New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1916-10-27
Mr.. SELlGMAN SLIPS AGAIN

Arthur ~Seligman, the democratic state
chairman, whose record rs a money getter-
from impecounious postmiStresSes-has caused
his press bureau to announce that the demo-
cratic campaign is well financed, and whose
excursion in The realm Of wild animal bounty
trading has earned his rcnoWn, has been count
ing all along ON a "cOunter-irritant for the
record he and Governor Mcdonald made in
pulling off the state road bond deal, in an
attack on some $4,000, held in properly
secured banks by the Commissioner Of Public
Lands as deposits to secure good faith on the
part Of persons who have made applications
for selections OF state lands,
In due time the full record in the Nc
Donald Scliguan road deal came out. Every
thing came out, even to The quarter Of a million
dollars in various banks, which had been put
there at fine interest ratcs-to the banks, not
the statc-purposcly TO ONE ont about in the
middle Of this state campaign.
Promptly, although with considerable cau-
ton Sclieman's newspapers Sprung the fact
that the State Land Commissioner had the
snrg sum Of $4,000 tucked away in the
safe keeping Of a number Of banks. II was
not drawing any interest. Therefore the state
Land Commissioner was 4 ,inucr-My, what
a scandal.
Then tic following iocts were shown:
First. that this money does not belong
&C. tic Stale Of New Ne<ico, and cannot be
trracd into tc state treasury; that il is the
property of III, intending. purchasers ~ state.
Ian Is who deposit i. until sreh time as the
sale IS y.'rrlnraI when it applies on the pur-
chase price; or when the purchase fails, when
the deposit is declared forfeit to the state,
under the terms Of the contract. zone single
deposit Of $4,000 has been paid into the state
treasury by the Land Commissioner, through
failure OF an intending purchaser to carry out
his contract
Second, that the money is not in the Of
fetal custody Of the State Land Commissioner,
except in the capacity of a trustee to keep it
safely, pending termination of the contract.
These two facts were disclosed through
official opinions written by the attorney gen.
eral of New Mexico, and by the United States
attorney, Summers Burkhart, the states hot
test democratic office holder, who wrote the
facts as stated to his chief, the Attorney Cen
eral of the United States.
Third, it was disclosed that the real rea-
son this huge sum of money has piled Zip in
New Mexico banks, who are willing to prop
erly bond themselves for its safe keeping. isl
that applications for selections of state lands
are held up interminablv BY the Department
of the Interior in Washington and that these
long DELAYS have been more prolonged. more
aggravatinC. more troublesome and more in
excusable during the time Andrius Aristieus
Jones. democratic candidate for the senate,
has been in charge OF the land affairs of the
Interior Department. than they had ever been
before.
Mr.. ~Seligfnan's little scheme to distract
from his friend the Governor and
and their road bond deal, by means
Of an attack on r. P. Ervien. has been wreck
just as completely as H. o. Bursurns'
automobile was wrecked a few nights ago