Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-02-18
BaCkerS Of the Bill Claim They
Have Secured Enough Votes
to Pass it But Still Fail 70
Mention Names,
RELATION OF THE BILL
TO'GAMBLING QUESTION
Curious Means Resorted to in
Effort to Whip Men With
Minds of Their Own Into Line
for the Measure,
The Morning Journal Bureau
Santa Fe. Y. NJ. Feh. IL

santa Fe. n. NJ. Feb. IL
The district attorney bin still holds
the center of the legislative stage and
little else is being discussed in legis-
lative matters today than the desper-
ate efforts being resorted to by the
hackers of the measure to get enough
votes in the council to pass IT, The
men hchind the district attorney bill
are letting II be known tonight that
they have secured enough votes 10 put
the measure through. They do not.
however produce the names Of the
men whose votes they claim to have
secured overnight. and until they d.
even the people Of the capital city
who are ready enough TO accept po-
litical rumors. wait to see for them
selves. The statement has been made
so often that there are votes enough
TO pass the bill and 50 often shown
tn he false that the votes will have
10 be produced this time. 1t is diff
cult to hrlieve hat some of the meas
. ures being resorted to in the effort
tn Whip mcmbers of the council into
linc for this bill can have any other
effect than to strengthen their resiS-
lance.
Men Of strength are not accustomed
to yield To threats, or to influences,
tho nature of which is transparent to
any passing eye Tho hardest thing
which the hackers of the district at
to,ucN hiiI rave had tA car. snt ne
ono plain uncontrovertable fact that
the people are against this legislation.
In ono New Mexico town messen-
gers Of the machine have appeared
with orders to fire in telegrams to tht
members from that district, instruct
ing him 10 vote for the district at
torncy bill. The people, business men
and politicians and everyone else, nave
fIailv refused To fire in any such tele-
grams Instead there has come up to
Santa Fc p pctition signed by the
strongest business men Of that town
ureiuc the member to vote against
the bin now and all the time In
another town messengers have becn
sent down TO tell the people that thell
member. bv standing out against the
bin is ondaugerlng the appropriation
Of territorial institution located
there and -used by the entire terri
tory. The messengers nave gone
hack disguised while the member mas
hron flooded with letters from the
most influential men of his town urG-
inc him 10 stand pat on this measur"
tiou for a territorial institution OF
wide Influence because one man re-
fuses to be whipped into line for =
rolitjcal measure of this kind shows
how very desperate the situation mas
become for the Bursum following. II
is one of the most remarkable threats
cvcr made I'm or out of legislature
ana could II be carried out the neo-
nle Of New Mexico and the republican
marty would have come to somewhat
sorry pass As II is threats of this
kind have thus far failed to move q
yOtc
Newspaper paragraphs are being d.
rected at other members by news
papers owned by the machine, telling
Them that the railroad mon OF the
territory are for the district attor-
ncy bill and demand that they sup,
port it. Unfortunately for TINS nun
The members sought to be reached by
this means know that the railroad
men. like the rest of the people, are
against the bill in its present form,
the only form in which the machine
wants 1t passed.
The Gambling Question.
Since IL has become known in Santa
Fe that campaign for fake gam
bling law is under way, the district
attorney bill has become more thar
ever an issue. The nature of tho
gambling law proposed is such tha'
only n district attorney thoroughly
imbued with the desire to enforce the
law viii enforce It. The require
mont Of the proposed gambling law
that all convictions must be by indict
ment have recalled the difficulty en-
countered in enforcing the Sunday law
in which persons violating the law
either ms sellers or purchasers of in
toXicants cannot be induced to TESTIFY
before grand jury without grea
difficulty.
Rut there is the more serious OBJ
lection that with gambling unlicensed
and 10 be protected, the gamblini
houses would Immediately become
part of a political machine read.
With heavy campaign contributions
for tho election Of district attorne,
who could be depended upon to ig
more the anti-gamblng law 50 tina
tho sr,qll fine proposed for this gam
hlin- law would not be collected saw
in these counties in which the people
are stronger than the political ma
chino,
The whole way in which legislation
is being shaped by the machine 4
follow on the passage of the distric
attorney bill is coming out. The plail
political purpose of the whole cam
naien is so evident that even It's de
tails can no longer be concealed. an
now that the showdown has. come n
effort at concealment Is being at
tempted. Punish our enemies. pro
tect our friends" Is the principle be
hind The district attorney bill and tn
legislation desired to accompany u
and with the success of this campaig
the result viii not be far to seek.1
There Is more and more reason I