Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-10-14
The Meaning Of a Vote.

Tue WcdHiDy VI q vVte.
While in some of the counties of the
territory county tickets have not yet
been named, the campaign of 1898 is
fairly on and the voters of New Mexico
are placed in a position where all
doubts and hesitancy concerning the
manner in which they will cast their
purpose. When the questions before
the people at the present time are
thoroughly examined and understood,
it will be found that the men who eX-
pect to do their duty on November s
will be brought face to face with II
proposition; there will be no middle
course to take. Which is desired, pros,
perity or hard times? is the real issue
in the election of 1898.
In order to decide that question it is
only necessary to glance at the records
Of the two political parties in the terri
tory, the Republican and the Demo-
cratic. A contrast of the prices paid
for cattle, sheep and farm products In
the years from 1893 to March, 1897, with
those paid from the time of the inaugu-
ration of President Mckinley to the
present, will satisfy any one of intelli-
gence and of a fair mind that the Re.
publican party, through the enactment
of a protective tariff law, has been able
to restore living prices for the products
of New Mexico's hills and plains and
valleys and mines. The Democrats.
during their short tenure of power
near wrecking the business interA
ests of the entire southwest, and had
the statesmen of that aggregation OF
economic failures remained at the head
of the nation, the smash would have
been complete. 1t is not necessary to
here bring forward any arguments to
support the assertion. The facts, as the
people remember them, are sufficient
to substantiate the truth of the state
ments made.
1t is no more than right that the vot-
ers should understand the effect of Il
vote cast for Republican candidates
and a vote cast for Democratic tandi-
dates. One will be an expression in IA
vor OF protection and good times" the
other will express a desire for free
trade, low prices for everything that
the voter has to sell and high prices
for everything he is compelled to buy,
and hard times" generally. Every
man is at liberty to take his choice, but
in making that choice he must be ready
to abide by the results, and place the
blame or credit where it rightly be-
longs, upon himself.
To make the matter as plain as it can
be made: A vote for Hon. H. b. Fer
gusson. the Democratic nominee for
delegate to congress, is a vote for 65
cent lambs, S. calves and 81 cattle; a
vote for Hon. Pedro Perea is a vote for
81 lambs, SIS calves and $27 cattle. In
fact, a vote for a single candidate on
either ticket, no matter if the one voted
for is a near personal friend, has exact
~ the same meaning. 1t seems heart
less to say it, but it is a fact. Business
anu lIltiiuSIlp, III DuSlllcSS matters,
cannot be allowed to be too closely as
ISOLATED without n or the other of the
persons concerned in the transaction
getting the worst of it..
After the events of the past year.
New Mexico is occupying a prominent
position in the public eye. and it de-
Ponds largely upon the result of the
coming election what position will be
accorded the territory in the business
and financial circles of the north and
east in the future. Ira legislative way
much is at stake, and the people can
not afford to elect a Democratic dele
gate to congress. That is the situation
in a nutshell. For the same reasons a
Republican legislature must be elected
In the elections of county officials the
experience in the administrator of
county affairs by Democratic and Re
publican officials in the past 10 years is
sufficient to determine the voters who
are anxious to see county expenses kept
within the income and the outstanding
iilueUteuIcSS euuCcu 10 NOle LOT the
Republican candidates. An example of
what a set Of lawless officials can ac-
complish In the way of lining their own
and their friends pockets at the ex-
pense of the poorer tax payers in the
county is before the voters at the pres
ent time in San Miguel county.
The New Mexican does not say that
all Democrats are corrupt any more
than it claims that all Republicans are
above suspicion. Blu it does say that
the Republican party will give the peo-
pie a better administration of public af-
fairs than the Democrats. for the rea-
son that the principles of the party are
such that if they are carried out, as
they have beef ever since that party
came to be a factor in the nation, hon
esty, carefulness. economy and justice
to all must result.