Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1897-01-15
Needed ).
49,. Legislation.
A BANKRUPT COUNTRY.
There is Much to Do. But the Solons
Will Not Do IL.

To the Editor OF the Optic.
SPRINGER, N. M January 18TH
Replying to your card of inquiry, l
would say: First. The best and most
important thing would be for the legls-
lature to meet and adjourn at once,
with a memorial to congress to promul-
gate all needful legislation for the Ter.
ritory, as Is done for the District Of
Columbia, until the country should be
ripe for statehood. The thing does
more harm than good, every session.
Second. As they will no. do that,
they should enac the following with a
lot more as nearly all the counties Of
New Mexico are bankrupt, and while
this continues so, it is not likely that
congress will consider the country fit
for self.government. There are many
of these counties with judgments against
them, and SO hopelessly in debt that
they can never get u with the debt
increasing all the time. To remedy
this, the counties should be enlarged
and consolidated, instead Of increas-
ing them in number. The number Of
officials should be reduced, IS we'll as
as counties, and their powers
curtalled, with the emoluments OF
Office greatly reduced, and powers very
much curtailed. The county board
should be made up of the treasurer,
clerk and sheriff; the treasurer made
aDllaatar ard thn aA1tno.nrt. oHno
abolished. No bill should be approved
by the county board until it has been
duly rtemized and particularized by
law and sworn to, and when approved
for payment, each member of the board
should sign it, and sign the warrant
and order for pay, also. II Illegally
allowed, make it the duty OF
the district attorney and attorney
general to prosecute; fail
ure to do this, subject every officer con-
nected with it personally liable. The
amount of the taxes for the previous
year, two.thirds OF which should be
the criterion and limit OF allowances,
and public expenditures for the sue
ceeding year; the other third absolute
ly applied to pay off the county debt;
heavy penalties and liabilities imposed
for any violation of'these financial re-
q%uirements. No bonds voted, nor
allowances for any public improve
ment, that could not be me with this
one.thlrd so realized. The school law
allowing school districts to 90 into
debt to build school houses, worth
more than the whole district, people
and all, if sold at public auction,
should be repealed at once, and no law
enacted that allows n man to put his
hand In another mans pocket and vote
his money away, without voting some
of his " money away at the same
time, at least.
l could mention a thousand radical
changes that would help put New
Mexico in condition so as to be able to
pretend that it is capable of self-gov-
eminent and statehood, but it would
be a waste of time to do SO, as when
the Legislature meets, it will be the
same scramble for Office, without
accomplishing more than has been
done, and add more evidence to satisfy
the whole country that the country is
unfit to govern itself.
We cannot fool the United States
congress. 1t is a body of men who
know too we'll, not only OF the bank
ruptcy Of the country, and as we'll the
horrible murders Of some Of the
best men of the country, everynO and
then. If you want me to bother you
with necessary legislation, l could give
you chapters, and ali that THE OPTic,
or any other paper, may publish, will
not do any good.
Yours respectfully,
M w. Mills