Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1905-05-12


20 show that the county commissioners
were all right In appealing the suit
against the Santa Fe road to the
supreme court Of the Unlted States,
and that the Liberal was all wrong
Ia criticiEing the commissioners for so
doing. The Independent attempts 70
convict the Liberal OF lege majestic
for being so presumptious as 70 criti-
else any action OF a board Of county
commissioners, or any other county
oficer. The Independent has been
connected with the county seat push
so long that IL naturally has come to
believe that the only object in life for
the taxpayers OF Grant county is to
contribute. and contribute literally to
the support OF this push. The LIBER
AL appreciates that II will be utterly
unable 70 make the taxeaters Of the
county seat see that the taxpayers OF
county, or any person living at a dis
6ance from the county seat has any
rights Ia the world. The Independent.
like all the papers that have been
printed 10 Silver CITY, has always OBJ.
Jected to having the LIBERAL throw a
little light ca obscure county affairs.
IL has been the privilege OF the LIB
ERAL In times past to expose rotten
ness IN county affairs, and it has saved
some money TO the taxpayers by so
doing. For this IL has been commend
ed, but never by a taxeater. In trying
% show that the LIBERAL was 10 error
regarding the matter Of appeal the
Independent starts out with a bald
statement Of alleged facts, one Of
which Is so utterly false that il shows
up the entire defense OF the %Indepen.
dent as unworthy OF belief. In
speaking OF the levy which the Santa
Fe road refused to pay, and on which
the suit is based. IL says: The levy
~antedates the Bateman act" The
levy was made 10 1898. II the editor
OF the Independent will call at the
ONCE OF the county clerk he probably
can dnd a copy OF the session laws OF
1897. One OF the members OF the leg
islature which enacted the laws OF
1897 was the Hon. U. S. Bateman, OF
Eddy. Mr.. Bateman was the father Of
Chapter KILL, which has since been
known as the "Bateman Act" Sec
ton 10 OF this act makes it unlawful
for any board OF county commissioners
TO contract any debt during any year
that cannot be paid u OF the money
actually collected and belonging to
that year, and further provides that
"any and all kind OF Indebtedness for
any current year which Is not paid and
cannot be paid, as above provided for
ts hereby declared TO be null aud void. u
This is the nub OF the Bateman act.
Thus II was that the legislature at
tempted 70 restrict county commits.
sloDers 10 what they could spend. Mr..
Bateman had to come TO the leglsla.
ture again In 1901 10 complete the
work he commenced in 1897, but the
act OF 1897 was the important one, and
was passed previous TO the levy OIL
taxes In 1898, To which the Santa III
road. aud other taxpayers objected
and which the supreme court Of thu
territory declared Illegal, aud which
the ~taxeaters az the county capita
want 10 sec brought before thu
supreme court OF the United States
A common objection made TO thl
wise law by the taxeaters, aud thei
friends, Is that the county should pa!
It's debts. II should not be a repudi
atOr. This is a very nice sounding
argument, and the theory was 10 fore,
10 Grant county for many years, anC
there Is a mountain OF bonded lndebt
edness On the taxpayers OF the county
made simply that the county shoult
pay It's debts. When Mr.. Batemar
saw that there would be no end o.
debts for the counties 70 pay unless
something was done, he changed the
combination, and brought out the
theory that the counties should mol
run into debt. He proclaimed tina
county commissioners could not bl
trusted 10 an unlimited extent, aud Il
curb them secured the passage Of the
Law which provided that the commits
slOneFs could spend each year a GER
tain limited amount OF money, aud II
they incurred liabilities beyond thai
these liabilities we're void. The pub
lIc had notice that the county com.
missloneFs we're not an unlimited good
thinR, and the wise business a tool
precautions before allowing the county
20 become indebted 10 him. An At
tempt was made 70 beat this Law BY
having the bills against the county
certified BY the commissioners as cor
rect. and when they we're not paid
suit was brought against the county
for the amount, aud the amount Of
she judgment was spread On the tax
rolls the next year. IL Is defending
The law. and lighting the taxeaters
that the Santa Re company Is doipg IN