Las Vegas optic., 1914-11-04

Ferguson. democrat, for his seat in
ine national house Of representatives.
Ilugh H. Williams has retained his
place in the corporation commission,
riumphing over Adolpho Hill, demo
crat A big majority Of republicans
fave been elected to the lower house
of the state legislatures
All this was brought about in the
face Of the most bitter fight that ever
has been waged against a republican
ticket in New Mexico. The reason?
The answer is easy. New Mexico
normally is republican. Three years
ago the democrats, taking advantage
of a breach in the republican party,
succeeded in inducing the so-called
progressive republicans to support
their ticket. Coupled with vicious
personal attack upon the republican
candidate for the first governor of the
new state, this move gave them con
tro. Of the state house, and one of the
two members in congress then allow
ca New Mexico, though the people re-
fused to trust them with the 1egisla-
ture.
Two years ago, when the new state
administration had been in office only
a few months, by again appealing to
the progressive and disaffected vote,
the democrats were successful in re
electing Mr.. Ferguson to congress.
II was not long, however, before the
people of the state began to have the
horribly sickening sensation of real
i2ing that they had made a tremendous
mistake in putting a democrat in the
gubernatorial chair Instead of being
the governor for all the people, whom
he had invited to vote for him on the
llea that such vote would rid the
state Of political domination, Cover
ncr Mcdonald proved to be hide
tound partisan. Ignoring the progress
Eve. republicans ami Independent vot- I
trs who placed him in office the gov
einor began distributing his patronage
strictly to democrats mostly of the re-
dictionary school.
State institutions began to suffer
and become less efficient, and taxpay- !
ers were made to hear heavy bur
den by the actions of the governors
board Of equalization. The state was
made to feel that it was being ex-
plotted for the sole benefit of the dem
ocTatic party, which. in fact owed its
not to democratic votes, but
to those of republicans whom it had
drawn away from the fold by glitter
ing promises The governor was care /
ful to entrust his political affections /
only to dyed in the wool democrats
in many instances men unpopular not
only with the members Of their party |
but with the community in which they
lived. Progressive democrats of the
type Mcdonald claimed to be were
ignored, and naturally they grew luke
warm toward the leader of their par
". The advice of men like the Weed
srs, WHO, despite their persistent talk
ng, probably were unable to secure .
/ single vote for the democratic tick
t, was taken in preference to that
4 democrats of broader views and
much greater popularity
Il was discovered, too, that Mr.. Fer
yusson, when in Washington, was a
standpat democrat OF the most stand |
lat type. In New Mexico he was will
ng to promise to vote for the best in !
-erests of the state but in congress +;
ie was unable or unwilling to cast his /
vote for anything other than what was
lesired by the democratic president. /
IIe got 'in bad" early in his second
-erm 1by voting for several measures
not for the best interests Of this state.
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