Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-10-08

The people of all New Mexico are
interested in no subject SO much as the
honest and efficient administration of
public business. The following article
from the fearless district attorney of
Bernalillo county, setting forth the re.
markable conditions that have been
whitewashed BY grand jury appears
in the Albuquerque Journal of October
Ia paper always ready to champion
the interests of the people against the
bosses:
To the editor Of the Morning Journal,
Albuquerque, N. NJ, Oct. 6, 1903.
feel compelled, as public officer,
as a citizen and a republican, to ask
to be permitted. through your columns,
to lay before the public certain infor-
nation which has been recently
forced upon my attention particularly.
and which seems cannot in any other
way be brought to public notice. IT
has been urged upon me that for par
tisan political reasons, such things
should be suppressed, as their publica-,
ton dill serve to give political adj
yersaries weapons for use against the
political party to which | belong.
do not believe that to be true. II is
much better for political party that
its own members and officers should
expose official irregularities and
abuses than to leave that work to Its
enemies. Those matters of which l
write are now SO entirely things of
public record that it would be worse
than folly, from even the most ignoble
PARTISAN standpoint, for republicans to
neglect to expose and attack them. |
would not ignore practical considera-
tions as to the inadvisability OF at
tackinr men in our own ranks in the
midst of the stress and turmoil OF
political campaign, but no such CAM
paign is now on hand. The next gen
eral election is more than year dis
tant. If the republicans Of Bernalillo
county can be convinced of the un-
worthy character of some Of those
who have heretofore been honored
with public office SO that they and
their kind will not be allowed to dom.
mate in the future as they have In the
past. then we may reasonably be sure
of victory in 1904. but otherwise we
will be doomed to defeat.
Neither political nor personal con
sideration should be permitted to inter
fere with the discharge Of official duty
or the higher duties Of leadership, ane
fthey ever become SO strong as thls g
interfere the official would better re
sign and the citizen betake himsel
10 hiding in the cave Of Adullam.
Much might be said Of irregularit!
il the management Of our county al
fairs. OF the ignorance, or wilfnl dis
regard Of law. or both. BY county OIL
GERS. but for the present viii eoniin'
myseIf 10 statement Of matter
which In great part have been mad
matters of public record, and in no wa
depend upon the mere ipsc diSi 81 an
individual.
First. attention should he called
the subject of certain bonds Of NJ.
Kinley county a. 70 which the record
af Bernaiiilo county are, to put
mildly. in most extraordinary an
bewildering condition. The ofIicls
records 81 the county show that 2
.Iupe B faae BernaliIIo and MelSinle
counties agreed that The indebtedness
~ Rernailllo county % be assume
and mid hy Mckinley county shoul
be5S5oop, ana hat the former count
should receive that sum IN cash or
per cent bonds, as provided by lay
on or before July /. 1901. IN fnll se
tlement.
There is no record anywhere thi
,he $4,000 were ever paid In cash
bonds. but II Is fact that the bono
were actually delivered, although .
oflclai record Of such delivery w
ever made.
ON September 10. 1901. the boar
Of county commissioners appointe
Charles X. Newhall, county treasure
agent Of Bernalillo county ito sc
$4,000 worth Of Mckinley count