Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1890-09-12
THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM ON THE
CONSTITUTION.

We are not willing to accept the recent
Silver City platform as fair expression
of the views of the Democrats of the ter
ritory, for we know that there are in New
Mexico many patriotic and progressive
citizens who call themselves Democrats.
Unfortunately they are not in control of
the party machinery, and, however much
they may dislike the platform prepared
for them, they must admit that it is the
only authoritative statement Of the pres-
ent political creed of their party.
1t contains five paragraphs intended as
criticisms on the constitution, which the
people are to vote on next month. They
are curious mixtures OF truth and false
hood, and of but little value, as We will
show our readers, for whose benefit we
will quote them in full, making each the
text for few straight remarks.
/. eve declare that the constitution so
framed would, if adopted, deprive the
people OF the state of the right to elect
the judges OF the supreme court; while
providing for the election OF the judges OF
the district courts by districts SO consti.
tuted as to render such right valueless. y
As 10 this charge, it is true that the
judges Of the supreme court are to be ap'
pointed by the governor with the consent
Of the state senate, but the assumption
that this deprives the people OF right
is unfouHded. There is no such inherent
right. Up to the year lS47, no judges
we're elected in the United States, and
the character, learning and reputation Of
the courts have not been improved by the
change then inaugurated by the state Of
New York. Many of the states still have
all their judges appointed. 1t is fair
subject OF discussion as to which system
is the best, and is not one which
has been 80 settled as to to vest a right
in the electors. Our constitution is, on
this point, compr omise, or union, O.
both systems, as one set of judges-fewel
in numbers to be appointed, and al
others elected.
AS to the statement that the constitu
ton of the judicial districts is such as te
render the right to elect district Judge!
valueless. we don't know what it means
and Tie man who wrote it, can not tel
either. The districts are, by the constr
tuition, temporarily established as they
exist to-day, but they may be changed
or increased or decreased in number b.
the state legislature at any time, as thu
public interests may require. The pres
ent districts are we'll known to tn,
people, and the best that can be mad'
without an unnecessary increase in thu
number.
2. eve further declare that said consti
tuition denies to the executive the power
usually conferred by such instruments
and makes him the mere puppet of thu
legislature by subjecting him to suspen
sion from Office upon impeachment with
out trial"
AS to this we say, that it is not tint
that the Constitution denies to the ex
ecutive the powers usually conferred b.
such instruments" 1t gives the execu
tive all of the usual powers, and thu
writer of that clause, who must hav'
been ex-Gov. Montezuma Ross, can no
specify any that are omitted, unless it b.
the curtailing of the appointing powe
of the governor-a feature common to al
the constitutions Of western states, which