Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-03-10
tor for his private personal peciniary ad-

tor for his private personal pecuniary ad
vantage in most improper manner;
That We view with alarm this action oi
the legislative branch of the government
to overthrow the judicial tribunals as
subversive of our theory of Republican
institutions;
That we are in favor of paying every
honest debt with most scrupulous exac.
titude, regardless of any technicalities
but this Indebtedness was fraudulent
from its inception, the very organization
of the railroad company which received
the bonds being based on fraud, and the
people are under no moral obligation
whatever with regard to it;
That we call on our delegate in con-
eress, Hon. 7. B. Catron, to use every
means in his power to prevent the pas
sage of this amendment, as unjust to the
people of this country and throwing upon
them an intolerable burden for which
they have had no equivalent
Judge Downs moved the adoption
of the resolutions
Mr.. R. E. Twitchell, assistant attorney
for the Atchison, Topeka 4 Santa Fe
Railroad company, took the floor as
vigorous protestant against the adoption
of the resolutions. He recalled the man
ner in which the bonds were voted,
and insisted that, until the decision of the
Arizona bond cnse, no voice had been
lifted against them. He said that the
ssonds haa been voted by the people, were
held in good faith and should be paid.
Judge Downs followed with an eloquent
talk in favor of the resolutions. He said
that the files of the New MEXICAN would
prove that the proposed refunding of the
Texas, Santa Fe & Northern bonds had
been savagely attacked and denounced at
the time; that the refunding of both those
bonds and the Coler bonds was brought
about by fraud; that the supreme court
had since pronounced the onds abs olutely
void for want of authority to issue them;
that it was now sought by Brice and his
associates to burden the people with
debt for which the supreme court said
they were not liable; that not dollar of
either set of the bonds voted to railroads
ever went into the treasures of the rail
road companies; that Brice's statements
in the senate were false.
Mr.. Twitchell explained that as dis
driot attorney he did not participate in
any suit brought against the Coler bonds
because he was also railroad attorney.
MERELY AN ENTERING WEDGE.
Gov. Thornton realized that the suit
brought against the Coler bonds related
to bonds voted to the A., L. & S. f. road,
adding that the effort to validate the Tex
as, Santa Fe Il Northern bonds was mere
ly an entering wedge. The next step
would be to validate the Coler bonds, and,
as paid attorney for the A., T. ~ s. L.
road, it was Mr.. Twitchell's duty to take
the position he did He continued that
Mr. Catron was also attorney for the
Coler bondholders and as such was quiet
ly aiding Mr.. Brice's effort in the senate.
Mr.. Twitchell said that the A., 7. 4 s.
f. company did not own dollar of the
Coler bonds: that it had sold them for SO
cents on the dollar; that he spoke solely
for R. E. Twitchell.
Gov. Thornton said that the fact that
the bonds had been sold at such sacri-
flee proved that the holders doubted their
validity.
Ex-Gov. Prince said he desired to say
few words on two points. He regarded
the attitude of Senator Brice as extraor-
dinary and indefensible. 1t was we'll
known rule in legislative bodies that it
was not allowable for a person having
direct pecur iary interest IN measure to
vote upon the same. Yet Brice, who
had personal interest in the
Texas, Santa Fe & Northern bonds, not
only misrepresented the facts but voted
for the valuation of these bonds, thus
using his official position
FOR HIS OWN ADVANTAGE.
This could not have occurred in the
early days of the senate, and, if the other
members of the senate had been acquaint.
ed with the facts, he could not have
passed his measure.
The ex-governor said he was opposed
to the reputation of just debts, and, re.
court, if he thought these bonds we're
just he should favor paying them. But
he did not consider the bonds legiti-
mate debt against the people of this
county; they we're founded on fraud; the
laws of the territory were violated in the
very formation of the company. Since
The courts had removed the legal obliga-
lion, he thought there was no moral obi
cation on the people to pay them. He
thought resolutions ought to be passed
the views of the people on
the subject for the use of our delegate,
whom he believed would represent the
interests Of the people in the premises.
The resolutions were then adopted
amid shouts of approval.
On motion of Judge Downs copies of
The resolutions were ordered wired to
Delegate Catron ana to the territorial
Of congress.
The following committee was appoint
I'd by the chair to aid in defeating the
Brice amendment and if necessary to
send man to Washington to cooperate
with the delegate: Gov. W. T. Thornton,
County Treasurer H. B. Cartwright and
Mr.. w. NJ. Berger.
The meeting then adjourned.