The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-01-26


the majofity Of tbs leaders Of
RepuDhcans { n the legislature
are at n with the minority mem
bern IN desiring a salary law which
viii be satisfactory to the people. To
hold 20 any other belief would not
be ommon sense. The leaders o.
the majority know that passage Of
an unreasonable salary law will be
disapproved bitterly b. tho people
and that the popular resentment will
be felt At the polls in 1918. They
know that any evasion, no matter
how clever. viii meet the same KIND
o. d~isapprovei. They know that to
pars a law giving hiu hack pay TO the
Officers for me years during which
Ne have had no law. even II softened
BY a reasonable law In future. viii
meet only the strongest popular dis
approval These men are shrewd
politicians. ana even those of them
who ege not particularly concerned
about ths public welfare. n there are
any such. have no disposition TO COM
NIT political sslcide.
n n not a question. VIZ believe, Of
shat the maturity leaders want to
do. Il h a question OF whether they
Or the connty officers lobby viii coh.
ircl the aetion Of h legislature.
Al santa re last week the news
paper reported among the hotel ar
rivals as aguring In the legislative
proceedings az committee meetings.
or In other ways. six sheriff.. four
assessors. ten county commissioners.
a doxen or more county t~reasurers
and a large number of miscellaneous
and uaclasslned county officers. IL
la OF course. barely possible that
these men were called TO santa Re by
the rigid requirements OF their off,
cial duties. But II Is only n bare
possibility. The reasonable assump-
lion Ia that they were there In con-
nection with the pending county sal
AIRY Legislation. In fact. indisputable
evidence shows that a, least a con-
siderable number Of them actually
did do active lobbying for salaries
upon a scale which the people OF
New Mexico cannot and wiz not
stand.
The county officers. or those who
are working on the lobby. 10 not
work through the leaders direct. as
some other even leas desirable lob
bies seek 10 do. they know the MEM
bers OF the legislature. especially
those from their home counties. and
they WORK direct. They are. there
fore. a peculiarly effective lobby.
The Herald Oes not assert that all
county officers are lobbyists. OF even
members OF the lobby OF parties 10 It.
on the contrary we know a great
many county officers who wish to
leave this matter strictly TO the iegis-
lature. without influence or coercion,
and 20 have a law passed such as our
people desire. Bd che act remains
that there are county officers who are
not 10 reasonable. There are county
officers who are actively working on
members Of the legislature to the end
OF securing action which the people
do not want.
The county office lobby should De
suppressed BY the men who will DC
held responsible for the acts OF this
assembly. To be perfectly safe they
should take steps not only 70 sup
press the lobby. but 20 send il mem
hers home and keep them there.
The people want this county sal
airy question settled now; but they
want IL settled fairly and squarely.
They are not Inclined 10 stand foT
much foollns. The legislators eau
amor utterly 10 disregard the wishes
and M influence OF every county Of
acer ana 10 consider 10 this mstteI
only the interests and tho wishes oi
the voters.
UofNn THE yNfpOSsIRIE.