Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-12-13
HONESTY IN PUBLIC OFFICE
NOT IMPOSSIBLE


STATE, iNtlc - no RNNSiNlc Way tii't
this commission could enforce its own
orders without giving to il a part OF
the judicial power of the state. and
Mr.. Ferguson himself would hardly
! advocate comforting judicial power
upon a commission made IN of men
who are not trained TO the discharge
Of judicial duties. 1t seemed to the
constitution makers much wiser TO
follow the example sat hv congress in
the creation of the Interstate COM
mlercc commission Mr.. Ferguson Is
not quite accurate in his statement OF
operations under the commission ar
tiele of the constitution. lie says that,
If a railroad fails to obey an order OF
the commission. all that the commits
sion can do is to remove the case 70
The supreme court, ana that thero-
upon. the railroad may appear and for
the first time put in its evidence. after
having refused to take n part in
the hearing before the commission
The provision really is that. in the
event of a removal of a case by the
commission. no additional evidence
shall be allowed. The railroad com
pany may remove the case to the
supreme court. and then that court
may. in it's discretion, require or au-
thorize additional evidence to be
taken.
MIR. FERGUSON say that railroad at
torneys and agents We're active in the
preparation Of this article and that
Tile corporations are understood 10
Ice IN favor OF it," MIR. FERGUSON
ought to be more specific ana he
ought TO tell us who the attorneys
and agents are who were active in
the preparation of this article, and
what corporations are in favor Of IT,.
AS sar as | have been able 10 learn,
no corporation favored this article,
and IL the corporations had been as
powerful in the convention as Mr..
FERGUSON Il y they were, there never
would have been any corporation COM
mission whatever.
1t NAV be said hat the powers given
TO this commission are quite as broad
and fa~r-reaching as those given to the
interstate commission, al
though in much fewer words.
o. Article 10 OF the constitution pro-
vides the method OF making amend
merits, and requires a vote Of two
thirds of all members elected to each
of the W. houses OF the legislature,
in order that the proposed amend
ments should be submitted to n vote
Of the people at the next general cleo
ton, and hat at the first regular ses-
sion, after two years from the time
tie constitution goes into effect, and
at the regular session converting each
eighth year thereafter, a mere major
ity of all the members elected to each
house may propose amendments to the
people In other words, amendments
lnay he proposed at any time by n
two-thlrds vote of the legislature and
at certain stated intervals a majority
vote will be sufficient. The senate
consists OF "a members n the house
Of 40. Mr.. FERGUSON seems to think
that there is something monstrous in
the proposition that I or IL out of
the "a senators may prevent an
amendment from being submitted to
Il vote Of the people. What would he
have? Perhaps his underlying idea
is that a mere minority Of the legis-
lature ought to be given power to
submit amendments to the people.
provisions as made are not UNI
usual or extraordinary. and would not
en- unreasonable to the ordinary an
biased mind.
=. As to the school lands. Mr.. Fer
gusson says that Article 13 provides
TOR the sale at once of such of public
sections .. 16. SO and SO, as
may be or become contiguous to other
state lands.' He asserts that this ar
ticle contains the prize Joker of the
constitution because all of such sec
which are valuable will quickly
become contiguous to other state lands
and so be salable. The pessimistic
implication is that dishonest state Of
ficials who viii have charge Of the
public lands will attempt to evade
what Is really n prohibition in the
constitution against the sale of school
sections for less than $40, by locating
other state lands contiguous to them
md then sacrificing the school lands
a. $50 sAA1AA.aatA ~ 10000 !
expect nothing but dishonesty?
For more than ten years past terri
Lorial officials have had the control
md management of great quantities
Of public lands, and Notwithstanding
vague and ill-defined talk by ir-
responsible persons of mismanage-
mont. the assertion can safely be made
no one can show a single dishon-
act on the part Of those officials
n connection with those lands. why
viii We have different officers when
territory becomes a state2
Moreover, in order to steal these
ichool lands, 1t would be necessary to
ave the assistance and cooperation
# the legislature, as the land officials
would not have it within their
to accomplish such a wicked
purpose.
8. AS to the objection to article is
n the subject of the militia. all that
desire to say will he contained in a
acre quotation of the whole of the
.rticle, which is as follows;
section /. The militia Of this state
hall consist Of all able-bodied male
itizens between the ages of eighteen
nd forty-five. except such as are cx
by laws Of the United States or
( this state. The organized militia
hall be called the National Guard of
Mexico. Of which the governor
hall be the commandments.
Sec. 2. The legislature shall pro-
for the organization. discipline
equipment Of the militia, which
nall conform as nearly rs practicable l
, the organization. discipline and
OF the regular army Of the
'nited States, M shall provide for
lie maintenance thereof" =.
Mr. FERGUSON says that by this ar !
all citizens between the ages spe- I
fled, are drafted or conscripted into ,
le state militia" Comment on such .
statement is superfluous. but atten- 2
an should be called to the fact tina. !
be- organization Of the militia can be :
ply as provided by the legislature. al y
Rough il is true that Mr.. FERGUSON l
Cpects nothing but evil from our a
legislature. v
Mr.. Ferguson has always expressed \
.mself in favor of committing every !
ling. including the election Of an 4
ficers. 10 the vote Of the people. and I
4 he makes ~unfaVorabie comment