Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1892-09-27
MIR. CATROE AND THE PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.

by the people of New Mexico.
His methods in connection with
that measure were somewhat pecu-
liar, but as his libel law, passed
prior to the defeat Of the school
bill especially provides that "the
truth cannot be plead in justifca-
ton" of a statement that he may
charge as libelous, the press is
prohibited by that law from reci-
ting facts in relation to the matter
which were at the time subject of
current public comment and belief.
It was common talk in the cor
ridors Of the capitol and on the
streets Of Santa Fe during the
tendency of the school bill, that
he objected to paying the taxes
that bill imposed on his property
for the education of other peoples
children. He is understood to be
a%bundantly able to send his own
children abroad to be educated
Very few other people are able to
do hat. Therefore, their children
may run the streets and grow up
in ignorance.
1t may be hbelous to quote the
proceedings of the legislature had
on that bill in connection with
Mr.. Catron's part therein. The
libel law imposes fines and inn
prisonment for publishing a dis
agreeable truth, and if Mr.. Catran
objects he has recourse on the New
Mexican printing company, which
was the first to publish this dam
aging record, as set out in the
printed proceedings of the 2Sth
Legislative assembly.
That record is in substance as
follows, which can be verified by
any party sufficiently interested
to take the trouble of examining
the printed volume, which we keep
in stock.
On the 18th day of January,
; 1889, Mr.. Kistler, a member of
the house of representatives from
San Miguel county, introduced
House Bill No. So, then and since
known as the Kistler school bill,
a bill very similar to the school
law passed by the last Legislature
, and now in force.
That bill passed the house on
February s, by a vote of 10 to 4,
and went to the council, Of which
Mr.. Catron was a member, a dem
ocrat, Mr.. Bernard Seligman, of
n Santa Fe, having been ousted by
. the republican majority to make
e a place for him. The bill then
n went to the council, where it was
taken up on the 18th and referred
to the committee on education.
The next entry in the proceed
mgs of the council was on the
21st of February, ten days after
o wards, when, as the record states,
e con motion of Mr.. Catron, house
bill No. 80 was laid on the table
one day."
On the 25th of Feb. Mr.. Franks
9 moved the suspension of the ru les
! to take up the bill for action.
y MI. Perea moved to indefinitely
table that motion.
MI. Frank demanded the ayes
and nays, which resulted--to table
! the motion-Baca, Catron, Perea.
: In the negative, 8.
= Mr.. Franks then moved the
= previous question, which vas tc
take up the bill, on which the vote
ayes 6, nays 6, those voting not tc
take up the bill being Messrs
, Baca, Catron, Dolan, Jaramillo
-, Perea and Romero. So Mr.
: Franks motion to take up the
! bill for action was lost, and by
Mr.. Catron's help.
. Again, on Feb. 26th Mr.. Franks
moved to suspend the rules ant
take up the bill for action. Or
this the vote was again 6 to 6
le those voting "no" being Baca
e Catron, Dolan, Jaramillo, Perez
m and Romero. So again, for thu
n fourth time, and by the aid of Mr.
s. Catron, and when there was ample
or time to have insured its passage
the council refused to take up anC
pass the school bill.
II, On the 2Sth of Feb. the las
= day of the session, and after th,
90 bill had been in possession of tn
council for sixteen full days, dur
a ing which Mr.. Catron had, OF
l. practically every occasion that wa