Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1906-01-22
Inaugural Address.
Special to The Optic,

Special to The Optic.
Santa sFe, Jan. Ex-Governor HageI
man said: Fellow citizens. to say tina
am pleased with the reception whicl
you have accorded me here woul,
but lily express my sentiments. II
you am new and untried man, wkt
must seem very young to undertake
the serious duties upon which an
about to enter. I have not the pre-
sumption to assume that the welcome
Iyou have accorded me hare is any
further personal one than from .tht
natural kindness Of your hearts yor
would extend to any one about to be
come the governor Of New Mexico
You welcome me as you DO because
every one of you, of whatever party
whatever creed, or Of whatever birth
or ancestry, has confidence in the wis
dom Of that great man who now
guards the destinies of the United
States, Theodore Roosevelt. and OF
his trusted and courageous lieutenant,
Secretary Hitchcock, to whom as you
well know ! owe in great degree
my appointment. And my fellow citi-
zens 1t would be strange indeed II the
hopes you have built upon the wisdom
Nof these two men were not high. They
have the welfare Of New Mexico very
mar their hearts. In the great multi
tude af affairs connected with their
high offices they have time to inquire
into and to Investigate even in detail
the administration Of affairs In this
territory. The measures they adopt
in regard to New Mexico are only de-
termined upon after thorough inyesti-
cation and great care. II have ven
tured to speak to you on this occasion
OF these two great men, 1t is because
| wish thoroughly to impress upon you
the great responsibility which | feel
is involved in the position with which
the president has honored me. 1t is
"a triple responsibility, the personal
responsibility to the president and
to the secretary Of the interior, the
responsibility to the federal govern
.ment, and above all, the responsibility
to you. the people of the great terri.
tory OF New Mexico. 1t Is position
which in itself is highly honorable
one. No man can I'LL It in the way
1t ought to be filled or in the way in
which he himself desires to fill It
II he ,cherishes even in his inmost soul
any personal hopes for future political
preferment of any kind whatever. II
he does SO, should he be the most
honest of men, some of his acts will |
inevitably be tinged by motives which |
are not for the best interests Of the |
people whose welfare he is In honor
bound to promote. Let 1t be thorough
ly understood that this Is said in. no
spirit OF criticism, but as an attempt
to define an ideal which is not beyond
the power of any man to realize. and
Df Its component parts, fellow citizens,
The government of the United States
Is based upon the theory Of universa!
suffrage. Upon this theory the Uni
ed States have In the face Of doubts
md often sneers Of the monarchies OF
Europe, grown and prospered until
hey now have become one of the
greatest nations in the world. Our
orefathers made no mistake when
hey built upon the great truth that
he voice Of The people is In its broad
st and truest sense the voice Of God.
they believed, and events have justi.
led their belief, that the only sover-
ign under whom any nauon could per.
prosper is In the people
themselves. This is the foundation
rinciple Of our republic. and is sti +:
he keystone Of the arch OF our gov.
rnmental system. The moment we |
werve or deviate from this great {
rtnciple We are endangering the =
hole structure Of the republic. This
just as true now as II was q hun
red years ago, and as II will be a a
undred years hence. Every bonafile +
tizen should primarily by his vote
ave as much to say In regard to the
Of public affairs as >
very other one, and every citizen Il
lould realize the honor and the re- q
that this privilege In 4
lives. He should realize that upon v
individual efforts depend the safe. n
and the very existence OF the IA. !,