New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1916-10-13
STATE LAND SELECTIONS
HANDLED BY MCDONALD
TO CRUSH COMPETITION
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF new MEXICO IS CHARGED BY LIFE
LONG NEIGHB0R WITH UTILIZING OFFICIAL POWER
HIS LIVESTOCK SYNDICATE MIGHT WAX FATTER-AI
PRETTY TALE, INDEED!

Mcdonald, as Governor Of New Mexico. sta,aei the cards on
a, ths a s"n Ia s 9T hr 1o2T Of hi" !" the cattle business and a woman
McDo"sia4 al home St count, % to 's i1 you ' mat G ils sAa e,nt eS is s0 a nnf%
man in a business deal Indeed, it has tor years been Governor
mess transaction. His neighbors concede it, ana add that in deals
Governor MeDo mall ss saarpness II ." y' a Ha'' trade " its his
Svictorissa But 'h M he uses the So oint ".T of Y Govsr "srt Oh the %. s,a as
as the instrument Win which to best his neishbo's and h4 com
what they are justly entitled 10 under the ia~, il becomes "A
At least m instance where Go,eraot Morn ala thus per
eminent is shown by the accompanying statement b: Ar. Adlee
Mathews formerly \: ~ SsIIss ...
odti ms' r na { Of is L tine qa"s s1'ntv OF the n",. late e, F n, N I;o GG"ain Hrs an
n Ne. father; he has known her since she a a gin At the time
I nns a "na'" wnicn 0 Go'er ras h MGDonaiS lnr s%. '. TIC S'I nj. owl ''a aS,
vantage in one instance and prevented aItosetDer in another, as
calfee. She a CARRYING 0 n as best she could the affairs of her
Donald and his wealthy syndictte. Since that time she has mar
AS a prelude to Mrs. Mathews story it might be stated. in
explanation. that the law provides that eo'er1nent land selected
the State Lard Commissioner, the Attorney General and the GOV
possible for that official to grant 0 withhold land selections and
the contingent leases rs he pleases~
Mrs. Mathews applications for selections Tirre were no valid
a yoman,-tho dausft Of an old neighbor- Jared win Governor
official position 10 put a crimp in her cattle business and help his
Mrs. AdIee mathews' story.
h IA, ,s,e early as 1911 , had some lands set aside Gor selected, by BY
tory "a soon as the lands were ready and could make applica'
Soon after the admission Of New Mexico to statehood, be.
s sac Insisting Ing to m. the he state to,th Lana office THAT hiatt the ,sase upon a the e lands a%d
personal interviews with the state land commissioner learned
claim that the lease would shut off his catIe from some patented
Governor Mcdonald agreed that he would withdraw his pro-
test against this lease to me If would build my fence in the way
suggested by him. To have built the fence as suggested by Gov.
en IT ne19 in the eO Vicinity ave and I'D from ry 't the water at tn 3hcr %y pn " o, p~r
wouId h " w0 thro% "n'9 n! 'I lad open !" to G o r.'f Mc DS " ' stoct ID
A fence &c, such % rs Governor .. Mcdonald AL Snsfes'eG would sadlsoo
part of my stock we're grazing and had been for years, and for
The state land commissioner endea,ored to have Governor
Mcdonald and me settle our differences. feeling that it was u
question OF range rights and therefore might better be adjusted
Governor McDonalds proposal to me was tMs: If bought
his land holdings there from him, he would withdraw objection
protest to the state land commissioner But Governor Mcdonald
ford to pay it He wanted $1,000 for poor land without permanent
After three years Of controversy, during which Tine Governor
Mcdonald would rot withdraw his protest against the issuance
he was to use a part OF the land which had been selected for me.
Upon that agreement he Withdrew his protest and was per
mitted to lease the land from the state.
..nd In the e.. m ,s. " S. applied cd. to .t the state to have aaaitional Lana
land Isnn, office ,sI in 'a 3pnc ,. lsls. al Hn mo- a,t 1pDliG G1 @nn was :, made in
lands had been using for many years.
land applied for would be selected for me, ! Fenced quite a large
part tto of the Ia, land I. in the f winter hssr Of ass When hr IT., this ., fence Nv was ,n bull,
had a right to fence them.
Q. The + ' fsis ;%f s''': q '' he '@1 9, $ q ae SS'ei's fsaa a o yRs''a' n asSa'
official investisa,fon Of my fence. "' He sad tn that n' acting under or or
S found h that h'd pa st' Of ia i iand 'f'4 naa f sa tes w ~os" saca lnd rs Stt,rs sns
Lana .ad and am +, mat aocn therefore, Re re- nay s,r fence nc was nleGa, The special agent
IOu Ht IL WOtu w Ills uul 10 Uhht u tDOG OIL M mi TO
the U, S. district attorney, upon which a lawsuit looking to tho
removal of the fence could be taken. Later heard OF two more
special land agents being in the county for the purpose of invest
i fsa''9 he ny Bep 5s4Ss. 0 of t s1 ' 1nssri s'd IN he w sss ssn' out especially
The final selection Of the land wanted to lease was up to
{ soa1s get .s tho itsse. Zig sos Ssnsss' s seHss.s1 ~ ~tsS nssfs +, 1sn sff ss:
withheld IT to this day. and by Withholding it prevented my lease
and made my fence illegal I suspect that he got The Interior De-
p Har : sn,r, to i ipysssisa ,s.s the "ou fence ,sc,,o but .h he "i =, rims insist 18th that the
Governor Mcdonald in the light Of preventing me from getting
lease OF this land. So far as ! know, no suit was v filed.
During the time the federal authorities were complaining
about my fence, expected every day to hear that the Governor
had approved b selection and tina II had been filed With the
q. s land office, thus permitting my lease and legalizing my
fence. With the Governors approval Of the selection, the land
would have become state land, leased to ME.
The State Land Commissioner and the Attorney General both
assured M that they had signed the selection Of the land and that
it was before Governor Mcdonald for his signature. That was in
March, 1918. For all l know It is still there, for Governor MO
Donald has never approved the selection and has thereby pre-
vented my lease.
Governor Mcdonald. BY his refusal to sign my selection list.
well nigh ruined my cattle business. This experience has shown
ernor of New Mexico to further the interests OF hts English cattle
syndicate by riding roughshod over the rights of his small COM
petitors and his neighbors. What is the use Of trying to compete
on the ranges with his rich syndicate when he holds the office Of
Governor and uses 1t to prevent is fellow cattle ranchers from
getting justice under the law? He did not want those selections
to be made for me because by Withholding it, he could keep the
land open to his own cattle"
Doubtless Governor Mcdonald accounts the Mathews case a
brilliant business victory for himself IL III cyas of other people
he cuts a pretty contemplate figure making war OF women com-
pehtors through his power as Governor. For this businessguber-
Material victory, too, he may make his peace with his own con-
science and his own heart-which apparently is as hard as the
lava bed that lies near is lands
And this man-McDonald-s running for lieutenant governor
on the Democratic ticket this year and is the man who is assur-
ing citizens that E. C. de Baca, Democratic candidate for Gov.
ernor, would be "the same kind Of a Governor that l have been"
A fine recommendation
Governor Mcdonald said he would give the state Of New Mex
leo a business administration" Yes, McDonalds cattlebusiness
administration!