The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-08-13

staples OF New Mexico pOuJlcS. reSlg-
nations of public officials holding of
/ flee under appointment of his prede-
cessor followed in rapid succession.
Hardly had the new executive taken
possession when a wave of apprehen-
sion passed over the entire body of
appointiVe officials. In one case, that
of Elfego Baca of Socorro, Mexican
holding an appointment under Cover
nor Otero, a resignation reached the
governor by telegraph. By the end of
| the first five months of the Hagerman
administration the new regime was
well installed and the work of reform
| was in full sway.
| Among the early acts of the new
executive was the cleaning out of the
nest of public land thieves, in which
he was assisted by federal authorities
1t was not long after the institution
of the new order O. things that the
combination of politicians referred to
and the special interests which had
been nurtured at the expense of a
hitherto helpless public began insid-
lOuSly anu ny OSNpOuS HleCHOuS W pIOI
for Hagerman's downfall. The most
difficult thing which Hagerman had
to do was to straighte1 out the crook
edness in public land matters. Much
of the territorial lard had been dopat-
ed by the federal government to the
territory, the officials of which, during
the Otero administration, had given
it away to favorites. The territorial
legislature had passed laws governing
the disposition of these lands directly
contrary to the provisions of the fed
eral enactments. Governor Hagerman
recognized the fact that congress was
superior to the territorial legislature
and hence ne refused to permit of the
sale" of any more public land con-
trary to the provisions of the federal
laws. One of his first official acts was
to lay a plain statement of the situa-
ton before the Secretary of the Inte-
rior, upon whose recommendation
congress took the matter up and
amended the original law so that not
more than one section of land should
or association of individuals. Under
the former law there was practically
no limit to the amount of land that
might be leased for an indefinite pc
riod, the result being that about all
the good land in the territory was in
possession of a few men.
Governor Hagerman made the stiff
est fight against graft and grafters
which any executive of modern times,
in any state or territory, has made.
He followed the instructions of the
President, except that in all probabil-
which would have been adopted by
Roosevelt himself had the latter been
in Hagerma1's position. The cry was
raised by the Republicans-f -forrevenue
that the young governor was disrupt
ing the party in New Mexico. So he
was; but in doing so he was bringing
about the downfall of the most uacon-
sciona BILE gang of thieves and grafters
which nave ever had state or terri
tory at their mercy. Appeal after ap-
peal was made TO Washington. Twice
the young governor-but thirty-four
years of age-was summoned to the
White House to explain charges ag
ainst him-the accusation that he was
making possible a Democratic major
ity in New Mexico, though the charge
was heavily yelled, and that ne was
preventing the spoilsmen from exer
cising a free hand in robbing the ter
ritory. What representations were fin
ally made to the President may never
be known, but the latter finally felt
that he was doing mis- duty in asking
erman in order that he might place
in authority a man who would kill off
the grafters without killing off the
party.
This is the task allotted to George
Curry, the new governor Curry mas
always been a fighter. In his early
days he was mixed up in one or two
scrapes growing out of the effort to
punish some of the e'bad men, who
made life a burden to the inhabitants
He served for some time as sheriff
of Lincoln county, where he made an
excellent record. He is a Democrat
but strong Roosevelt man, and it is
not likely that he will show any more
consideration for the Andrews-Frost-
Bursum gang in New Mexico than did
his predecessor during his brief ad-
ministration. He will aim at the same
ing, but will probably try to sue
ceed through different methods. He
has a mighty job in hand. And it is
a good thing for New Mexico that his
political affiliations in the past have
been with the Democratic party, for
he can proceed against the Republi-
can gangsters without being placed il
a position where an appeal may be
made to him, with good grace, not to
break up the Grand Old Party.
It is not likely that Captain Curry
would have chosen the Office he has
consented to occupy at the request of
the President. It is inconceivable
that any sane man would select the