Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1890-07-22
WHITE CAPS AND MARTIAL LAW


journal that one is surprised at its arti
Gle of last Thursday entitled "New Next
co White Caps" 1t seems to think that
this territory is kind of absolute mon
archy instead of being under Republi-
can government. After some very proper
remarks as to the injury to New Mexico
caused by the reports in eastern papers of
the alleged outrages, it goes on to say:
"Gov. Prince ought to notify the people
Of San Miguel county, and particularly the
civil authorities of that county, that unless
these White Cap outrages are stopped
very speedily he must take the matter in
his own hands and declare martial law.
If he were to place the whole of San
Miguel county under martial law, the
burden OF that kind of government would
soon become so oppressive that the peo-
pie would wake up to a sense Of their
duty"
The Republican must think that the
car of Russia has come over and is gov
erning New Mexico, and that he has
abolished the constitution and all modern
institutions Of freedom, and brought with
him the knout and short route to Siberia
as the means of government. Martial
law" indeed Why the president could
not declare martial law in the way that
this article speaks Of nor could any gov
ernor of state.
One OF the fundamental provisions of
the constitution prohibits even suspen-
sion of the writ of habeas corpus except
in times OF rebellion or invasion and yet
such suspension would be mild mat
ter compared to martial law" And it
seems that even ordinary martial law is
not enough, but it is to be made pur-
posely oppressive so as to be special
burden to the people. If Gov. Prince
should act on the advice so airily given
by the Republican, he would not only
be removed from office within twenty
four hours, but would soon be on the
road to prison or a lunatic asylum. A
system of government under which the
executive could stop in a moment all the
machinery OF Republican government
and substitute military rule, would be a
good deal worse even than the outrage of
the White Caps.
1t is strange that after over century
of experience some people know so little
of our method Of government. We have
a government of law. The highest Off
cial is as much bound by the law as the
most feeble citizen. In the case of the
commission of crime, for instance, the
governor can no more interfere with the
action OF the proper authorities and Of
the court, than if he held no Office. 1t is
only when the sheriff has exhausted
every means in his reach-and he has
the right to call on every man in the
county to aid him-and then calls on the
governor to use the power of the state
that the latter can act.
In this case of the depredations in San
Miguel county, the governor has done all
that was within his authority. When
called on by the sheriff, some months ago,
he sent arms and ammunition with which
to arm a posse and resist attack on the
jail. Recently he has offered a reward
for information leading to the conviction
of any of the wrong-doers. The sheriff
has never been resisted in serving any
process, and has not yet called on the
citizens to aid him, far less on the gov
ernor.
While outrages have been committed,
yet they have been greatly exaggerated in
the account of them sent to the east and
apparently believed in Colorado.
What is needed is that the perpetrators