The copper era. (Clifton, Graham County, Ariz.) 1899-1911, 1901-03-14

THE bill introduced in the council to
prohibit a man holding the office OF
mayor or alderman for more than two
| terms in succession, is an effort made
| by Councilman Spiess to legislate Col.
Jack Fleming. of Silver City, out of Of
| fee. The earliest recorded history of
this peculiar and charming town stu
ated in the canyon tells that when the
first of Coronado's men came up the
Mimbres valley to work the copper
mines at Santa Rita, they found Il set
Element of Indians in the canyon, and
this settlement was presided over by u
white man, who said his ancestors came
from Ireland and his name was Jack
Fleming. From that day to this. as
regularly as the spring election came
around, has this same man been elect
ed mayor OF Silver City. He always
WAS the mayor of the Indian town. He
WAS the mayor of the town when the
conquistadores lived there. He WAS
the mayor when this section of the
country was a possession Of Mexico.
he was a mayor when the California
column drove the Texas troops out OF
the territory. He wis the mayor when
Peralta-Reavis claimed all OF southern
Arizona and New Mexico, aud Peralta
Reavis recognized him and excepted
A'iiNCi Wy MS AAO hos
been mayor ever since. Does Council
man Spiess think for moment that so
feeble a thing as a New Mexico legisla-
ture can legislate this man out OF office?
Go to, Mr.. Spices! DO you not know
that Section 10 OF the constitution of
the United States says that no state
shall pass a Law impairing the obliga-
ton Of contracts" Do you not know
that Col. Jack Fleming has contracted
to be mayor of Silver City as long as
that place shall need q mayor? II, in
your ignorance, you should allow this
bill to become a law, it would not be on
the statute books a week before it
would be brought before the supreme
court Of Silver City and Chief Justice
Newcomb would declare it unconstitu-
tional and void.-Liberal.
The passage OF the proposed law
would not effect the validity of Col.
Fleming's title to the perpetual mayor
atty OF Silver City. Soon after Cortez
Mexico aud So d ..i Is Is
enjoy life at the City of Mexico. he
heard OF the great jeie politico to
the north and became alarmed lest his
sway should not be continuous in the
land. In order to propitiate himself in
the good graces OF the naughty and !
war-like chieftain OF the north Cortez |
caused to be engrossed, on the parch- |
ment of n sheep skin. a document, |
granting TO Col Fleming the right to |
forever remain the iefe politico of Sill
yer City. a copy of the document was
filed in the archives in the City OF Mex
leo. The original was framed in gold, |
studded with diamonds aud emeralds |
and forwarded by swift couriers to Col.
Fleming, and can now be seen suspend
ed by a silver cord in the council cham
Der al Silver City. The treaty with
Hidalgo also provides that
Col. Jennings rights as mayor shall
ever be protected by the government
Of the United States. II Mr.. Spiess has
any doubts as to the authenticity of
this statement he is most respectfully
referred to the second volume OF Pres
,ott's Conquest OF Mexico, which sets
put the document in full, and also gives
| fairly good cut OF the mayor as he
appeared at that time.