El Nuevo mexicano., 1916-12-14
Getting Rid of 4 Governor

lin the Albuquerque Morning Journal yester.
day. the general effect OF which was that
the Republicans are Determined TO force
Governor-elect E. G.. de Baca to qualify inn
mediately on the first of the year aud act
during the legislative session on the broad
general ground that his health could not
possibly stand the strain of the session,
the inference being that he would succumbN
and pass away.
This broadly humanitarian attitude Of the
Republicans cannot faA to appeal to the
public. We must make pc Baca get on
the Job at once, il the idea, TfcF " y sure
Ito kill him.
The deep desire Of the Republicans to
have r.. 6 de Haca gathered to hia fathers
and taken to his home above, where he Will
be free from earthly strife and tribulation
has been evidenced ever since his nomina-
ton. Almost daily during the campaign the
Republicans had De Baca lettering into the
grave, with one foot already in and the 9th
er oil a banana peel while the G. o. r.
stood ready with a helping hand. reminding
one Of the patient who was at deaths door
and whose physician announced he hoped
he would pull him through.
It is an edifying spectacle, that Of the
Republicans Whose attitude we are pre-
suming the Journal correctly sets forth,
with oil their best mourning weeds laid
out neatly on the bed, shedding tears Of sor-
Erowful anticipation and emitting gusty
signs Of hopeful woe, mingled with more
or less chagrin that the corpse persistently
refuses to perform his function and ELL his
sphere ID the funeral arrangements,
1t is worse than a wedding without q
bride, trying to pull OF fthe funeral orgies
with an empty hearse, but while there is
life there is hope-the more life, the less
hone. You viii recall Mandy, who describ-
ed in detail her bridal dress, what the maid
Of honor wore and just what the pastor
said. and SO forth, and when casually asked
concerning the groom declared that dat
wuthless niger nlevah showed up at all.
So far, as in the case Of Mark Twain, the
reports of De Baca's death have been con-
, siderabiy exaggerated. His physicians per
sist in sending along reports that he IS
! steadily getting better, and that a continued
Stay on the Pacific coast in the lower alti
tude will make him q complete cure, But
/. believe US, he isn't going to stay on the
\ coast If the mourners can help It. They
2 aren't going to be cheated out of the dirge
7 and the tombstone without a struggle. And
\ vet it is really exasperating to buck up
! against an inconsiderate constitution which
! provides that a governor is a governor unthl
his successor is appointed and qualified, q
, aisgustingly large number Of eminent law
yers agreeing that you can't very well beat
E it and pointing out various and sundry just
9 " celebrated supreme court opinions which
+ bring out rather definitely the coordinate
IL -.I.-- - ftkn IoofoTaffuo nxo0tltiV6 and
\ Judiciary.
i Each Of the three departments OF the
I government" says the supreme court opin-
ion in case No, 1854, Kelly Us. Marion, Is
equal and coordinate and responsible only
: to the people. Our constitution, and
I in fact the constitution Of the United
q States and each Of the states have provided
tor three great branches of government, adj
! Of equal dignity and power within their
e proper spheres and each independent OF
I the other. The executive acts inde-
! pendently of either of the other depart
9 ments. = The constitution has confer
red upon each certain broad powers and
has prescribed the manner In which these
mowers shall Be exercised. The mandates
: thus given must be held to be directed only
: to the officers exercising the powers CON
ferred. upon whom rests the responsibility
: Of seeing that their acts comply with such
! ren~nirements. 49, The governor is CIV
Z en- the right to act in a certain way upon
! his finding that certain facts exist. Could
! either Of the other departments legally call
I in question his act, upon the ground that he
! had erroneously determined the facts upon
Z (which his action was predicatedY '
The only Interpretation which Is consistent
1 with the equality and Independence Of the
|, three departments Of government IS tnal
! such constitutional provisions are directed
\ to them seyeraly, and that upon the de
q partment to which the provision IS ulrecteo
! rests the responsibility and duty OF inter
: preting and complying herewith
Z Thus the majority of the law sharks TAI
! to see much chance in the supreme court
= 0f course. If Governor Mcdonald remained
IN office after the legislature convened, des
peration might lead to thoughts of the soft
fimneachment. hut the hard-hearted consti
n Tuition again provides that Impeachment
y NAV be only for ecrimes, misdemeanors and
maifeasance in office" which makes it EN-
s. barrassing.
d All in all, with the governmental depart
m6ents understood to be judges Of their owl
constitutional tenure, whether It be q sixty
dav-or-more legislative SESSION, or a live
E wear edbernatoriai term, the outlook in thai
+ direction is dep~ressing-and the alarming
+ rumor has even been bruited about thai
r. Mcdonald may stop the executive mansion
ic clock.
AL It would be just like Bill. you know
go Hard lines, when the only way to &c
rid Of a governor is to assist him to die
Fe and the constitution wont assist you 70 a.
sist him, and the cuss IS nlulish about dy
=. Ing ANYHOW and to can the climax Is jus