Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-02-27
BARTH DELIVERS
DENUNC|AT|ONOF
ALLEGED LOBBY
BernaIiIIo Senator Saying He
Thanks God He Has Brains
Instead Of Money, Uses
Them 10 Score SpieSS ct all
ts.tc,.l o,ss.rcH TO ~oss'sa JOURNAL,

Of the house bill In the senate pro-
viding a procedure for oustng county
officials and authorizing district
Judges to fill the vacancy caused by
the suspension OF county official,
spoke as follows:
Il have heard II said by gentle
man close to me at this moment that
he knew that | would get up and talk
II | had an opportunity. think he
would give a great deal of his inn
mense fortune If he could get up and
talk When God gave me brains in
stead of money he did me a great Ia
Yor, and appreciate IL,
Mr.. President, am opposed TO this
bill. not because In itself II is mat
ter of such vital Importance or Of
such vast interest or moment that It
would justify the taking up of time
even of the Legislature In discussing
st. This bill provides that the judge
who suspends an officer shall APP
point o person to fill the vacancy. 1t
in itself Is bad legislation. because Il
would be a temptation In some in
stances for some judges in building !
political machine, or any other kind
OF n machine, to decide a case against
a man who was on trial because he
might have the power of appointing
another.
But that may have something in
It's favor. and Il may have something
against IT, ButNhe reason that / am
opposing this bill, Mir President, is
that il is one Of the innumerable
links in the chain of beneficent leeis-
lation proposed by, that wonderful
tribune Of the people. Mr.. Cahrlie
Spiess. assisted by the railroad mans
friend. Mr. Hawkins, and the lobby
which is around this capital and
which Is forcing the passage of this
beneficial legislation.
Governor Unimpeachable.
"The governor Of this state, Mr.,
President, Is a man whose conduct IN
public office and in private life has
been lnassailabe and unimpeaehable.
Mr.. President. | repeat the word, UNI
impeachable' His character as a pub
lie official has been such that even
that lobby of which | speak, seeking
around for some beneficial legisla-
ton to propose so that / can obstruct
IT, has been unable even thus far 10
invent the shadow of an excuse for
the Impeachment of his official con-
duct
Mr.. President the people OF this
@ldtt tADttl ltSlolatlOl AVN N''N
members of this legislature. ] am
confident that the people of this state
would not he disappointed If 1t were
not for the fact that Mr.. Spiess and
Mr.. Bursum ard Mr.. Hawkins, the
railroad mans friends before referred
TO, and a few others, would not spend
so much time trying to find just what
the few powers of the governor are
and what little power he has left, IN
order to shear him of ii, that they
have no time for legislation.
Railway Triad Opposed to Tax Law.
"And. Mr.. President J verify be-
Iieve that Mr. Spices and Mr.. Bursum
and the railroad mans friend, MI.
Hawkins, don't want any legislation.
For instance, on taxation, they don't
want this legislation that the people
of the state demand for their protec-
ton. There is the taxation Legislation
that the people are demanding, ana
the people of this state are not de-
manding that the governor be shorn
of his powers. The people OF this
state recognize the ability and effi-
cheney of Mcdonald as governor.
They demand tax legislation. They
demand legislation which will be Cor
the general good of the community.
But should the legislature comply
with this demand II would involve
the taxation of some coal mines. for
instance, in Mckinley, in Socorro and
in Colfax counties, where the income
last year was over 100000, figured
at n value of forty-two cents per ton
and none of us buys coal at that iig
ure
GO. +. Leaders Real Obstructionists
And because they want no taxation
legislation they want to keepihis leg
stature busy on something else, and
they want to keep this Legislature Oh
anything but passing tax laws, the
benefcent legislation that this phlan'
thropist SDiess. who Is mere inethe n
terest of the whole people, desires &C
have passed. He is here because ne
is here He IS here merely bcause nc
wants TO keep the minds of this legls
lature on almost anything but me
question of taxes.
why, it is almost the fiftieth day
Of this legislature, and there has DeeI
no taxation legislation He doesn
want t. lie has other ideas apou
these things, and the legislature ina
is venting its personal venom and III
spite against the executive OF INN
state has no time for taxation.
Il remember in my early career al
a lawyer that | defended some mel
who were accused of stealing eattle
ana We got into a dispute about I'M
color OF a dog that was on the scene
ana we finally took three days t'
TAX about that dog, and when I'M
Jury came in it had not heard any
thlHg about the cattle stealing, an
acquitted the man AS far as ! wa
concerned, | was satisfied to nave
Them talk about the dog; and as Iona
as the legislature of this state is at
tracted away from this question o
taxation the lobby Is satisfied.
People Want Tax Measure.
Nevertheless, / repeat, the peopl
OF this state want taxation leglsia
tlon. even though Mr. Spiess and MI
Bursum and Mr.. Springer and Mr.
Hawkins don't want that kind of leg
islation.
The worst thing that is the matte
with New Mexico today is that lobn'
there. The attorney general OF tni
state said one time that what tnl
state needed was a legislature. lie !
mistaken. What the state needs
to be rid of this lobby. The flnes
thing that could happen to this stat
would be to exile from this eapitc
this pernicious lobby.
There is no need of my talkln
about this bill The way these Dill
have come down, one after another Q
them, with but one idea on their race
is to rob the governor of his power
although in reality the only purpos
there has been Is to keep the legisla
tive mind from, tho vital thing tn