Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-11-03

SIlIullOudl COHFeHllOli WuOoS tleCllOl
is beyond reasonable doubt, is Hon.
l.. Bradford Prince. running on the
Republican ticket of Rio Arriba Coun-
ty; and there is no one who will make
a more intelligent anl efficient men,
ber.
Governor Prince has been prominent
in so many different ways that it is
impossible to give here complete
record of his career. At one time he
was simultaneously president Of the
Historical Society. the Horticultural
Society, the Bureau of immigration,
the Regents of the Agricultural Col
lege and the Santa Fe Board of Trade.
He has been the presiding officer at
repeated sessions of the three great
Western Congresses the Trans-Miss-
issippi, the Irrigation Congress and
the Mining Congress-; and is consider
ed to have no superior west of the
Mississippi as a parliamentarian. For
2S year he has been a member of the
Episcopal Triennial General Conven-
ton. He has made speeches or ad-
dresses in every city of any size in
the United States, from Boston to San
Francisco, except Pittsburg and Seat
tie. He belongs to the whole range
of Patriotic Societies, from the May
flower to the war of 1912. He held
high Masonic positions under five diff
ferent Grand Masters in New York.
He has written books, pamphlets, and
articles in reviews and magazines, on
history, archaeology and a great va
riety OF topics.
But in this sketch the New Mexican
will only speak Of his record in lines
connected with the work of consti-
tutional convention. Political science
has always been his speciality. He
wrote political articles and received
vote of thanks from the local Re-
publican organization when he was
only sixteen years old. Before he was
of age, he was making speeches for
Abraham Lincoln. In 1868 he was
member of the national convention,
which first nominated General Grant,
and again of that which nominated
Hayes. For llve successive terms, he
served in the New York assembly,
from strongly Democratic districts,
and twice was elected unanimously.
He was the first legislator to intro
duce the Referendum" into practi-
cal use, by submitting every local act
appropriating money to vote OF the
people. He was chairman of the judi
ciary committee which impeached the
corrupt judges in New York, and re-
ceived the highest vote as manager
of the impeachment, in 1872 In three
years. as such chairman, he reported
1856 bills: the greatest number ever
acted on by committee in such a
period. In 1876, ne was elected to the
state senate, in heavily Democratic
district, running 5000 ahead of his
ticket. In 1878, he declined the gov
ernorship of Idaho, the marshalship
of New York, the chief justiceship of
Utah. and several foreign appoint
ments and finally accepted the chief
iusticeship of New Mexico. at the ur-
gent solicitation of the administration,
after twice declining it. AS chief JUS
tice, he had charge of the northerly
half of the Territory during the period
of unparalleled business and criminal
activity attending the opening of the
railroads; and, assuming Office with
years accumulated work. He disposed
of 1924 civil and 1923 criminal cases
in three and half yeas, and left the
docket clear for his successor. With
out any remuneration from the Terri
tory he made compilation of the
laws of New Mexico, which passed
through several editions and for .
number of years was the acknowledg
ed legal authority. In 1889 he became
governor of New Mexico, holding Of
fee little over four years. The ef-
ficiency and purity of that administra-
tion are well known. The modern pub
lie school system was inaugurated, all
the higher educational institutions
were organized, the long desired Land
Court obtained, the payment of the
public debt begun and prosperity
everywhere prevailed.
In the early days Of the Civil se"-
vice Reform agitation, he was one OF
the original lecturers, with George
William Curtis and Dorman B. Eaton.
He is one Of the very few public men
who has personal experience in all
three branches of the government, leg
islative, judicial and executive; as ne
served in both branches Of the legis-
lature Of the largest state in the
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