The eagle., February 20, 1895, Page 11, Image 11

About The eagle. (Silver City, N.M.) 1894-1???

Image provided by: University of New Mexico

                
THE EAGLE: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1895.
11
FOR PARTY LOYALTY.
Deming Wants to be Made a County
Seat.
At the Last Election Deming Gave a Plu
rality to Seven Democrats out of
Seventeen Candidates.
The present legislative assembly at
Santa Fe has already passed appropria
tion bills giving $75,000 for the rebuild
ing of the capital at Santa Fe, $15,000 for
theRoswell Military Institute, $30,000
for the Las Vegas Insane asylum, $15,
000 for the Las Cruces Agricultural col
lege, $10,000 for the Silver City normal
school, special levies for the establish
ment of another normal school at Cer
rillos, and other institutions throughout
the territory, such as the Silver City hos
pitals, the school of mines at Socorro,
the Las Vegas normal school and nu
merous beneficiaries at Santa Fe. For
years past by every territorial assembly,
similar favors have been shown almost
every city and town in New Mexico.
Many of these places which have re
ceived favors at the hands of the territo
ry have, together with other towns, had
substantial recognition from the United
States government. Instance the land
oliices at Roswell, Clayton and Las
Cruces. In fact,there is scarcely a town
in Sew Mexico of over 250 population
that has not received its share of pap
from the public teat. Deming is the not
able exception. She has never had a
single penny for the establishment of an
institution here and that, too, in face of
the fact that we are today a progressive
wide awake community of over 1,500
population, centrally situated and a nat
ural commercial and railroad metropolis
far better adapted for such favors than
three-fourths of the places mentioned.
Deming is not jealous of the prosperi
ty of other New Mexican towns. We
are only too glad to note these evidences
of thrift. The people hero have since
the birth of the town willingly paid
their proportion of the taxes made nec
essary to support these institutions
which have gone to build up other places.
Yet, now, when we ask for our rights
for the right of promoting our own inter
ests, for the management of our own af
fairs and the conduct of our own future
by the creation of a new county, it is
characterized by Grant, Sierra, Socorro
and Dona Ana counties as a steal, a land
grabbing scheme for fear that some of the
stream of territorial and governmental
favor might be diverted from them. Al
though Springer, Hillsboro and other
towns of not half the size of Deming
have been accorded this right it is denied
us.
The people of Deming and the south
em end of Grant county are thoroughly
tired of this systematic and industrious
neglect. We have been imposed upon
so lone that we aredeemed easy victims
About the only time that we are of any
particular consequence is when a demo
cratic majority is wanted for Grant coun
ty and we have never failed to respond.
But as soon as a campaign is over, there
is no further use for Deming until an
other majority is needed. The time has
come when we propose to assert our
rights and we propose to assert them so
strongly that they will receive recogni
tion. The justice of the claims for a
nfiw cnuntv are plainly apparent to the
members of the legislature in Santa Fe
as well as the general public.
We have asked for no favors in tne
nnst wft OIllv demand our right now
The present legislature being demo
cratic, we in Deming, have a ngiit to
exnect substantial recognition for loyalty
to the party in the past. There is no
doubt if Deming and southern uram
cnuntv had been as loyal to the republi
pun nnrtv as we have been to the demo-
cratic.this section would not have had to
wait to this late day for her rights
While there is nothing republican in our
make up, we can not but recognize the
fact that our people are likely to re
fuse to support a party whose leaders
are so unmindful of the party's interests
and ungrateful to this section lor past
services. Deming Headlight.
The Agricultural College.
Messrs. Thomas J. Hull and Demetrio
Chaves, of Las Cruces, members of the
board of regents of the New Mexico agri
cultural college, are in the capital on an
important mission. There has been an
intimation from some quarters that this
institution's finances were not regular,
that bad management prevailed m sev
eral of its departments. This is an im
putation on the character of these gen
tlemon and their collegues that they can
not rest under, and they are here to de
maud fair play at the hands of the law
makers. Some weeks ago, in anticipa
tion of the assembling of the legislature
the board of regents passed a resolution
inviting and urging the assembly to ap
point a committee to visit Las truces
and examine into the accounts and man
auement of the college and station.
Copies of the resolution were sent to the
legislature, but no action has thus far
been taken thereon, and now they come
to insist upon an investigation, feeling
that it is due them individually as well
as the tax payers of the territory.
Also they will ask that an appropria
tion of $15.000 be given the college to
meet its immediate and imperative
wants as reirards buildings. At present
the actual attendance numbers 158
pupils, more than double the number in
attendance under any former manage
ment, and it has been necessary to use
the president's room and the halls to ac
comodate the pupils. Of the United
States funds they have on hand some
$25,000 for the exclusive purpose of pay
ing teachers, but are unable to employ
more or accomodate a larger number of
pupils because of lack of room. The $15-
000 appropriation is asked for to be used
only in enlarging the institution and
meeting other expenses for which none
of the United States money on hand is
legally available. New Mexican.
The Kxtra Employes.
Associate Justice Laughin has issued
an order restraining the territorial audit
or from allowing, and the territorial
treasurer from paying, the claims of the
'extra" employes of the legislature for
services rendered. In this, Justice
Laughlin has followed the plain letter of
the law. The federal employes of the
legislature are not able to do all the work
necessary and former legislatures have
been in the habit of. employing extras
and paying them out of the territorial
treasury in the face of the statute. So
long as these extras were limited to nec
essary employes no one felt disposed to
kick. The last three or four legislatures,
however, have lieen using the unlawful
privilege to an extent that is simply out
of all reason. Hence the injunction pro
ceedings and Justice Laughlin's order.
The council of the present legislature
made an heroic effort to reduce the
number of extra employes but it seems
that the members of the house had made
too many promises and so refused to cut
down the list. We are glad that the order
has been issued. It will bring the states
men and the place hunters to their senses.
It is true that this order works a hardship
upon those extraemployes who are neces
sary to the expeditious transaction of Inis
iness by the legislature.but it is no more
than those who are attempting to draw
pav without rendering services deserve.
There are, all told, seventy-five employes
in the present legislature and only thirty
six members in both houses. This is an
outrage upon the taxpayers. The evil
has been growing for several years and it
has at last come to lie looked upon as a
right by custom. Politicians have, in
some instances, demanded a position for
themselves or their dependent relatives
as the price of their allegiance to the
candidate for legislative honors. And the
candidate has too often compromised
himself by an accession to the demand.
With the warning given them by Justice
T.niurlilin'H order these place-hunters and
politicians will both lx more circumspect
and from circumspection win grow
healthier public sentiment which will re
dound to the benefit of the territory and
the relief of the taxpayer. In this con
nection we are proud to add uuu me
councilman and representative from this
district have less menus on tne pay rou
than almost any otners.anu inai ine.iew
they have are among those that will, by
all fair-minded men, be considered nec
essary. Koswell Record.