Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-08-25

ningham to make as favorable showing |
of tax collections for 1884 as did his
predecessor for the preceding year of
1928.
In the first place the times have been
very hard during the past year, and all
money matters have been cramped to an
extraordinary degree, as result of Re-
publican class legislation in favor of the
rich and against the poor; the dePrecia-
ton of the price of wool through the
operation of the vicious Mckinley tariff
bill has been severely felt by the wool
growers of Santa Fe county; the mines
have been closed through the successful
efforts of the Republican party to de-
monetiZe silver and foster the interests of
the national lead trust; and the price of
live stock has gone down with all other
articles, so that money has not been near
so plentiful as in former years when Re-
publican imitation was in full swing and
all business was on fictitious basis.
Another cause is found in the fact that
the last legislature changed the tax laws
SO as to divide up the time for the paying
of taxes, making such payments twice
year instead of requiring the taxpayer to
hand 1t to the sheriff and collector in one
lump.
Another reason is that, ever since Sher-
if Cunningham entered upon this official
task and signalized his advent into office
by performing his lawful duty in running
down and failing score or more of as
sassins and cut-throats, Qong running at
large while a Republican administration
had full knowledge of their doings) the
Republicans of Santa Fe, or, rather, those
who pose as their leaders, have never failed
to resort to all manner of trickery in
vain endesvor to injure him. No man
occupying similar official position has
ever been subjected in New Mexico or
anywhere else to so. many embarrassing
circumstances, large and small. Every
obstacle has been thrown across his path
of duty. Citizens who should have had at
heart the progress and prosperity of
Santa Fe county, uniting in maintaining
its financial credit and its dignity for the
observance of law, have never lost an OPP
portunity to cooperate with the lawyer
politicians and their poems in nagging
and annoying the county's prinoip pal
peace officer. These vampires have at
tackled him in the courts on every conceiv-
able pretext; they have refused to pay their
lawful taxes, or have openly repudiated
a portion of them-as witness the figures
on the collectors books opposite the
names of the leading Republicans ard the
corporations they epresent-and they
have cajoled and bulldozed the board of
county commissioners into the most
shameful conduct, for it is fact that in
fourteen months service as sheriff of this
county Mr.. Cunningham has received by
order of the county commissioners just
sos in cash! He has had to carry the
ordinary expenses of his Office practically
out of his own pocket and the county
to-day is in his debt for nearly $4,000.
Under these circumstances the New
MEXICAN must assert that Sheriff Gun
bingham has performed his official duties
with remarkable fidelity, zeal and earnest
ness, and we are of the opinion that a
large majority of the voters of Santa Fe
county will endorse this view.