The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-02-11
DEMOCRATIC POSITION
AS THE RECORD SEES 1T


AS THE RECORD SEES 1T.
The Republicans are IN pOwer-and
a dickens of a mess it is. II the Did
gang of grafters wins out the govern
meat of the Territory will be worse
than ever. To ook at the situation
solely from the standpoint OF a Dem
ocratic politician who hopes some day
to get an office for himself or a
friend, we should want Bursum, Frost
ct al, to sail right in and continue
their fight against good government
They certainly could do nothing bet
ter to insure Democrats victory in
1908, for If the gang wins in the pres
sent struggle thousands of Republi-
cans will vote the Democratic ticket
the Whites Mans Ticket" in the
next election. That portion of Repub-
lican Territorial Chairman BursumS
history which was brought out by the
-peaitentiary investigation previous to
the last election probably cost Bull
Andrews rs many votes as Andrews
own record cost him-and could the
past two weeks work of the Bursum
gang at Santa Fe have been fore
seer in time, Andrews would have
been beaten by $500 majority-in
fact he was beaten by a small major
ity and counted il-but let that pass
for the present
II we cared for nothing but the
success of the Democratic party at
some indefinite future time, We should
say. go it Max; go it Burse; you
are the best friends the Democratic
party in New Mexico ever had"
But we do care for something more
than mere part advantages. We care
for New Mexico, and for its good
name. We Democrats over here is
the Pecos Valley, as well as Repub-
licans, came here to help develop New
Mexico. to establish homes aSd to
help make a government fit to live
under. We have hoped that in time
il would become a state, with COM
plete self governmest, but we know
this hope cannot be realized until af-
ter we have shows that we can govern
ourselves pretty well under a terri
torial government. If the old Republi-
can gang, of which Bursum is the
most pronounced type, could have its
way. we would not be fit for state
hood in the eyes of congress il a hun
dred years. What Bursum, Frost and
theirs are trying to do, concerns ev-
cry decent man in New Mexico, no
matter to what party or race or reli-
gioa he may belong. To develop our
we must nave men with
money AND brains and strong hands
and many of them-from other
states. Nothing can help keep them
away more than hoodlum government
high taxes, bad laws, grafters in
high places, and other conditions
which the old gang tands for. Moth
ing is more discouraging to people
who are already here than to see
their money stolen or thrown away
to pay political debts of a lot of party
bosses. Fifteen years g this part
of the Pecos Valley and country tribu-
tary to it contained probably not
more tnan seven hundred people. it
was almost wholly unknown, and
contributed text to nothing to Il ex-
penses of the Territory. In that short
time it has so grown that there are
now 5000 people, the best business
towns in the territory, and it now
pays into the Territorial treasury
more money thai any other county
in New Mexico. The last fiscal year
we paid into the Territorial treasury
SAG, $4,000. This whole Pecos Valley
has done. and is doing nor to bring
New Mexico into prominence, to en-
courage people to come here to buy
lands and make their homes than
all the boss producing counties put
together.
We therefore nave a right to demand
that the government of the Territory,
no matter which party is in power,
should be run on business principles,
that is, on principles directly oppos-
ed to those which Frost, Bursum and
the old gang stand for. 1t is high time
for our legislatures to remember that
1T is their duty to serve the interests
OF the people to h best of their abil-
ity, and turn the rascals out.