Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-01-19
LEGISLATIVE GOSSIP.
OPINIONS OF A COUNCILMAN.


OPINIONS OF A COUNCILMAN.
Hon. T. ID. Burns, member OF the
council from Rio Arriba, Taos and San
Juan counties, is one of the self-made
men, who, by dint of industry, close APP
olication to business, and shrewd per-
faculties, has amassed a compe-
,ency from New MeXico's matchless re-
Mr.. Burns came to the terri
tory in 1861. His worldly possessions
consisted of a good reputation and un-
limited credit. He engaged in the mer-
camille business on a small scale and
afterward took up the stock business
and accumulated numerous herds OF
sheep and cattle, and he later branched
into real estate speculations. He thinks
that there are many opportunities in
New Mexico for young men with limited
capital. One with enough money to
buy 1000 head OF sheep, can attend to
them personally and in the course OF
five or six years be financially indepen-
dent, " 49,.
As a legislator Mr.. Burns is unques-
tionably the best selection that his sec
ton could have made. He does not
aspire to Office and does not come to the
legislature for the money that the job
guarantees, nor for the political pre-
ferment. He desires to simply be re-
garded as a citizen of the great com
monwealth of New Mexico and will
represent the people of the whole terri
tory, as we'll as his constituency, in a
straightforward and conscientious man
ner.
Relative to political measures now
pending and the wants of the people
| whom he represents in the three north
ern counties, Mr.. Burns said to the
New Mexican representative: During
the session of the Goth assembly, | Sc
cured the establishment of an agricul-
tural station at Aztec. The a%ppropria-
ton for the station amounted to $4,000
and it came from the amount due the
territory from the civil war. At that
time the supposition was entertained
that the experimental station at Mesilla
Park would contribute to the support
of the Aztec sub-station from the
amount provided by the Hatch fund,
The territory made no regular appro
priation for the Aztec sub-station be
cause it was thought that sufficien1
provisions had been already made fol
its maintenance. 1t has since devel
oped that the Aztec station is a purely
territorial affair and not entitled to sup
port from the government station a
Mesilla Park. Some means should b.
devised by the legislature for providing
money to be used in experimental worl
at the Aztec station.
II do not think that more than one
half of the property in the territory |
taxed. The general sentiment OF tn
inhabitants is that money paid for take
gives no direct benefit to the people
Of course this feeling does not apply t
the more intelligent Glass; for the,
know that they derive direct benefit
from the enforcement of the laws.
think that a bill should be passed b
the legislature, providing that assessor
land collectors of taxes shall not succee
themselves. Under present conditions
assessors and collectors are prone t
cater to tax payers and thousands Q
dollars are left unsolicited because the
imagine that property holders will wor
against them in political campaigns an
/: that the rigid enforcement OF thei
t duties would initiate against them /
securing further tenure of Office
Mr.. Burns is very enthusiastic in hi
remarks about Rio Arriba county. H
said: "Rio Arriba is the most prosper
, GUS county in New Mexico. 1t has les
! poor people than any other county, an
; boasts of a taxable wealth of 81, 500, 00t
Nearly all of the people in the count
have nice farms and many sheep an
cattle.
Gas to the d%epredations of Indians
that sort of thing is gradually ~lessenins
!, 1t is true that the Navajoes and Apache
have practically ruined the cattle il
! dustry except for such as are kept undo
: fence, but that state Of affairs has give
: the sheep and wool industry a tremel
Z dous impetus and distributed wealth
hundreds of poor people, where befol
, a few large cattle operators owned tt
9 whole"
5 Some crank has mailed each membt
h of the legislature a circular advisin
e him to steer wide of vicious legislatio
Q and corrupt practices and to beware
accepting railway passes in return Il
n favorable legislation. The h%irelins
are touched on and much concern
a expressed that the honorable body me
not act as good little boys should. ]
case the legislature does the prop
y thing each member will have a Sunds
school card with a brindle fringe hun
around his neck and if he walks home |
is assured of a little red chariot in Il
IS kingdom come. 1t is dollars to doug
II nuts that the person who mailed Il
X circulars has voted the Populist tickt
" Anyone who has a lick of sense know
y we'll enough that there are not half
= dozen members of the legislature ridir
d on rail way passes and those that ha'
them have been riding on pasteboar'
for years. Furthermore, the railwa,
n and large corporations would not loo
on a man through a telescope wi
could be purchased for u railway pas
The ssreckless reputation which IL
k legislature has acquired for vicious lie
~islation and corrupted practices is Il
n veriest rot and is an insult to the no
OfaOlo gentlemen WIN HdVe OccH l
turned to the legislative halls by
u satisfied and respecting constituent
Q That sort Of stuff may go with peop
whose knowledge OF legislative affairs
% confined to the columns of sensation
newspapers, but broad minded al
n liberal people pity the cranks who lit
D. the mails with idiotic ~drivelings abo
l. bribery and corruption. No doubt 6
Ii lists but what each member Of the Leg
t. lature will do his full duty in an homo
le able and contentious manner, regar
h less Of the selfish and personal desir
s. Of narrow-gauged calamity howlers.
le One of the members of the hou
d stated to a representative Of The Nc
g Mexican that several members were 0
g. posed to the passage Of Council J.
n No. s., granting each member q copy
Q the 1897 Compiled Laws. When tt
vote on this question was taken yeste
day some of these members did not U
derstand the question. Arrangement
were made to have the vote reconsider,
on the resolution, but the %adiOurnme,