Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1889-01-07
THEY ARE SEATED.
Animated Session in the Senate Over
the Prichard- Veeder
Case.
The House Takes up the Taos Con-
test and Seats Mr.. Mar
tinez.
SENATE.
THE pRICHARD-vEEDER CONTEST.

ual standpoint but nothing OF special
character at all tending to alter the
status of the case as it has already been
printed in these columns was brought out
by the remarks of the contestant and
contestee. Mr.. Prichard made master
" review of his case. He said he would
not have the seat if it were not earned;
he had not solicited any senator to be-
friend him in his contest; he asked no
benefits OF the doubt. He wanted the
senate to pass on the case as if it were
jury; he solicited no favors, only justice
as the senators saw fit to accord him.
Mr.. Veeder followed, speaking about
forty minutes, taking the ground that his
election was perfectly correct and regular,
and again going over the whole case, say,
ing, among other things, that he had
come among the senators for justice and
"FouND HIMSELF PREJuDGED"
and condemned before trial. This remark
of Mr.. Veeder's stirred up great deal OF
vehemence at the night session, which be-
gan at o'clock.
All the members were in their seats,
save Mr.. Veeder, when "order' was
called. The adoption OF the minority re,
port of the committee on privileges and
elections, in favor of Mr.. Needer's reten-
ton of the seat, WAS moved by Mr..
Franks, but this report was instead laid
on the table by vote OF 2. Mr..
Perea then moved the adoption OF the ma
iority report of the committee, which
document declared the Hon. G. W.
Prichard had been legally elected over
his opponent. Mr.. Veeder. 1t was clear
that the "ayes" had it, and they ran
along smooth enough till Mr.. Forts name
was reached He asked to be excused
from voting, and in explanation OF his
request stated that while he had arrived
at about the same conclusions set forth
in theE majority report, still he believed
some statements therein were not justified
by the evidence.
Mr.. Franks, Mr.. Rodey and other
members
DECLINED TO EXCUSE sMR. FORT
and demanded that he vote aye or nay.
He voted against the adoption OF the re-
port. Mr.. Jaramillo made u brief eX-
PLANTATION of his vote and his name went
down for an aye" Mr.. King said that
while he was not a member of the com
mittee to probe this matter, yet he desired
to do equal and exact justice, and to that
end he had carefully gone over every
particle OF evidence presented by the con-
testant and contestee and had weighed it
conscentiously, and he voted "aye."
Mr.. Dolan said he too had investigated
the matter for himself and was in duty
bound to stand by the finding of a major
ity OF the committee.
Mr.. Rodey spoke at some length.
He said that where craftsmanship de-
mands the Acknowledgement OF mem
Der there partisanship should cease
and give way to patriotism but that
no partisan principle was here involved !;
that already the council was two-thirds
Republican, and that this case involved
simply bestowal of justice when justice
had been withheld. For his own salts
faction he had studied the evidence laid
before the committee as carefully as he
knew how; particularly had he looked up
the location OF
THE COUNTY LINE
phase OF the case, and while he did not
figure Mr.. Prichard's majority so large as
did the committee, yet he believed him to
have received larger number Of the votes
legally cast than did Mr. Veeder, and he
would vote to seat Mr.. Prchard In ref
erence to contestee's claim that the con-
testant's notice of contest was defective,
Mr.. Rodey said: "If Mr.. Needer had
rested his contest on the nullity OF this
notice; if he had stood squarely on his
demurrer, | would have found in his favor.
But he waived this demurrer in coming
in ard answering it. He joined issue on
every plea; he brought the equities before
the senate in every particular"
Mr.. Rodey also spoke of the spirit of
fair play and conscientious duty exhibited
by his colleagues when either privately
or publicly discussing this contest, and he
denied in vehement terms Mr.. Veeder's
allegation that he had been prejudged.
The roll call concluding, Mr.. Fort asked
leave to change his vote from may to
AYE" and to make al explanation. This
vas granted, and Mr.. Fort said he was
generally in favor of sustaining committee
reports, but as this case came from his
own county he was more particular; that
for the same reasons expressed by Mr..
Dolan and Mr.. Rodey for voting aye he
voted in the negative. He then said
there was no question but that those
forty-odd votes on the San Miguel-Mora
line were illegally cast for Veedcr; that it
was an open and notorious fact that this
precinct was at least in question the
people themselves knew it; the matter
had even been before the courts, and the
voters themselves would not be surprised
to learn that their
VOTES HAD BEEN STRICKEN OFF,
because most OF them believe themselves
residents of Mora county, or at least ad-
nit it to be question of grave doubt.
Then Mr. Fort said he was not wholly in
accord with the committees report, but
that materially he agreed with it, and he
would therefore change his vote from
may" to FAYE"
The report was adopted and the ap-
pended resolution seating Mr.. Prichard
in Mr.. Veeder's stead was laid before the
senate for action. This also was adopted
by vote of 9 to 2. Ayes Messrs.
Baca, Catron, Dolan, Fort, Jaramillo,
King, Perea, Rodey and President Cha
vez; nays-Messrs. Franks and Gusdorf.
In accordance with the provisions of
the resolution the president of the senate
then called Mr.. Prichard forward and adj
to him the oath OF Office.
Arising to question of privilege, Mr..
Perea then
rendered HIS RESIGNATION
as member of the committee on priyi-
leges and elections, stating that lie had
been working day and night, even while
taking his dinner, as member of this
committee since the session opened, and
that he was simply unable to continue
this strain.
The resignation was accepted and Mr..
Catron named as Mr.. Pereas substitute
on the committee, but Mr.. Catron said it
1 IL E. L..