Santa Fe Daily New Mexican

WHAT HAS DELEGATE JOSEPH DONE?
STOP. LOOK. LISTEN!
While the Record Speaks.

During the campaign of two years ago, between the same candidates which the two great political parties of this territory have placed before the people in this congressional election, the Democratic party drew the "deadly parallel" between the two candidates, Hon. Antonio Joseph and Thomas B. Catron, and took its candidate's cause manfully and confidently before the people on his record as their faithful servant during eight years in congress.

That record, of unusual fertility, carried for more than a month in upwards of twenty newspapers in parallel with the unusually sterile public record of T. B. Catron, was a continuous challenge to the opposition, but neither Candidate Catron nor his supporters attempted to deny the record truth—the fertility of the one and the sterility of the other.

An intelligent and discriminating constituency saw the parallel, appreciated and approved the campaign of education thereon and re-elected Delegate Joseph on his record.

The Democratic party again and with increased confidence presents him to the people of New Mexico as its candidate for delegate to the House of Representatives of the 54th congress and respectfully asks public attention to the splendid additions he has made to the proud record presented two years ago.

During the first session of the 53d congress, to which Mr. Joseph was elected two years ago and which closed its long session during the last days of August past, over 8,000 bills were introduced by the 358 members that constitute the House of Representatives, in which a delegate from a territory merely has a seat without a vote. But 1,200 of these bills became laws. This made an average of three and one-half bills passed to each of the 358 members. Delegate Joseph passed ten of these, thus securing about three times the average of a full-fledged member who has a vote with which to work and on which to trade.

Think on it, men of New Mexico! Your poor, weak, voteless delegate, representing a people aspersed and insulted in the halls of congress by infamous "minority reports" at the hands of the Republican party, and denied by Republican leaders even the credit of capability for the rights and dignities of full citizenship and measurable self-government under statehood—this voteless delegate, standing in congress for a people that had been discredited by Republican aspersion, instead of aid, during the many years of that party's ascendency in the national government, has been able, by dint of his sheer devotion to duty, to outstrip the proudest of them who are accredited as the orators and statesmen of congressional halls and whose fame rests rather upon their ability to win the applause of the galleries than upon incessant and fruitful plodding and prodding in committee rooms and in departmental routine, where Delegate Joseph's so securely rests.

Let us look somewhat in detail at these late additions to his uniform record.

FOR STATEHOOD.

After passing a bill for the admission of New Mexico through the Democratic house in 1886, again in 1888, and again in 1892, each one in turn defeated by a Republican senate, he has finally, in the first session of this congress, not only pushed his bill for the fourth time through the House, but he has also pushed it through the committee and on to the senate calendar, where it now, with hundreds of like important bills, awaits action by that slowly moving body at the remaining session of this congress next winter. The steady pursuit and courage of his purpose in this regard has been one of the notable features of recent congressional history and has been the subject of frequent comment at the national capital. As often as he was defeated by Republicans in one congress, "dauntless he rose and to the fight returned" in the next.

A notable instance of the stick-to-a-tiveness which is the secret of his success, as well as of his influence in congress, is to be found in the appropriation made for payment of Indian depredation claims that had reached judgment in the court of claims. Ninety per cent of the millions of dollars of these claims on file in Washington belong to citizens of New Mexico. The entire work of passing the law providing a method for their adjudication fell on Mr. Joseph, and now the entire work of securing appropriations to pay the claims, as they are proven and allowed, falls on him. At the opening of this congress last December the Democratic administration was confronted with an empty treasury, which the late Harrison administration left it as a precious memento of its extravagance, and a threatened deficit was soon a reality, requiring the borrowing of $50,000,000 to meet the expenses of the government enormously increased by extravagant appropriations of the billion-dollar Republican congress. Under this condition, retrenchment and economy were the enforced order of the Democratic congress, and Mr. Joseph was informed, when he applied to the committee on appropriations for an allowance to pay adjudicated claims, that he would have to wait until another congress when the treasury would have recovered, under Democratic economy, from its stringent condition. Nevertheless, Mr. Joseph continued to urge the justice of his cause before the committee with such force and persistency that it finally sanctioned an appropriation of $250,000, a larger sum than had ever before been appropriated for that purpose; and that, too, in the face of a $50,000,000 deficit.

