Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-02-28
BOSSES AND GRAFTERS
OPPOSE STATEWIDE
PRIMARY, R0DEY SAYS
Continued from Page one.)


is doing all he can, as he demon
strated when he urged the passage
Of a statewide primary in his mes
sage to the legislature"
1t is the prerogative of the peo-
pie to rule themselves and run
their own government, Judge Rodey
said, but under the present CON
vention system in New Mexico this
is not possible, he asserted. A lew
men control the state.
Springer, Bursum and Fall have
run the state" Judge Rodey de-
clared. "And what single con-
structive thing have they ever done
for New Mexico"
without direct primary II Is
Impossible for anyone to get a nom
nation for public office within the
state without the approval OF the
bosses, Judge Rodey declared, and
nomination of a man who would
act in the interests Of the people IS
not permitted by them, sle charged
Explains Evasion Charge.
Speaking of the mine taxation
problem and the alleged evasion oil
| taxes, Judge Rodey cited the tax
alton laws under which the mines
| in New Mexico pay only upon their
| profits. In Arizona the profits are
! considered to be Is per cent of the
! valuation and therefore multiplied
| by 6 2-3 as a basis of taxation. In
the past five years mines in New
| Mexico have paid into the state
treasury something over S90O,oVV'
Judge Rodey said, asserting that ne
had investigated this matter. IN
Arizona. he said, they would nave
paid 2-3 times this sum.
wherefore" he concluded, they
have evaded in the past live years
more than $5,000.000 in taxes they
should have paid.
The contiguous land clause
whereby the mines are exempt from
having taxes on mineral lands IN
| lieu Of the tax on output, anolhef
| SIS. 100000 in tax has been unpaid
he declared.
Wants 1t Nationwide.
Judge Rodey does not stop at the
statewide primary. He advocates
the principle of the nationwide pri-
mary declaring that without II the
nation is subject to the dictatlon OF
political circles which dominate TIT
political parties. Ito. ;,
He went into the objections. tC
the direct primary, declaring Una
thew can be overcome, and chafs'
ing that many of the objections II
the mast was due to impedimehl'
purposely written into the law
| bv LEGISLATORS who opposed tne pr
mary and wished to see II 1aH'
Opponents of the primary IN New
Mexico. he charged, have gone u
the so-called- native element an'
told them that If it We're passed
they would receive no more offices
land they have gone to the so-callet
American element, he said, ant
told them they would be dominated
nv the native element If direc
primary law passed,
GAN Rot" He Says.
81 have lived in New Mexico
forty years and I tell you this is al
rot. There is no finer class of peo
pie anywhere than the native peo
| pie of New Mexico. Such argu
lments are the merest camouflage.'
Every state in the union--eXcep
New Mexico-has come to accep
the principle of the statewide pr
| mary, Judge Rodey declared. |
has come to he accepted as a par
of the American election system
everywhere-except in New Mex
leo, he declared,
1 The people, he said, have no
been alert to the situation. n
urged the laboring men in the audi
ence to devote more time to citl
zenship and to looking after thei
own interests.
Following Judge Rodeys ad
dress. after rising vote OF thank
had been recorded him for III
eloquent and instructive address
motion by A. v. Whipple that tn
open forum go on record as dc
manding of the legislature the pass
age of house bill No. 3, the state
wide primary bill, and copies O
the resolution be sent to the Albu
, auerque representatives In tn
house and senate, was unanimousl
adopted.