Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-10-20
Plain Recital Of Facts Regarding the
Attempted Valuation Of the
Fraudulent Railroad Bonds.
VOTES FOR CATRON MEAN VALUATION
What Would Result if This Colossal
and Crushing Burden of Void
Bonds Was Saddled Upon
People of Santa Fe
County.


dren's children; begs to appeal to you in
the interest of your homes and all that
you hold dear in life; begs 40 appeal %
you in the interest of your business and
the various occupations that afford you a
livelihood; begs to appeal to you in the
interest of your neighbors and friends;
begs to appeal to You in the interest of
the future growth and prosperity of this
fair city and fruitful county; begs to sp-
peal to you in the interest of right, JUS
tice and f-preservation as against un-
blushing fraud, peridy and greed. Listen
to this plain recital of undeniable facts
and reflect we'll before You act
FRAUD, DECEIT AND CORRUPTION.
By fraud, deceit and corruption abond.
ed debt of about $750,OOO was piled upon
the taxpayers of this county to aid in
the construction of railroads. This debt
has been declared illegal and void by the
supreme court Of the United States and
under that deliberate decision of the
highest judicial tribunal of the land the
people Of this county ought of right to be
forever relieved of this colossal and
crushing burden.
But is this natural presumption truef
Unfortunately, the answer must be in the
negative. The owners of these fraudulent
bonds are now exerting all the power and
influence at their command to have them
validated by special act of congress,
and, to his enduring shame be it said,
Delegate Catron aided their nefarious
scheme to the utmost of his ability dur
ing the last session of congress and is
questionably pledged to continue his
efforts in that direction so long as there
is any hope ofSaccomplishing the in
famous undertaking.
Without the aid of Delegate Catron the
possessors of these void bonds can do
nothing. With his aid, provided he is
returned to congress and his record in
the premises is thus tacitly approved by
the people, they will undoubtedly sue
ceed. Everything depends upon the dele
gates action. As showing how much
hinges on the influence of the delegate,
note the subjoined extract from speech,
delivered in the house of Representatives
at it's last session, by Congressman Lacey,
of Iowa, on the subj jects Of the bill pro-
posing to validate these bonds:
"The delegate from New Mexico (Mr.
Catron) asks that these bonds be vali-
Dated" ** + II am not inclined to ac-
cept mere newspaper statement as
against the solemn declaration of the
gentleman who represents the territory.
If he is perpetrating fraud upon his
commitments in asking us to validate these
bonds, his constituents will notify him of
that fact next November. He takes his
political life in his hands when he asks
us to validate these bonds"
CAREFULLY NOTE THESE WORDS.
Particularly note the words: "He takes
his political life in his hands when he
asks us to validate these bonds" What
do these words signifYf 1t is needless to
tell thinking people that they simply
mean that, if the people return Delegate
Catron to the next congress, such action
will naturally be construed by congress
as meaning that his constituents favor the
valuation of those bonds and they will ac-
oordingly be validated; while, If Delegate
Oatton is repudiated in the pending
election, the fact will be accepted by
congress as distinct reputation of the
representation that the people favor pay
ing these bonds and the effort to validate
them will fail.
Delegate Oatron is a candidate before
the people for reelection and can be de-
pended upon to exert every influence and
energy at his command to make win
ming fight. Can any conscientious man,
any friend of Justice, any friend Of Santa
Fe county, afford to support him in the
the light of the undeniable fact that every
vote cast for him will be considered by
congress as vote in favor of the valida-
tion of these fraudulent railroad bonds!
Consider what the valuation Of these
bonds means. Principle and interest they
amount 10 round numbers to $750O00, as
against total valuation of all the assess
able property in the county of $1,925,-
613, and, If hopelessly saddled upon the
people through the active efforts Of Dele
gate Catron to pass the pending valida-
tion act, they would Immediately become
mortgage on every piece of property 10
the county, mortgage that would Instant
ly wipe ont nearly half of the property
values in the county, mortgage that
would at once place a debt of $50 per
capita upon every man, woman and
child composing the $4,000 population Of
the county, mortgage that would ruin
the county more effectually even than
could the worst cyclone or FIRE that
swept away every vestige Of property In
the county that would feed flames.
wowLD BUN THE COUNTY.