The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1906-11-06
Haqerman and Reid
Counsel Independence

is passed by congress. and then the
valuable public land will all be gone.
The Governor passed by local af-
fairs and moved speedily on to Ter
ritorial questions. He said that the
governors path had been somewhat
thorny for several months, but that
he hoped to see it more rosy in the
future. He said, however, that If it
continued to be thorny he would en-
deavor to pursue it as before, the
thorns notwithstanding.
The Governor said that as we have
little voice, if any, in national poll
tics, having merely a delegate in o
gress who has no vote and six repre-
%sentatives in the national political
conventions, we are not bound to hold
up party organizations as the people
are in the states, especially some of
the states. He said that the time OF
voting the straight ticket, no matter
who the candidate is, has passed. He
said that where party machines e
built to cloak rascality in office, par
ty regularity as it is termed, must
fall. He said that no party could
stand long under the leadership of
unworthy men; that the Republican
party, as a whole, has stood for
ther would the Republican party of the
territory-do so. He said that when
ever this condition appears, party
regularity will go.
Tne next legislature is still an un-
known quantity, said the governor.
He believes the best men will be sent
there. He passed favorably on the
candidates of both parties from this
portion of he territory. He said
that the measure to be passed at the
mex legislature are not partisan, and
that the best men regardless of party
should be sent there. He said that
it has been the custom of the New
Mexico legislature to pass laws favor
able to certain classes and certain
men under the cloak of doing it for
the general good. He said that these
measures had either all been found
to be bad or were being found so. He
said hat in some cases these laws
had reacted on the yer men for
whom they had been passed and that
they themselves, had taken steps to
have them repealed. He said that
both parties had asked for a general
revision of the territorial laws, which
were in such a mix-up that even the
best lawyers could not get the
straight of them. New Mexico has
many good laws, but it has others
which nullify and qualify the good
ones until the general effect is bad.
He said that, as Governor, he would
support a general revision and codi-
fcation of the Territorial statutes SO
that they can be understood.
The present system OF taxation in
the Territory is bad. The Territorial
Board of Equalization has not enough
power. This board can raise or lower
the assessments, but cannot enforce
its findings. This is left to the var
ious boards of county commissioners.
Chaves county happens to nave COM
missioners who are not controlled and
who carry out the recommendations
of the Territorial Board, but some
other counties are not so fortunate,
he said. However, the general result
of assessments and taxation is not
so bad as painted, for the very low
valuations are offset by the high rate
of taxation. He was not surprised
that the people object to unequal as
sessments, when the cheap grazing
lands of this section of the Territory.
as well as other part, are valued at
80 cents per acre, while valuable tim
Der and coal lands are assessed at
Is to 20 cents an acre. He referred
also to the fact hat all the coal and