Another very important law secured by Mr. Joseph during the session of congress just closed was for the relief of applicants for land patents, a measure affecting over 1,000 claimants for patents to land.

Another important and characteristic piece of his work was the securing of an appropriation of $20,000 for the survey of private land claims on the title to which the court of private land claims has passed, confirming the title. Because of the empty treasury and the growing deficit, requiring the borrowing of money to meet the running expenses of the government, the committee decided against incorporating any sum for that purpose, saying that this matter must wait, like the Indian depredation claims, until the treasury recovered under Democratic economy from the Republican extravagance which had bankrupted it.

This would have delayed the completion of the excellent work of the land court by leaving the boundaries of these numerous grants still unsettled for want of survey. Mr. Joseph went at it, just like he goes at everything else he undertakes in congress, and the committee yielded to his forcible presentation of the needs of his constituents.

Another instance of his persistent and successful work is found in the appropriation of $4,000 for the benefit of the militia of the territory. Last year the appropriation was only $1,000, and Mr. Joseph was the only member of congress who was able to secure an increase in appropriation in any matter in the face of absolute necessity for retrenchment and economy.

Still another evidence of his influence and success is found in an appropriation of $20,000 for the purchase of sheep and goats for the Jicarilla Apache Indians in order to give them employment and self support on their own reservation, thus keeping them from constantly preying on the stockmen and people of northern New Mexico.

An appropriation of $1,700 for the rent and fitting up of rooms for the next legislature and for storing public documents, and one of $500 additional to the contingent fund allowed for expenses of the governor's office, are further evidences of his influence in congress, even to the extent of securing increased appropriations, while other members were cut down in all directions by enforced retrenchment.

HE SUCCEEDED IN PASSING OVER 100 PRIVATE PENSION BILLS FOR THE REINSTATEMENT, OR THE PLACING, OF OLD SOLDIERS ON THE PENSION ROLL—A LARGER NUMBER THAN IS CREDITED TO ANY OTHER MEMBER OF CONGRESS.

He has done more effective work in securing the establishment of post-offices and mail routes and the increase of mail facilities for New Mexico than any other member of congress for his constituency, and more than in all other territories combined.

Perhaps the most laborious and far-reaching effort of his congressional career, aside from his continuous statehood battle and the law creating the court of private land claims, is the bill now pending which provides for throwing open to the prospector and miner the mineral on land grants. Mr. Joseph had to meet and combat all the land grant influences, which included many members of congress interested in these grants, before the committee. By persistent and forcible presentation of this cause he secured a favorable report from the committee, and also a very strong endorsement of the bill and a recommendation for its passage by the Secretary of the Interior. The mineral is especially reserved in all the decrees confirming grants by the land court, and as Mr. Joseph's bill provides a method of opening the mineral to the prospector and miner that is just to the grant owner, he has assurances that it will be passed as soon as it can be reached in its regular order.

The bill now stands on the calendar with the unanimous report of the committee in favor of its passage. Next to statehood and the land court, its passage will be of the greatest developing benefit to the people of New Mexico.

Other bills were passed, besides those mentioned above, making a total of ten to his credit last session—three times the average number passed by members of congress.

These, and the important measures he has now pending in different stages of passage, made this last the busiest and most useful session of congress he has served the people in, and it makes a remarkable record.

It is remarkable because he passed three times the average number of bills to a full-fledged member—because he got appropriations and increased appropriations, where other members failed entirely or were reduced in amount—because he secured more benefits for his constituency in the postoffice department than any other member of congress—because he passed more private pension bills than any other member, bringing thus hundreds of dollars monthly into this territory for the benefit of old soldiers of the war and their dependent relatives.

Think on this record, fellow citizens, and remember the record published two years ago, showing that he had passed thirty-five important laws during his preceding seven years in congress and had secured over $1,250,000 in appropriations for this territory, then let the tongue cleave to the roof of the mouth that attempts to utter the monstrous falsehood, and let the arm be palsied that would pen the line, that this faithful servant of the people has done nothing in congress.