The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-03-13

and practice law. The legislature was
held at Santa Fe, and during my
term there l had little law
practice, and at the close of
it. found that l had saved $500. The
lawyers of New Mexico then travelled in a
circuit. going from one court to another,
and taking what practice came to them at
the various county seats. l was asked by
some of the lawyers to make the circuit
with them at the close of my legislative
term. and did so. l found / had plenty
to do and at some places l made very
good fees. The result was that when I
got back to Santa Fe | was 1000 ahead.
went on with the lawyers through
the circuit to Messilla, and there
had a good practice, and in a
short time found to nv sur
prise that my savings amounted
to $4,000. Money was then bringing from
20 to 80 per cent. year, and when 1 found
that this money wauld bring me in an in
come OF from $1,000 to 5000 year, and
that it was so easily made, | saw this was
better than I could possibly do in st.
Louis, where | would have to probably
starve for years before I made a compe-
tency, and decided TO stay"
II suppose. Mr.. Eikins, it was then that
you found money was good thing?"
Eyes, /" replied Secretary Elkins. Though
don't think l ever grew fond of money
as money. nor have l ever cared for the
making of it with the idea of boarding it.
1t was at this time that | thought | dis
covered that l had in me to a certain
extent the power to make money, and |
began to buy land. l could see it seemed
to me that railroads must come through
the territory, and l TIED to buy as near as
possible along the lines where the roads
would probably run. You could
get lands then for almost moth
ing. There were millions of acres
offered for sale. The Spaniards or Next
cans who held them could do nothing
with them, and they were glad to sell their
grants for any kind of a price, from 10
cents an acre and upwards. | was law
yer, and l knew all about the land laws.
examined the titles of such property as l
purchased, and bought a great deal. |
had at one time Co., 600 acres of land, and
the result was that was accused of being
a land-grabber and land monopollst.
But the truth is l bought every foot of
land | got and paid for it, and though
squatters and others have fought me, |
have always been able to show that my
titles were good"
~ suppose you still stick to the law"
said l.
yes" replied the secretary. 81 co.,
tinued to practice and soon became pretty
well known. l was the only young
American among the lawyers who could
speak Spanish tiuently and as had good
habits and was free from the vices which
many Of the older lawyers from the West
had, got plenty to do. Before | was
thirty, | was making $1,000 year at the
law, which was far better than 1 could
have done in the East, and which 1 think
is better than most of the lawyers do out
side of the large cities. / remember had
for time 5000 year as q regular salary
from Maxwell who owned the big grant
and | made great deal of money out of
tku@ h,,a . &fNaL
got was from that Maxwell land grant.
mean the biggest in proportion
to the time it took to get it. 1t was
after | had left New Mexico and
had come East to live. The Maxwell grant
had been sold to some Dutchmen in Hol-
land. Senator Chafiee made the sale, and
he got 81, 100000 for it, and his share of
gave Chaffee his great start. Well, the
title of it was disputed and the case came
before the secretary of the interior. Carl
Schurz was then the secretary. and | pre-
scented the case to him. The fee was par
TALLY fixed one and partially a conting-
ent one. 1t took me little over an hour,
and got $4,000 for it.
II see, Mr.. Elkins, you are the pros
pective governor for West Virginia ?'
mo, am not a candidate" replied Sec
rotary Elkins. "My business arrange
ments are such that | could not very well
remain at Charleston for four years, and
though ! would appreciate the honor of
having the chance to be the first Repub-
hcan governor of the Southern states, I
could not well be the candidate"
''Do you think West Virginia will be
Republican in the next presidential cleo
tion?''
Il think there is fair lighting chance
for it." was the reply.
How about the general prospects ?'
81 bplieva that President Harrison will
be the candidate of the Republican party
and that he will be elected. Our party is
united on the finance and the tariff The
Democratic party is torn up on party is
sues and they can not make platform
which will not be offensive to one section
their issue, they will lose New York and
the East, and if they do not, they will lose
their support in the West and to some ex-
tent also in the South"
"What are the prospects of the continu-
ance of the Republican party?" asked.
"The Mugwumps and Third Party men
say that its days are numbered"
THE Republican party" said Mr.. e.
kins, lis in good political health, and il
will, believe always be one of the two
great parties of the country. 1t is the
party of aggressive ideas, the party of
action and work in this country. The
Democratic party is a party of negation,
of conservatism, of pulling back, of
hypercriticism and OF anti-progress.
Wien great war is to be
fought, when railroads are 10
be built across vast plains, when a great
reciprocity policy is to be inaugurated or
when anything that really affects the flu
ture of the country is TO be done the Re-
publican party has TO be there TO do it,
The Democratic party stands back and
criticises, and if failure or stagnation at
any time occurs they make n little "a ital
and have temporary success out of their
cry. L told YOU So "
How about the South, Mr.. Elkins?
VIII sectionaism continue to exist in this
country. or will sections ever again mark
out party lines2"
II think not" was the reply. "The
railroad and the telegraph have forever
destroyed sectionailsm in the United
States. As to the South l believe it comes
closer to the North every year, and such
feeling rs exists there against the North
il founded upon the results of the war.
You cannot establish 4 permanent party
on hatred and revenge. 1t may last for a
generation, but not longer. There is as
much patriotism in the South today
States and should any great issue
which really affects the whole country
spring up this ill-feeiing towards tie
North would vanish in moment. If we
should have war with one of the foreign
nations believe that the south would be
the first TO jump TO the defense Of the
Union, and the very fact that they were
concerned on the wrong side in the great
war would make them anxious TO retrieve
themselves and their section by great
actions in the future"
How about parties of tae Eas: and
West?'
Il don't think they will ever exist" was