Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-11-07
SANTA FE COUNTY
RAILROAD BONDS
Interview With Mr.. Catron Concern
ing reports Of His Connection
with Bondholders.
WILL OPPOSE LEGISLATION
REGARDING THE MATTER
Letters Purporting to Have Been Written
By Him Concerning the Question Are
Forgeries-No An Attorney
for Ooler and Brice.

IUl OUlUl dllu DIlCti
Since the Santa Fe county Republican
convention, at which Hon. 7. r. Catron
was nominated for the legislative coun-
there has been considerable said by
toward the bonds voted in aid
different railroads in the county, and
that he had been paid money by the
owners of those bonds to run for the
Legislature, in order hat the bonds
might be validated by the next legisla-
ture. Believing that it is no more than
fair that both sides of a story should be
heard, a representative of the New
Mexican called OH Mr.. Catron in refer
ence to tie matter and the following in
terview was had:
Mr.. Catron, it is reported by the
Democrats on the streets that you have
been paid money by Messrs. Coler and
Brice to run for the legislature, in order
to get an act passed validating the
Nv iiNlN W lcSo1N IL olo VI NiiN
different railroad companies
Il pronounce such statement as abso-
lutely and unqualifiedly false. l have
received nothing whatever, either d.
rectly or indirectly, from the Colers or
Brice, or any n else, to aid me in my
election to the Legislature, or as "a con-
sideration for anything whatever |
might do in the Legislature. | have had
no correspondence with Brice or Coler
or any one on their behalf or connected
with them, for more than two years,
and then my correspondence had no
reference to these bonds. Furthermore,
| have to say that such an insinuation
is ridiculous, as the territorial legisla-
ture has no power to do anything in re-
gard to those bonds; it can neither rat
ify nor approve them nor add to nor
AXE away from them any validity
whatever: and | have to say thai in
case the matter should be brought be-
fore the Legislature I shall certainly OPP
pose any action in the Legislature in re-
gard to the same and use my earnest
endeavors to defeat any such action
Mr.. Catron, it is stated publicly that
Mr.. Fiske has some letter of yours pur-
porting to have been written regarding,
the Coler bonds in some manner, pre-
tending to implicate you in the receipt
of money or something else in connec-
ton with the bonds?'
Il will authorize you to say for me
that Mr.. Fiske has no letter of mine
whatever to hat effect or any other eff
feet, nor has any one else, in the re-
hottest connection with any such mat
ter. | never wrote but one letter that
had any reference to that bond business
and that was a letter written by me to
Mr.. Owens, of the committee on terri
tories, in congress. when | was COM
PEELED to be absent, at the State Uni
versity of Missouri, to deliver an adj
dress. / wrote and requested him to Sc
cure the passage of the bill validating
the bonds in aid of the building of the
capitol at Santa Fe and in aid of the
normal schools at Las Vegas and Silver
city, the agricultural college mill
tary institute at Roswell. In that let
ter | alluded to the fact that the bill
had beer amended by Mr.. Brice, in the
senate. and also by the committee in the
house, including the ratification of the
railroad aid bonds, and told him that,
having received various communica-
tons from prominent capitalists in New
Mexico urging me to nave the bill pass
ed Notwithstanding the amendments, l
wanted him to push the bill even as
amended, if it could not be passed 9TH
erwise, or in it's original form. II it
were not so done, it would have to go
over to the next session of congress n
the building of the capitol and the edu-
institutions would be stopped.
] stand upon that communication, and 1t
is the only communication [ eve wrote
in which | referred to the railroad aid
bonds. If any other letter should be
published pretending to come from me,
ii is a forgery. Two years ago William
p. Cunningham, who was running for
sheriff, manufactured a series of let
tiers purporting to be written by my
self, Hon. s. B. Elkins, Hon. r.. G. Kerr
ems, Hon. c. s. Brice, c. A. Spiess n
one w. r. Coler. These letters were all
fabricated, and the signatures to them
were every one forgeries. There is no
such man as w. T. Coler in the Colef
firm. or if there is | hav never heard OF
him. | have no doubt that the present
street statements are the result of a
fraudulent scheme to scandalize me just
as Cunningham did two years ago., and
that in pursuance of that plan these
forged letters will perhaps be
used. I reiterate that I have never re-
a dollar of consideration from