El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-05-29

constitutions in use n the several
states at the beginning of the last
century The paucity Of its provis-
ions as TO the powers Of our corpora
ton commission makes Of that pub
llc body q joke, the principal duty OF
which appears to be collecting Jim
crow over charges and petty eXtor
tons from the railroads. which the
latter collected from shippers: another
Of its principal activities appears TO
be the securing of slight accommoda-
tons at stations and shipping points,
from the railroads
AssafIs Corporation Commission.
1T has done nothing during its
existence TO secure reasonable intr7-
state freight and passenger rates. and
only began to correct the jObbers
by the interstate commission when the
latter, after many years delay, abol-
ished the ubiquitous determinations
against New Mexico from Missouri
river points. which has lasted for
more than 4 generation
You people in Texas where YOU
have proper laws and where the state
regulates the railroads and other
corporations, cannot appreciate a
condition such as we have in New
Mexico land no one denies it,. where
the railroads and the big interests"
No Laws for aThe People,
IT am ashamed 10 tell you, that In
New Mexico We have none OF the peo-
Versally conceded TO be essential in
order to give the people any sort Of
control over their own affairs.
Think Of what conditions must be
where we have no petition-no
laws, no Australian or official ballot
Laws. no primary laws. no initiative
laws, no referendum laws. and no
modern peoples weapon laws at all
We are still working under mob So
called primaries, and mob elections,
without any law on such subjects at
all Each political party has indi-
vidual tickets at the polls, that are
peddled by strikers in front OF the
polling place. such a thing as an
official Australian ballot or a booth
or place 70 mark II in is unknown.
In the eastern part Of the state, the
people hold primaries by common con-
sent out OF their own sense Of fair
ness, and there the people do get some
chance 10 make selections OF candi-
dates themselves, but not so through
out the state
The States Lands.
New Mexico was given a princely
endow her schools and institutions
but the bosses induced our assembly
TO pass a law in 1912 by which all Of
this land that can be sold is being
sold in unlimited quantities at about
% per acre, on the instalment plan
Of paying for ii in 80 annual pay
ments, with interest on the deferred
payments only 4 per cent, when money
figuring the low interest. the land
Is being sold for about $3.50 per acre
It would have been much better to
have kept this land and rented II at
a few cents per acre TO stockmen, and
then at the emo Of the 80 years, our
schools would still own the land, and
would have enjoyed an income in the
meantime K is being sold now, and
has been for several years In hundreds
of thousands Of acres, and is going
into the hands Of monopolists and
mere spectators
Cursed BY Spanish Grants.
We were cursed with the Spanish
land grants anyway, and with the
criminal waste of the public domain in
the checkerbOard grants to the trans
continental railroads Then came
upon us the millions Of acres Of forest
reserve scrip lifted bodily from Ari-
IONA and fOisted on New Mexico
mostly in the Pecos valley. and now
comes this unlimited sale law OF 1912
so that the state is being exploited Z
and its next generation viii be j land
OF mere tenants. There are tracts Of
land in New Mexico now, as big as
a New England state, in private
ownership, that you cannot even cross /
without a pass from some coal mine
manager.
RusSiaf No, New Mexico.
If you will 90 up 10 Dawson in the
northern end Of the state, get off the
train and try TO 90 out to any Of the
sOal camps where thousands of men
IRE at work, you will be stopped by a