Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1893-01-03
no aOYEnNOR,s MEssAoE.

same length as the Presidents mes
aud is an able document.
The following extracts are the
most vital parts Of the message:
CHANGE OF VENUE LAW.
This still remains on the statute
book unrepealed, although, so far
as known, no one has ever had the
hardihood publicly to defend it.
AS / said in my message Of 1880,
thee feet Of this law is to deprive
the court of all discretion in grant
ing changes of venue aud give to
either party an absolute right to
such change on filing an affidavit.
This is not only contrary TO a pr0c-
tically universal custom, but is
intrinsically wrong and leads to
none but bad results. Such a law
existed here prior to 1884, but was
repealed in that year on 6ccount
of the improper uses to which it
was put aud its evil effect on the
administration Of justice. 1t was
nsed simply by criminals to post
pone their trials until the witness
es should have disappeared, or by
parties in civil suits in the endeav-
or to bring their cases to trial in
some county where they could
influence the jury. So far IS any
good purpose was concerned it was
entirely Unnecessary, as it has
never been charged that a judge
refused to grant a change of venue
in any proper case. The r%e-enact-
ment OF this law in 1889 was a sad
mistake, and the history of its use
during the last four years does not
change the estimation in which it
was previously held. 1t is wrong
in theory aud pernicious in prac-
tice, and should be promptly re-
pealed.
1t may be added that this law
has materially increased the ex-
pense Of our criminal courts, by
causing trials to be held at a great
distance from the scene OF the
crime and thus requiring heavy
mileage for the attendance of wit
nesses and sheritfs officers.
HIGH LICENSE.
l wish also to congratulate you
on the admirable results of the
law restricting the sales of liquor
passed two years since. It's eff
fects have been excellent in every
way. 1t has reduced the number
of saloons to a greater extent than
the most sanguine had hoped for.
1t has entirely done away with the
most mischievous class Of saloons,
the small ones in country commu-
mites, where neighbors gathered
nightly to drink aud gamble, not
only spending the money which
was needed for the support OF
their families, but too frequently
leading to quarrels, assaults and
other crimes. 1t has also destroy
ed that pernicious nuisance, the
political saloon, started a few
weeks before election in the hope
Of aiding some candidate by de.
bauching the people.
The restrictive licenses have
been placed so high that those whC
obtain them are not only obliged
to obey the law themselves bu
are the most effective agents t
prevent the Illegal sale Of liquor
by those not duly Authorised. Tn.
money received from this sourcl
has constituted a very importan
portion of our school fund ant
has given TO the citizens of dis
tricts containing saloons at leas
the compensation of superior edu
cation. Some discussion aros
after the passage of the act as t
the proper disposition of licens
money; whether it should belon.
to the district in which it was col
lected, or to the country at large
Much can be said on both sides o
this question and it will no doub
occupy your attention. Their
seems to be considerable force i
the suggestion of a compromise
by which one half of the amour
should belong to the district i
order to compensate 1t for the ok
ira police expense usually attend
ant on the existence Of a saloon
and the other half to the count
at large, in order that too great a
inequality may not prevail betwee
different precincts.
FEES AND SALARIES.
Everyone is familiar with tl
|, exorbitant amounts paid TO som
OF our county officials. The mo.
extraordinary of these are thos
paid Tor the a%ssessmeut aud co
/. lection OF taxes. Taxation is al
ways a burden, and we shoul
eudeavor to arrrnge that as larg
/, a percentage as possible of even
dollar collected, is actually use
for necessary public purpose
The machinery for obtaining
should not be expensive. Yet Il
amounts paid to the
Assessor AND COLLECTOR
constitute a large fraction of Il
total amount received. The Fee
were fixed when taxes were SINAI
and have been continued unit
they have reached the most exc
t bitant amounts, utterly out