El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-07-11
TO THE VOTERS OF Ell PAsO

NuLAIls
When I announced that I would be
a candidate for the State Legislature,
I had no intention of making a per
sOnal canvass for the office, ana 1
have no such intention now, but it
has come to my knowledge that my
views on certain public questions are
being misrepresented and feel that
justice to myself as well as to you
justifies me in making this statement
Of my position
During the session of the Legisla-
ture, two years ago, wrote and
through the effective support Of sena-
tor Hudspeth and representative Nc
Gown, I had placed upon our statute
books a law eXempting the Water
Users association from charter fees
and franchise taxes. This law saved
the farmers of this valley approx
mately three thousand dollars a year
The State still gets the benefit OF the
revenue from the increase Of our land
values as the lands come under irri-
cation, but the water user is not
compelled to pay a heavy annual tax
upon the immense capitalization OF
the Water Users association, which
represents the cost of the irrigation
works, not q present asset This State
is sadly deficient in legislation OF upon
irrigation matters. # 1 go to the
Legislature il will be my purpose and
endeavor to secure the adoption of an
uptodate Water Code based upon the
experience of the most advanced west
ern States. fOresee matters of the
first Importance ahead of the people
of this valley, which will require state
legislation before our irrigation pro-
ject shall be completed I have borne
a part in this work from its begin
ming and believe that the knowledge
acquired by me will be useful to our
people in shaping the course Of future
Legislation at Austin
Another matter Of the first import
ance in this section of the State is the
development Of our mineral resources.
I have made a study of the mining
laws of our great mining states and
have kept in touch with the move
ment for the conservation and devel-
opment of our natural resources since
that movement assumed definite pol
icy. If elected to the Legislature, I
believe I can assist in passing a law
which viii bring about the fullest
development Of our mineral resources
and at the same time secure to the
State an adequate compensation for
the mineral wealth developed on the
public domain Some of our western
states through a wise system of roy
alties on the products of the public
domain have secured from that source
a revenue which has almost done away
with ad valoTem taxes. If elected
shall devote my best energies to
bringing Texas abreast of the most
progressive states in this movement
It has been reported TO me that my
views on the subject of prohibition
have been misrepresented in various
and even entirely contradictory ways
have always been and am now, OPP
posed to statewide prohibition either
by Statute or by Constitutional amend
ment. Therefore should a bill to that
end come before a Legislature of which
I was a member, should vote against.
It has been charged that I am a
corporation lawyer In ninety percent
of the litigation in which I have been
counsel I have been in opposition to
corporations, but my practice is and
has always been of q general nature
as I hold it to be the function of the
lawyer to hold his services at the
command Of any client having a just
cause I am attorney for three cor
pOrations only, towit: the Southwest /
ern Portland Cement company, the Ell 1
PasO Water Users association, and /
since 1897 have tended the Pullman 1
company in law suits brought against 4
1t in FL Paso county. I do not receive /
and have never received a retainer /
from the Pullman company, and I re- !
ceive no passes or other favOrs from 1
that company. I am paid a stipulated /
fee in each case in which appear and /
that is the sum and the limit Of my /
connection with the company. It is I
certain that the Cement company is |
not seeking favors at the hands Of /
The Legislature and the Water Users /
association is a public corporation in 1
he strictest sense and was not formed /
for corporate profit but TO enable the
irrigation farmers Of this valley to
axe the benerits of the Federal Re
,lamatiOn Act. Such legislation as it l
reeds is not in any fair sense a favor
-sked Of the government but is neces-