Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-03-05
REPUBLICAN COURAGE.

The people should not be discouraged about the
mine-ax situation 1t should be remembered that the
public has arrayed against it the most powerful
group of financial interests in the state which group
has increasingly laid its tenacles upon the republican
party over term of years and cannot easily now be
shaken off Had the democratic party been the
majority party it would have been that party which
these men would have used for their purposes. Spe
cal privilege knows party.
The sole question is whether the people of the
state destroy the republican party in order to
destroy the barnacles upon it if that party possess
es the vitality to itself throw off the incubus We hope
the latter is true. The next week will tell the story
The result of the election two years from last NoVem-
Der will probably be determined by next Saturday
night.
We believe we are correctly informed when we
say that Governor Mechem and Mr.. Bursum are
pleading with the mine interests to let go their grip
on the party concede decent mine tax legislation
Naturally these men, charged with the responsibility
of holding the party together do not wish to break
with these interests if break can be avoided We
completely confident that these two men do not
intend to betray the people in this vital hour. We
predict that, if the mine interests are obdurate In
their demands break will come.
The horse play" in the senate Wednesday was
depressing 1t is disheartenng that men like Senators
Wright and Phillips willing to so openly array
themselves with the special interests as they did in
their unworthy hecking of Senator Sellers The pub
lice will punish such fragrant and open misuse of a
public trust The conduct of these men was such
that the people will watch with great suspicion for
further evidence during the coming week, that they
are unduly friendly with the mining interests.
But the heckng of Senator Sellers was the least
significant angle of the performance. The senator
we'll characterized it "a smoke screen" Phillips
and Wright sought to make it appear that Governor
Hagerman a stakeholder in the Santa Fe' rail-
road. Such intmation is utterly untrue. They
called attention to the fact that George s. Downer
who aided in writing the code of the Special
Revenue Commission is an attorney for the Santa Fe
railroad. Having placed this poison in the public
mind these worthless proceed to say that there is al
Joker in the original draft of the code which would
exempt the rolling stock of the railroads from tax
alton OF course, they wish the people to conclude
that Hagerman and Downer placed it there and are
therefore unworthy of public confidence.
The facts are that the taxing provisions of the
code for trolling stock of railroads is the exact
vision of the present law under which the Santa Fe
railroad has had its rolling stock assessed for many
years The present rolling stock assessment of that
railroad is $G0 600. No change whatever was made
in the law ..-.. s.--. |
In order to nveigle Mr.. Downer into their net, |
it was proposed by Mr. Percy Wilson and Mr. w. A. !
Hawkins, that Downer should aid in celebrating and
confusing this simple law which has worked effect
lively. Mr.. Downer declined on the ground of the
Improperly of attorneys drafting the provisions of
law under which their clients to be taxed. The
de1cate mint went enurely, over lne neau Oh MI
Wilson who drafted the provisions which the mining
people are demanding shall go into the bill.
As aside, may say that Mr.. w. a. Hawkins, |
attorney for the e. p. & s. w. railway, has made the
changes which Mr.. Downer refused to make and
they are now in the bill it is proposed report
it, 1t may be depended upon that the change has
been made in the interest of the railroads and should
be promptly stricken out and the law left it has
been. If it is changed the representatives of the
pie and not of the railroads, should make the change.
Governor Hagerman denounces Mr.. Wilson's !
change of the mining provisions, intolerable. We
in receipt of a strenuous protest from him
which will publish Sunday morning. The pub !
lie should watch for it. Governor Hagerman com |
petey sustains the Journals position.
Will the republican party dare allow Mr.. Percy
Wilson, of the Chino Copper company to draft the bill
under which the mines shall be taxed? Does that
party think for a moment that the public will en-
dure it?
At time when every educational institution in
the state is about be seriously crippled for want
of funds is the solictude of the republican party
for the protection of the mine owners to put into
complete eclipse the needs of the state?
Such lack of craftsmanship and such weak yielding
to the Vaccinations of these men, will destroy that
party.
The general revenue laws of the state should be
brayely altered to meet the needs of the people,
Everyone should be brought to just basis of
ment by a professionalism assessment service An
income tax to reach intangibles should be adopted
The republican party should take its stand on the