the
Republicans and not in their favor. II
inClose herewith a recent editorial on
this subject published in the DAILY New
MEXICAN of this place, the statements in
which are correct, and which contains the
figures of the apportionment and of the
We now come to what is probably the
most serious matter referred to by Mr..
Ross, and that is as to the public school
question. He has no fault to find with
the general provisions in the constitution
on this subject, and you will find by IN
examination of articles 9, 10 and Is of
the constitution that nothing more could
be asked by the most ardent supporter
OF the public school system. But Mr., Ross
says IN effect that the Legislature would
do nothing to carry these provisions into
effect, and in support OF that assertion
points to the alleged fact that previous leg
islatures in the territory have refused to
pass good school law. There is nothing
IN the history of New Mexico to justify
ms assumption that our Legislature would
he inimical to public schools. There is
not hint in his whole letter that there
is to-day any school law whatever in ex-
istence in New Mexico. On the contrary,
he undertakes to give, beginning with the
year 1887, "a brief recital of the history
of the efforts to procure the establishment
of public schools by the territorial legisla-
ture" From this, the inference would be
that no such schools had been established.
Is suppression of the truth in such a
matter as this to be rated any higher than
a direct lie? We have had number of
excellent laws on the subject OF public
schools. In 1884 a general law on the
subject was passed, which is on the statute
book to-day and in force, which is an i'm
mensely better law than those to the
"A g al, ~ I
you herewith copy OF recently pub
lished compilation Of our school laws, from
which you can Judge Of the disposition of
New Mexican legislatures toward the pub
lie schools. The bill introduced in the
last legislature, over which such lament
is made by Mr.. Ross, was crude, ill-di-
gested instrument, far inferior to the law
already in existence, prepared and intro
duced, as | now believe, with no hope of
its being passed, but for the purpose of
serving as basis of abuse of the Repnbli-
cans OF the territory, who we're largely in
the majority in the Legislature, by partisan
politicians of the Ross stripe. Ross mar
rates how the bill was passed in the house
and substantially defeated in the council
by numerous amendments offered by
Messrs. Catron and Prichard. One of the
most ardent supporters OF the bill in the
legislature told me that upon its first in
PRODUCTION in the house he had examined
it carefully, and suggested to those having
the bill in charge almost every one of the
amendments which were afterward made
in the council, but he said that
they would not listen to him
He said that he was willing
to vote for the bill, even if not amended,
because if it were defeated, there would
he all cutlery against the legislature as
non-progressive and opposed to public
schools. He WAS certainly right in this
prediction, and believe that many OF the
votes given for the bill were for the same
reasons which he indicated.
There is cunning attempt in Mr..
Ross letter to convey the idea to you
that that portion OF our citizens whom he
calls "Mexicans," is opposed to public
schools This is not true. The majority
of the so-called "Mexicans" are poor or
in moderate circumstances, but are as
eagerly DESTROYS of education for their
children as any people in the world. They
know that their children can not hope
to obtain that education except in public
schools at the public expense. They
will always be found substantially united
in favor of the establishment and mainte-
nance of adequate public schools.
object to the use of the word "Mexi-
cans" applied to any of our citizens when
80 used as to carry with it any implica-
ton of difference between them and
Americans" There are no citizens of
the United States in any part of the
whole country who are more patriotic
or more firmly attached to principles OF
liberty than are these "Mexicans." They
are as thoroughly American" in feeling
and sentiment as any of the people on
the Atlantic slope; and if poverty and
centuries of life remote. from the great
centers of civilization have kept q por-
ton of them uneducated, that is their
misfortune but not fault.
Mr.. Ross finds fault with the school |
tax clause of our constitution in section |
of article 8, and pretends that it is uncer- |
tain. There is no uncertainty whatever
in it. 1t provides, in effect, that there
shall be an annual tax Of no less than |
21a mills upon the dollar on all the
property in the state, to be dis
tributed in proportion to the number of
and that there may be an an
nual tax not exceeding the same amount |
upon property in towns or cities or school |
districts OF not less than ], 900 inhabitants.
In other words, all the property in the
state is to be taxed equally for the support |
of general system Of public schools, and |
those districts OF not less than ! 900 in
babitants which go desire may levy an
additional tax upon the property in the
district. .g.
Inasmuch as Mr. Ross has seen fit to
publish his letter with the evident intent |
to dlscredit our legislatures, the conven-
I l. 4 ~ III