Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-08-29

that the following order was made:
"To L. v. Brewing Co. and G.
A. Rothgeb. $500 90
Mutual Building & Loan Assn. 225 "a
IN. M. Land & Irrigation Co.. 995 90
''Gross, Blackwell & Co. 326 90
"Browne, Manzanares Co. ...... I'll 80
Consolidated Cattle Co........ 1873 IA
First National bank. ......... 348 "a
"Charles Ilfeld.. ............ 322 81
"San Miguel National bank. 1856 81"
The moral of the above orders and
attachments is obvious: Don't pay your
taxes in cash, but wait and compromise
with the board by the payment of
script, no matter whether lawful or not.
And Why These Illegal Doings?
1t may be asked, why did the board
+ ever take any such unlawful steps?
Can it be that an official would thus
violate his oath and the laws of the ter
ritOry? The answer of the board of
county commissioners is found in the fol-
lowing opinion of Mr.. Chief Justice Smith,
for the time being receiver of the county
of San Miguel and useful officer gener-
| ally when it was desired to do some-
| thing that the law clearly says can not
| be done. This opinion is remarkable in
several ways.
First, nobody knows by what right the
learned chief justice gave it; nobody
knows in what proceeding in his court
then pending this wonderful decision
was handed down. Nobody knows just
when or by what law the chief justice
became the legal adviser of the board of
county commissioners and yet it is duly
recorded upon the proceedings of the
board of county commissioners, as fol-
lows:
February II, 1898.
"To the Board of County Commissioners;
Gentlemen,
SIN reply to your request for an ex.
preston of my opinion as to the pro
priety of allowing the county officers
credit for their taxes or account of sal
aries for which the county is in default
to them, l beg to state that there can
be no rational objection to such prac.
tice as it is a settlement by which both
parties receive their dues and the in
terests of the public are ever favorably
affected in the promotion of the eff
cheney of the officials by the recognition
of their rights and provision for them
as far as possible by offset. The moral
of a community is elevated by good will
between it and its officials and it can
not be conceived that the former could
be less than pleased to relieve the latter
by payment for services through an ac-
co%mmodation mutually just and ad-
~vantageOus.
II am respectfully,
"THOMAs SMITH,"
Attention is called to the beautiful
wording of this judicial gem. After
reading it the New MEXICAN man felt
like the Psalmist when he cried aloud
chow sweet it is to dwell together in
unity" The moral taught in this opin.
ion is almost sublime. One might think
it had been handed down by a truly
great chancellor, who believed in sub
stantial justice, no matter what the
cost.
And Now Come the County Officials
But this literary bedazzled Judicial
effusion seems to have been just what
the board was looking form fact 1t
was hailed as a long lost brother-fol
on February II, 1893, the board passed
the following order in relation to said
opinion, believing certainly that this
was the law and always would be the
law, no matter who was the dispenser
for the time being:
"In accordance with the above opin
ion, and the officials above referred tt
being anxious to settle their respective
taxes due to the county and the b0art
now in session order the following abate
ments of taxes, which amounts hav,
been charged to the accounts of the of
ficials so making such settlements al
follows:
"Petronilo Lucero, taxes Juan
SedillO ............. .......$ "a %
"H. G. Coors, Coors Bros. and
NJ. j. Crowley. .......... 434 81
70 81
"PatriciO Gonzales, taxes of him
self and Louis Tester. ....... Ill 35
"Catarino Romero. .......... 1853 go
J. On March ., 1898, at page IT'S, |
found the following exhibition OF pa
triotism on the part OF the county Off
GERS, particularly Mr.. Henry Coke
county treasurer, who seems to hav'
looked out for the entire Coke family
, III. G. Coors.................$ 5l3 80
"Felix Martinez. ........... 92 70
"PatriciO Gonzales. .......... 70 10
"PetrOnilo LucerO. .......... 473 80
"Henry Coke. 1,151 80
"H, C. Coke, 25 go
4 .--AT = q nr