Las Vegas optic., 1911-10-31

Theodore Roosevelt might well be
said to be progressive He wrought |
many changes in the system Of gov
eminent and Of dealing with econ
Dmic questions during the time he
was president. Among other things
he did. of marked influence in New
Mexico. was to remove from office
Herbert ]. Hagerman, on the grounds
that Hagerman had involved himself
in some very questionable land tran
sactions and by his lack Of balance.
by his lack of knowledge of law. of
government, of men, he had proven
himself on the whole unsatisfactory"
as governor of New Mexico.
Mr.. Hagerman is the leader of the
socalled progressive" move in New
Mexico. Taking up the attractive
word, that Roosevelt dignified, Hager-
man leaves his party. joins it's foes.
opens a bitter and personal fight on
one man H. o. Bursum and terms
himself a progressive" thereby seek
ing to hide his personal aims and
ends, behind word that to him
means only one hing-personal re-
venge and power.
Next in line in the progressive"
move in New Mexico, is the Hon. Mi
guel A. Otero, for almost a quarter of
century, perpetual office holder
in the republican party; until few
weeks ago, candidate for the nomi-
nation for governor on the republican
state ticket and an active participant
in the party councils. Turned down
for office. after living from public Of
flee for years. he terms himself also
progressive" and joins Hagerman.
Then, joining forces with the dem
ocratic party. party in New Mexico
fleeing from its own record of mis-,
management, plunder. ruined credit
and deficit in less than four years
of $127, ,339.91, we find the Hon. Rich.
ard H. Hanna and the Hon. George
H. Van Stone.
A few words will suffice to show
who and what they are
Hanna never held office under the
republican administration. He has
declared many times that he has been
republican all of his life. He has
been constant and persistent seek
er after office and has never been
elected nor appointed because, as is
well known, he has no mental bal
ance, no self control, an ungovernable
temper and could not be relied upon
! for a fair and just official because
bis personal hatreds and spite, would
be given way over justice, and q
square deal to all. No one knew this
better than Hagerman himself, who
when he was governor, had about de
cided to name Hanna a district at
torney in the first judicial district
but changed his mind at the last min
ute for reasons he is not stating il
this campaign.
\ Van Stone is a mere puppet. He
is the personal man on that ticket oi
Levi A. Hughes, republican all his
Iifo xubo haId on 0f6oo ,ndov IIooo,.
man and who personally did not have
the courage to go on the ticket him
self but who put his man Van Stone
therefor office, and for revenge
Hagerman's fight is the fight of Lev
A. Hughes too.
Then there is the Hon. George
Washington Pritchard, for years one
of the most partisan republican in
New Mexico and attorney general un
der Otero-a man abused by the
Morning Journal, which then claimed
to be Independent republican-now
democratic-and which paper Pritch
ard sued for libel and secured an
award of damages against.
Pritchard is after an office again
Like Otero, he lost out at Las Vegas
and was not man enough to stand
by the result.
This is progressive" as it stands
today in New Mexico. 1t is not a
fight for principle, for honor, for in
tegrity, for good government. The
word progressive and the cry of
good government two. slogans that
the men who are using them. would
disgrace, are being used to cloak a
personal fight for revenge and for of.
fee that is the most disgraceful event
in the history of this great new ter
ritory.
They have not hesitated, even, tc
join forces with Hearst--to publish
broadcast in his string of yellow pa
pers, the lies and slanders that will
do harm for years to the new state
and that they know to be false and
canards upon citizenship that is
the equal, if it does not excel. that
of any state in the union.