Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-07-28
MORE ABOUT GRAFT.

We are not through yet. The Journal spoke day
or two ago of the disposition made of state funds'
deposited in banks with little interest payment
We recounted the hundreds of thousands OF dollars
in interest out of which the taxpayers hau peeh ue
frauded by this method.
Boards generally satisfactory to the machine have
been apponted to take charge of state institutions
In the aggregate hundreds Of thousands of dollars
each year have been turned over to these boards.
few have demanded and received interest on their
deposits but not many. The institutions have ac-
cordngly suffered in total Of tens of thousands
of dollars
County treasurers have, in the total, held moro
monies than the state treasurer. Interest on this
money has been political plum and the people have
been robbed accordingly.
Where possible, school treasurers have been add
ed to the list-and city treasurers
1t has been vast exploitation OF the people
where the peoples money has been used to enslave
them Public money has been put in the banks with
ont interest or at far below that paid private
depostors The favored concerns have paid part OF
the profit to campaign funds The mine-owners nave
contributed large quota, for their tax exemptions
Huge funds have thus been raised to smother the
will Of the people. Hundred thousand dollar cam
paign funds have been nearer the rule than the
exception Often they have been much larger thaa
that sum.
Hundreds Of cases can be recited where voters
have paid so much per head for their votes Many
New Mexico elections in recent years have been so
onenIv corrupt that they were appalling The people
have tied their hands through the simple process
of paying their taxes lawabiding citizens ought
70 do But they should not have endured the misuse
made of them
A few men. have become rich and powerful and
respectable" off from the money OF the people
Then they pronounce the man menace VINO dares
to say that adequate interest shall be paid on puohc
monies They assert that he must be run out OF the
r,ba tn believe
in their private business"
Private business forsooth! When did the handling
of the peoples become private busnessF true
It has been SO regarded and so handled but we deny
any such theory 1t is public business OF vital import
rorr,,ntion at the top has resulted in corruption
at the hottom-and In the middle. The county boss
must be permitted to waste the road money ana
have a part of the interest graft to spend his own
way. m
The precinct ''boss" must have an election roll
and favored few of his henchmen must be left off
the assessment rolls altogether or tnadequatey as
sessed Property be pointed out within TWO
miles of Albuquerque which has not been on the tax
roll for twenty years. Real estate worth $4,000 mas
been assessed 900. Yet the people endure 1t ana
the party label holds them in line for the contnu-
ance of such a regime.
The man who protests Is a menace and must
60" He is maverick" because he refuses to belong
to the gang.
We are undertaking the facts. Do not believe THIS
TO be wild and irresponsible talk 1t is far less than
the truth.
Not all public men or bankers are corrupt In New
Mexico but those who are not do not belong to the
"gang' which has run New Mexico for many years.
Those who "stay out" have rocky road to travel"
The whole system starts with the banker who' to
feed his purse will corrupt and bankrupt a state
without him local "bossism" would be an Impossible
ity II could not finance itself.
To feed this monster our schools must be starved.