Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1903-07-25
LyNCHING CAN Be STOPPED
New Mexico Has Had No MODS for
Many Years.
LAW AND ORDER ENFORCED.

The Washington Post In a recent ed.
itorIal asks the question: Can lynch.
ing be abolished7" OF course IL can,
says the Santa Fe New Mexican. This
territory Is a case In point. There
have been no iynchings within the ter.
r'tory of New Mexico for twenty-one
years. The reason for this very graft.
flying state of affairs Is near at hand
and not at all difficult To ascertain.
While at times and during the regime
OF Mr.. Cleveland the courts OF this ter.
ritory hive been guilty OF political bias,
stlll. when II came to prosecutions for
such crimes as murder. felonious as
sault, cattle stealing and the like. the
courts In most of the districts have
been very prompt to punish. grand
iuries to indlct. and petit juries to con-
vict. In all OF the counties the peo-
pie feel that they can safely allow the
courts TO do the work OF furnishing
criminals for them and that they need
take no hand In such proceedings ex.
cept as jurors and witnesses.
The record Of New Mexico in this re-
spect Ia most gratifying and commend.
able when compared with that Of some
OF the most powerful. most populous
and the richest states In the union.
What is more. the people Of New Mex.
leo propose TO see that this record
shall continue Cnstained and clean fov
all time to come.
recent case IN point But few
weeks ago the city marshal OF Ration
was shot by a colored porter OF a
Pullman car and died from the wound
received within 4 few hours. This col.
ored man and some friends were
promptly arrested and there was some
tolk of Organizing a lynching party
for their benefit. but Governir Otero,
Chief Justice Mills. In whose district
the crime was committed. District At.
torney Leahy at Ration, and Sheriff
Marion Littrell OF Colfax county. took
prompt and vigorous measures to pre-.
vent breach OF the peace and the or.
ganization Of a lynching court. and
the prisoners were Immediately hur.
county seat of the next county. where
they were safe from mob violence.
Some of the leaders OF the mob were
also arrested, placed under bonds. and
no doubt will be indicted by the grand
jury Of Colfax county at its next SEES.
sion. Actions like this by the terri.
torial authorities will inform the
Washington Post and other eastern
newspapers why no lynchings have
taken place In this territory for more
than twenty years.
There is no doubt in the minds OF
well informed persons that the Wash.
ington Post Is correct WHEEL II says
that the recent horrible and brutal
outbreaks OF violence In Belleville. Ill.
Wilmington. Del. Evansville, Ind, and
Bluefelds. Va. would not have taken
place II the people OF those towns and
sections had had confidence in the
courts and had believed that prompt
and condign punishment would have
been meeted out to the mlscreants
who assaulted women or committed
murder In these localities.
Here is another argument IN favor
OF statehood for New Mexico. The PEG.
PIE OF this territory are law abiding,
and the laws OF the commonwealth
are, as a rule. fairly and efficiently ex.
ecuted In criminal cases such as
brought about mob violence In the In.
stances cited above. Still there arc
United States senators and representa-.
tives in congress from the states OF
Delaware. Illinois. Indiana and vir.
ginia who are opposed To granting
New Mexico statehood autonomy and
self government although the record
and history show that the people OF
this territory even under the terri.
torial form Of government can gov
ern themselves much better than can
The people OF the sovereign states
named above.