Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-08-27
ABLE ADDRESS
BY JUDGE LONG
CONTINUED from Page -

Now l appear W 4Us - AUhtA
10 my brother Or my father. pr M
truest friend. | have lived sixty W.
years. according 70 tho general eoufat
Of life, d few more years Will catft
me away. and I have but little interest
personally. In this question, hns these
young mtin have 4 yers great ialersl
in the future Of The Las yegaa grant
and 10 | appeal III Won III iag aalff
feeling. 10 act cooily and deliberate.
ly and with good judgment ek his
question.
There has never been the slight.
est disposition upon the part pf the
fudge BIZ this court or III 4 sirgin iretn.
Der Of the hoard Of trustees nj ms.
Ing the Las Vegas grant, M lIstrb 4
single settler upon said lands IN he
cyerclse Of either HIS legal er ettniI.
able rights. I have attended almost
every meeting of that hoard and
know whereof I speak. For some rca.
son there has been circulated among
the people statements that are untrue
on this subject. have heard TINT n
has been said that tho board OF trus
toes were putting the money derived
from the grant into their own pockets.
There Ia not a word Of truth In that
statement, not d dollar has ever gone
into the pockets Of d single member
Of the board OF trustees. II has also
been said that the board on trustees
are not willing 10 recognize the rights
o. settlers unless they had some M
per title. That Ii not true.
And no. growing out OF these mis-.
approximations, these misunderstood.
ings, ! am inclined 70 think The people
have become somewhat restless In ri.
lation TO their rights.
You viii remember that the o
eminent Of tho United statca sought
70 seize upon this grant and claim ii
as liz own, ms the statute or Unite.
lions on ten years does not apply as
against the government. and II Tint
had occurred, the legal effect would
been that not d single man Or
You would have owned n single foo.
Of land On this grant except AZ WI
these small allotments along the Gu.
linas and sapcllo. The heirs ani Ia
representatives on Juan y. Dios
Macs. claimed that. they owned The
and II they lind succeed III
j man o. you would have any right
ipon this grant. Now Tint was the
condition. and there was another I'LL.
tie crowd, not larger than a mans
hand, n 1857. which held The first
sourt In this courthouse ana Tint III.
crowd claimed that this land bc
Ionged 70 the people of Las Vegas.
ind there was a great controversy and
n thta court able lawyers represented
he government and Mr.. catron and
dr, Springer represented the heirs of
Iuan u. Dlos Macs and their r~epresan
atives. And now, when that battle
q being fought ont. where were
our friends. and who were your
who stood by you9 Who stood
You then In that hour Of your
rouble when this property was about
0 he taken from you? The court
by you and the court will con.
niue 10 stand by You. Judges die and
ndgcr 20 but the courts exist ever.
astingly. and as the court stood by
then I know the court will stand
~ you now.
Now. ! am not the personal repre-
'6ntatise Of Judge Mills. nor am
authorized TO speak for him. l don't
TO his party, but I believe him
Q be an honest. able aud faithful man.
ie sometimes makes mistakes. Judges
re human, but on this question Of the
as Vegas grant, ! know tho people
an rely on the Judge of this court
or protection ~ every ii on their
%rtereats. II I did not know so ri
would not be here today addressing
on this occasion. II thought
rights would be better protected
Dy the town trustees Of the town on
Las Vegas ,hnn BY this court. | would
these resolutions. but because
know your rights are moro secure
here ! am hero 10 urge upon You not
Q pass these resolutions hut 10 stand
~ the Judge who Iii turn win stand
you.
Now q little further. 4 have nj my
,ffice . decision make BY Chief Jus
Ice Palen. IN the old court house down
lere. The citizens meeting, III ,ou
done. appointed a committee 10
the Las Vegas grant. i 40 not
emember who all of them were. hut I
ememher that May Hayes. whom my
NIL remember Waa one os that