Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-01-30
CURIOUS
LEGISLATIVE:
HISTORY
A DEMONSTRATION THAT
OPINIONS OFTEN CHANGE
With an Echo of Once Interest
Ing Tale of How Sheriff
BIaCkington of Socorro
County Didn't Die on Time,

Santa Fe, n M, Jan %.
That Senator Maliquias Martinez of
| FaoS county is one of those broad
minded men who is not above chang
| ing his mind when occasion and con
! ditious warrant it, has recently been
! demonstrated. 1t may be said that the
gentleman from Taos is not alone
among the members of this assembly
! in possession of the ability To change
| his views ON matters Of administrative
/ power. but in the incident i'm ques-
/ ton Mr.. Martinez appears in the stel-
! lar role
1 1t will be remembered that last week
! Mr., Martinez introduced bill reliev-
/ ing the governor Of the territory of
the disagreeable duty Of filling vacan-
cies in county offices when such may
occur by reason Of death or disqual-
fication for less serious and effective
cause This bill was recognized as the
Introductory to that tattoo of hammer
ing which Mr.. Bursum and his asso-
ciates in this legislature propose to
play upon the executive office before
the session is done, provided they can
gain sufficient following to do 1t.
The introduction Of this particular
bin by Mr. Martinez is interesting. The
bin as introduced takes the power to
fiji such vacancies out Of the hands OF
the governor and places it in the hands
of the county commissioners where II
was up to 1901 when the present law
was enacted
Now, it is interesting to note, from
careful perusal Of the journals OF
the legislative assembly of 1901, that
there was introduced i'm that session
by MI Maliquias Martinez OF Taos
county council bill NO. 30, afterWafd
-tWenty-f hours afterWard-en-
acted into law by which the power to
fiji vacancies occurring in county Of
fices because Of death or disqualifica-
tion, is taken away from the board of
county commissioners and lodged with
the governor of the territory
Even a careless reading of the dry
old journals of that Legislature of six
Years ago, shows that there was haste
in the passage OF this bill of Mr.. Mar
tinez' which Mr.. Martinez now seeks
to repeal. and a careful inquiry among
members of that legislature of 1901
has served to bring out the reason for
haste.
In that year of our Lord. 1901 with
the territorial legislature in session,
one G. +. Blackington, a most capable
officer, was sheriff of SOcOrro county.
Now it so occurred that Sheriff Black
ington fell i'll, so i'll that his life was
despaired of, and it was considered
only question of a few hours until
he should pass on to render his final /
account. At the same time there was
a board of county commissioners in /
Socorro county who were hopelessly |
democratic in political complexion, /
5elligerently democratic it is said. This /
being true, and Sheriff BlackingtOn I
being but few hours from his final /
from affairs, both public /
and private, it seemed pretty likely I
hat there would presently be a demo-
,ratiC sheriff I'm SOCorro county
Whether the idea originated in the
brain Of Mr. Martinez, or whether 1t
originated in the brain of one II. O.
or of someone else will prob
ibly never be known. But certain it Is
hat as bulletins came in apprising the
legislators of the dangerous condition
# Sheriff BlaCkingtOn, a bill was intro
luced in the council by Mr., Martinez,
providing that in case of any vacancy
n any county office. said vacancy
hould be filled by the governor of the
erritOry. This bill was passed under
suspension of the rules and without
icbate, and of those gentlemen who
'oted for such suspension, there are
row in the legislature, according to
he journals Messrs. Martinez, Spiess
)alies and Abbott Of Santa Fe county
1t IS also matter of unofficial rec
nd the while this bill was being hur-
led through to the accompaniment
# bulletins from the bedside of the
ick sheriff. one member who wasn't
wise to the game said to another,
What is the reason for all this
laste2"
Don't know" said his equally ig-
Orant friend. Must be case of life
nd death" which shows that even
emocrats guess close TO the truth
And that evening after the bill had
ccn passed through both houses un-
er suspension of the rules, there
anne bulletin from SOcorro announc-
ng that Sheriff Blackington had de
lined to die and that he was rapidly
The sheriff later com
letely recovered and filled out very
seful official career.
All of this is a mere incident he
idc the large and luminous fact that
ir Martinez of Taos county has since
he year 1901 suffered "a very marked
hange Of heart. on mind, or some kind
Z change. as to the propriety Of the
NccutiYc Of the territory FILLING vac I
ncics i'm county offices.
The restoring OF the power to the
cople" does not seem to have beeen j
ute So important. IL was. al least not
uCh "a vitality pressing question ina that T
ear OF our Lord 1901 as 10 seems 10 F,
O. at this present
Then IL was question Of life and
cath and - Bursum's county Now '
is question OF "the rights of the ,
lvereiEn people and Mr. Bursum's :