Albuquerque morning journal., 1910-11-12

preaching very critical point in this
! convention. because there is VET at
kleast one referendum provided by the
| congress OF the United States, and that
/ Is that after the constitution is formu-
lated it must be submitted to the
1 people There is no subject uuon
! which the people of New Mexico are
more sensitive now than upon this
subject of equal taxation and they
arc determined that there shall be no
! special interests exempt from taxa
! ton. This clause two, as il was print
| ed in this report. went a long way
! TO convince them of that, and the first
! Judgment OF this able committee.
1 headed by the able delegate from san
Miguel county. the first judgment
which has gone out to the people, has
/ been a good one. 1t has been received
/ favorably even by this inadequate
minority in its provision that taxation
in this state shah he equal ana uni
form and according to the real value
| OF the property. You Will find my
tItends, that YOU are treading on dam
gorOns ground, if you let It be subse-
quentlY found out that this sautary
clause is changed and something else
substituted, and | think, my friends,
We on this side are still hopeful that
: tiih0 AiilNtAAbNihll " lltl lllldilA pfOHl-
ulgated and sent back to the people.
viii be accepted by them
We are not through here yet ana
! feel that now on this general sub
ject OF taxation that we should be
very deliberate and go slow in any
J direction which may suggest to the
people of this territory that there is
a disposition to shield from equal and
uniform taxation according to the
value thereof the property Of any
special Interests in New Mexico"
Mr. FERGUSON was followed by
Colonel l'uchard. who defended the
/ substitute section and deprecated
what he called the attempt OF the
gentleman from Bernahllo to make
political capital ont Of q matter that
should be as far as possible removed
from politics When Colonel Prich
ara had concluded. Delegate Dough-
eIly, VINO is q democrat. bur who left
his politics al home when he came
to the convention. Was recognized and
in an able speech made clear the de-
moralizinp effect which the adoption
Of thc o. icinal section would have on
the future prosperity and we'll being
az New Mexico Mr. Dougherty sail.
II DO not think that this is a polt
iCal question. | do not think here Is
anSthins said by the gentleman from
Bornalllo MI Fergusonl which
W0lld fnislead the gentleman from
Senta Re tMr, Prichard) that We
were attempting 10 discuss this mat
ter as a political matter in any of its
phases. The tuNes OF this territory
nle being paid bN republicans and
democrats alike. We VIII all have TO
tempt To bear our share Of the
burden without regard To which po-
litical party we belong. so The ques-
ti,n resolves Itself NOT into political
question bnt one which H. absolutely
Il business question ana one in which
wc are al vtally Interested. Now
the argument has assumed a very
peculiar position The gentleman
from gefnnillo tAr Ferguson
seems a. be insisting THAI there be
written into the constitution the
words "i.Quai and Uniform And
ihr 4entlt ~ "a n saniW Fe air
piichrdt is IN thorough accord with
tina, idea These words sound Ncry
nice but unfortunately they have
misled Il very large number OF
statcs OF The Union and those are the
very two words THAI ought to be
stricken oul of this constitution.
sttarGo as Il may sound, those are
the very words that "a number ni
states are now trying to strike out OF
their constitution on account of the
constitutional restriction, which hy
the use of these words, prohibits
them from reaching q large mass of
intangible property. and prohibits
them from taxing incomes and levy
ing an inheritance tax and prohibits
them from adopting the new way of
taxing railroads and other corpora
lions. Ii has been developed in some
half dozen states Of this Union that
those two words are the most objec-
tionahle words that can be written
into n constitution, and that those two
words. popular as they may sound,
have proven themselves insurmount-
able obstacles to an equitable, correct
and just taxation.
Now number of states have
nothing to say about equal taxation
or uniform taxation and those states
have no trouble at all In adopting
the modern method of taxation. They
have only one protecting feature
which is the fourteenth amendment
10 the constitution of the United
states The fourteenth amendment
To the constitution of the United
states simply makes the tax equal as
To the persons to be taxed. Now if
were voicing my own personal views
in this matter | would want all ol
that section stricken out ana strange
es IL may seem, ir there was "a man
i'm this convention who was represent
ing special interests. you will find
that his voice would ne the first to
be raised against the striking out of
those two words because il would
prevent the now method of assessing
railroads and other corporate inter
ests. But the question. Mr.. Chair
man. is not upon that matter. / had
to speak upon it as the gentlemen
were seeking 10 ensraft into this con
sthution what 10 my notion, is the
most obnoxious feature of it, and ]
know they have done IL without con-
sulting the authorities or seeking the
facts. or they would change thef
minds, upon thar question as lawyers
and as men.
Now. coming to the question as
suggested by this amendment, the
original one provides "a right oi tax
alton and that taxes shall he equal
ami uniform and levied upon ny
property according 90 It's value.
wish To- sav that this section les hh-
solutek obnoxious Hs originally
dtawn why? Because il prevents
You from reaching all the iutansihle
nropert,.. as the authorities say that
The property which Is not tangible
cannot be assessed when you use that
word property in the constitution
! wish H. say that. according 20 lts
Val,ie.' is obnoxious hoe0use NJ Wonld