Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-11-28
THE SANTA FE GRANT.
A Talk with U. s. Attorney Reynolds
Which Wrecks the Mares Nest
Discovered by the Water
Street Organ.

The last issue of the Water street organ
contains long screed signed by one o
it's numerous anonymous correspondents
"Property Owner" in which that wei
known individual pours out walls OF wrath
| upon the heads of the city officials con
nected with the Santa Fe grant case in 6
manner that would do credit to those
| other famous personages, "Tax Payer
"Fiat Justitia" and dozen more. In this
article, which was evidently originally
written as an ante-election effort and was
crowded out until last Sunday, property
Owner" accuses Mr.. j. p. Victory, the
chairman of the city council finance com
mittee, of having been derelict in attend
ing to the appeal in the Santa Fe grant
case; says that the appeal has doubtless
gone up to Washington in improper
shape; and that it ia too late to rectify
this blunder now, etc, etc. "Property
Owner" who, to Judge by the tone he
uses, ia the owner of wide acres within
the Santa Fe grant, but who in reality is
more probably the possessor Of little
more real estate than
CLINGs TO HIS SHOES
on a muddy day, is not content with at
lacking Mr.. Victory and thus attempting
to discredit in the eyes of the people of
this county the man whom they have just
henored with a seat in the territorial
council, but he goes further and makes a
statement to the effect that U. s. Attorney
Matt G. Reynolds, IN appealing the case,
acted, not in behalf of the government,
which he represents, but 'for the benefit
of attorneys who are largely Interested
IN the eighteen grants, which were cut out
by the decree of the court in this case"
The publication was shown Mr.. Rey
nods yesterday on his return from st.
Louis, and that gentleman, as he glanced
over it, did not hesitate to express his
opinion very forcibly as to this reckless
attempt to misrepresent the facts to the
public.
"You may say" Mr.. Reynolds said,
shat the statement that in entering the
appeal acted for anyone except the gov
eminent is absolutely and contemptibly
false. My only consultation in the mat
ter was with the attorney general and it
was under his direction that entered the
appeal. I recommended to him that
AN APPEAL BE ENTERED,
because I think that when the case comes |
up before the supreme court the grant
will be knocked sky-high. The decision
having been concurred in by only two
Judges out of five with strong dissent |
ing opinion from third, I do not con-
si6er that, strictly speaking, the decision
reflects the opinion of the court on the |
q uestion involved, and l am very conf
dent that the supreme court will take my |
view of the situation when the case comes |
up for determination.
GAS to the structures made upon the |
city authorities in regard to looking after
the appeal, may say that such state
ments are as unfounded as the other |
statement. The government having en-
tered the appeal, it is the duty Of the gov
eminent attorneys to see that the record |
is sent up by the clerk under the condi-
tions prescribed by law; under penalty of
the
DISMISSAL OF THE APPEAL,
if these conditions are not complied with.
1t is further the duty of the clerk of this
court to see that the record is properly
sent up and if he listens to suggestions
from either side as to what his duty is in
the premises it is solely as matter of
courtesy. Independent Of jugglery from
either side, it is his duty to send up such
records IN such manner as the law pro-
vides. There is every presumption that
he has done his duty in this case. If he
has not done 80, the interests of Santa
Fe are not in the least prejudiced, as all
that is necessary to correct such an error
ia a motion from counsel for the city for
a diminution of the record or for the
transmission to Washington of such
parts of the record as may have been
omitted. This motion would properly be
MADE TO THE SUPREME COURT
at Washington when the case has reached
there year or two hence; and I have 20
doubt that if there are defects in the
records, as sent up by the clerk, the at
torneys representing the city in the su-
preme court will, at the proper time, take
the steps necessary to remedy such
omissions"