Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1898-11-07
Record Of Facts Showing Pedro
Perea Standing on Educa-
- -tional Progress. - 49,
SOME LEGISLATIVE HISTORY.
How the Kistler School Bill was
I "a Strangled and Mills Bill
's2'' Bushwhacked.
DUTY OF LAS VEGAS PARENTS

The public school system of New
Mexico had its origin and birth In Las
Vsgas--in THE OPTIC Office. The first
comprehensive measure on the subject
ever brought before the territorial leg
islature was thought out and written
down at the desk where the writer OF
these lines now sits. 1t was the late
lamented "Chet" Kistler who did it.
In the campaign of 1888 he was elected
a member of the house OF representa-
tives in the 2Sth assembly from San
Miguel county, largely out of compli-
ment to THE OPTIC, which had been
foremost In its advocacy Of popular
education for the youth of New Mex
leo. He offered that bill at the very
opening of the session. 1t was care
fully drawn, fair and just. Everybody
early recognized it as long step for
ward in the march of progress for our
sun-kissed territory. So zealously did
he support the measure that 1t went
through the lower house with whoop.
There was rejoicing in every part of
New Mexico when the gladsome news
flashed over the wires from Santa Fe
that the "Kistler public school bill had
passed the house by vote of 10 ayes
to A nays"
In the council Prichard, Rodey, Fort
and Franks were outspoken friends of
the bill, but Perea. Catron and their
following were lying in ambush for it.
PEREA BUsH-wHAcKED 1T
from the very day it was first
read in tie lower house and
10 the council throughout the whole of
the session he was quite as busy put
ting up JOBS to strangle it, when the
proper time came, as was Kistler and
his friends in pushing the good thing
along in the house. Catron was more
diplomatic; he wanted to kill it with
kindness--load it down with minor
amendments at the last nome mt be-
fore the expiration of the session. Perea
fought it openly, but permitted Catron
to have his way. The proper time for
the strangulation of the measure finally
came-the last day of the session. Let's
90 back to Thursday, February2S, 1899,
and glance over the legislative record:
** "The council resolved itself
into committee of the whole on the
Kistler school bill, President Chavez
in the chair. Messrs. Perea. Baca,
Jaraml llo and Romero are
FILIBUSTERING TO DEFEAT
the bill. ** The committee arose
an / the chairman reported the Kistler
school bill and recommended its pas
sa sagewith certain amendments.
Mr.. Prichard moved that the bill be
read third time by title; Mr.. Perea
moved to lay the motion on the table
indefinitely; ayes 4 nays 8. Mr.. Pri-
chard moved that the bill do pass and
moved the previous question; Mr.. Perea
moved to lay the motion on the table
indefinitely
Mr.. Perea was here ruled out
Of order and appealed from
the decision of the chair. The chair
was sustained, but the mighty Pedro
declined to behave
1* y "Mr. Rodey moved fer a
conference committee on house bill So,
ths public 81 hool bill. Mr.. Ierea
moved to lay the motion on the table;
carried. Mr.. Rodey moved to
take up the school bill. The president
announced that the hour Of IL o'clock.
midnight. having arrived. the council
stood adjourned sire die"
Thus Pedro Perea accomplished his
long cherished designs for strang.ing
till dead the Kistler public school bill.
But that isn't all. On the opening day
Of the 10Th legislative assembly, in jan
uary 1891, Col. 7. d. Mills, a member OF
the council from San Miguel county,
introduced almost identically the same
bill Mr.. Kistler had fought so brayely
to pass during the session of the year
previous. Perea fought it, too, from
the start, and along toward the close of
the session it developed that one OF Pc
rea's closest colleagues had
P0CKETED THE MEASURE
and "lost It," It never saw the light of
q legislative day after Perea's friend
got hold of it. But Col. Mills was
equal to the emergency. Mr.. Paulin,
from San Juan county, had measure
similar to the Mills bill pending IN the
house, and at the latter's suggestion
added thereto twenty-four sections Of
ths Mills bill as originally offered in
the council It passed the house,
Speaker Burns taking occasion to say,
in casting his vote, This house IS
Democratic today just because tue leg
islature Of two years ago killed the
Kiotler ffee school bill"
when the Mills.PauIen measure