The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1920-10-16
AN END TO SUCH PROPAGANDA

LETTER published on the first page Of yesterdays Herald d-
~ cratic newspaper published at Portalcs, New Mexico. At the
time this letter was published we did not know that the editor of the
Portales paper was a candidate on the democratic ticket for an i'm
portant county office This fact adds to the viciousness of the
ohense.
The Portales newspaper sought to inject race and religious pref.
ndice into the New Mexico campaign, in an effort thus to make votes
for the democratic ticket.
The attack upon the Spanish speaking women of the state was
dolly less vicious than that upon the Catholic %ssterhoods. Undoubt-
eddy all the defense needed by either was provided in the digniied
statement Of facts made by the women who wrote the letter we
published.
The fact Of the attack itself requires more vigorous attention. 1t
is unfortunate that there are people active in politics in our state who
are willing to attempt to raise such prejudiees and to seek TO trans
form them into political arguments The misfortune of their pres
ence simply emphasizes the duty Of stern reproof. Campaign meth.
dds Of this character must be so firmly discouraged that they cannot
will not be tolerated by American citizens who hold religious liberty
and its companion, tolerance, as the very foundation OF freedom and
good citizenship. Criminal is the mildest word available in describ'
ing such an attempt to array one religious faith against another in an
effort to make votes for the election of some man Or set of men.
Only cowardiee, or intent to permit It to continue its evil course
would prompt suppression of the facts about this undertaking.
Such enterprises as thus require the fullest publicity to the end
that there may be no possibility of continuance of this kind of prop
uganda and that no person may be tempted to resort to it in the
tales outrage by Mr.. Arthur Seligman, chairman of the democratic
state committee, MI. Hanna and the newspapers supporting the Hanna
campaign.
attacks IL contained were printed so prominently as to make it i'm
possible that they escape notice During the week since the Publiea-
the pccos valley. During this time not a word was said either from
democratic headquarters or from Mr.. Hanna S supporters in repudia-
ton of this effort of a candidate for office associated with them,
who attempted to make votes for Mr.. Hanna and the democratic
ticket by an effort to array race against race and faith against faith.
It received absolutely no notice from Mr.. seligmans organization. II
was permitted to stand.
When attention is directed to the thing Mr.. Seligman, MI. Hanna
and their supporting newspapers attack the integrity and sincerity OF
purpose of the republican women who had the courage TO bring the
whole outrage before the public and charge that it is a republican
plot The effort to unload responsibility for the outrage is too
clumsy and too obvious to require analysis.
But publicity has produced the Statutory result needed. The au
thor Of the outrage, candidate for probate judge on the democratic
ticket in Roosevelt county, is taken of the ticket, forced to make
public apology and to agree to behave himself in future.
Ample time was given TO MIR. Hanna and his campaign managers
10 rcpndiate and condemn this thing. They did not do so. They
permitted il to stand. They were willing to reap such results for
their benefit as might obtain, so long as the outrage could be kept
from statewide knowledge.
II vas necessary for some one with courage TO take hold of an
evil and deal with il as II deserved TO tell the people about this thing
in order that there might be an end, once and for all TO any further
propaganda of this kind in this or any other campaign. The repub
ksaa Sarren who had the courage to do this merit and will receive th'
thanks Of the people Of the state because, so far as this campaign il
concerned, they have put a stop TO this kind of propaganda. Public
senthment will take care of the future.