Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-02-28
Council Turns Down Minority
Report Recommending Pass
age of House Bill II by Vote
of Six to Six,
THOROUGH DISCUSSION
ON PROVISIONS OF BILL
President SpeiSS Gives Mr.
Cameron Opportunity to
Make Democratic Campaign
Speech on Council Floor
The Morning journal Bureau,
Santa Fc. y. NJ. Feb. -.


The Morning journal Bureau
I Santa Fc, \. NJ, Feb -.
| An interesting discussion occurred
/ ON the floor of the council this morn
| ing upon house bin No. II. the Ab-
bott bill, passed by the house last
week, and which provides that:
no person shall be qualified to
| hold any territorial district. oI. county
office in New Mexico who shal. not
! be a legal voter at the general elec-
! tlunS of said terIitor" at least twelve
I months last past before his election
or appointment"
The bill came in on a report from
! Chairman Dalies of the council Judi
ciary committee, presenting the views
| of the minority of that committee.
| The minority report recommended an
amendment which required not only
the twelve months legal residence. but
! that the oliiceho!der be a lax payer
as wc!!, It is this bill which. it IS
claimed dcprives the president of
! the United States OF the power
To appoint district Judges from out
/ side New Mexico, although the friends
of the measure insist that it doesn't
seek to accomplish this purpose
The majority of the committee nu
! judiciary. represented by Mr. Miera.
] NJ NV was 'l'-N'i' ~ tue NNl'lil' 'tift last
week, presented a report making the
| qualifications for holding offices the
same as those required to vote
! Mr. Dalies and Mr.. Miera were on
! their feet al once. the former moving
! the adoption Of the minority report
and the latter of the majority. The
! chair held that the minority rtport
! had precedence ana the vote uoon the
motion 10 adopt that report resulted
! 6 to 6. The vote was as follows be-
/ ing unchanged Throughout considera-
/ tion Of the bill
For the minority report:-Messrs,
| Dalies. Martinez, Murray, Richards,
stockton and Speiss
Against the minority report Mess
| Srs Duncan, Chavez, Cameron Aticra,
Sargent and Su.zer.
The chair declared the minority re-
port lost Mr.. Miera then moved the
adoption Of the majority. renort and
upon this the discussion came.
Mr.. Cameron arose 10 explain his
vote. lie held that any man who was
qualihcd TO vote was qualified To hold
office, and that the aroNision requlr
ing the office holder to be taxpayer
and To have lived twelve months In
| the territory was unfair to the new
people now coming into the territory.
! The requirements of the office holder
4 he said, should be no greater than of
| the men who elect him.
"WHl the gentleman yield to ques-
! tion?" asked President Sueiss
Mr.. Cameron yielded.
"Is It not true" asked Mr. Speiss,
that the democrats two years ago
/ made their campaign against our
present delegate in congress on the
ground that he had not lived in New
! Mexico long enough to become Il legal
voter?'
IF the democrats were wrong then,
! they are right now interposed MIR
| Mera.
Il will say in response to the ques-
| ton" said Mr.. Cameron. replying to
the president. that that was not the
ground of the democratic objection to
! Mr.. Andrews. 1t was on the ground
| that he never had been a resident of
New Mexico at all"
81 rise to point of order" said
| Mr. Dalies, Who objected To this dis
cussion Of Mr. Andrews as not ger
main to the matter at issue.
The chair refused to sustain the
point Of order. and Mr. Cameron pro-
cccded.
81 do not know what Is behind the
scenes concerning this measure" he
| said "aud | do not care. If II Is aimed
at any special condition or any spe-
cial set Of men. that is a matter in
which | am not concerned. But We
are enacung laws not for the present
but FOR the future and q law which
seeks 10 force higher qualifications
luuon the office holder than is re-
uuired ,Of the voter Is not fair"
Mr.. Dalics objected to the inference
of the gentleman from Eddy that
there was something behind the
scenes on the measure. He said there
was no stage setting and held the only
object Of The measure to be 10 place
the offices In the hands of men who
had lived IN New Mexico long enough
to become acquainted with local con-
ditiOns and to understand the needs Of
the country and of the people.
"Arc such people now disqualified
by any process Of law" asked Mr.
Sargent Mr. Da!ies said they were
not
another phase of this bill" eontin-
ued Mr. Dalies, rs thai IT requires of
flee holders To be taxpayers politi-
clans are notoriously bad taxpayers.
This bin might induce them ta pay
4 more taxes"
ON the motion 10 adopt tho major
lily report the vote stood as before. s
10 6. and II looked like a tlc-un for
the morning, when Mr Mlera solved
/ the problem by moving to recommit
! Tho bin was therefore returned To the
4 judiciary committee