Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-10-06
THAT BRICK DEAL.
The COwardly Attempt of Candidate
CatrOn to Shield Himself from
Responsibility is Exposed
by the records.
His Microscopic Consideration for the
Public --Berardinelli is Grateful
for Catron's Generosity" but
Simply Isn't in It."

Catron brick case, still continues tc
worry the Republican organs.
The mention in the New MEXICAN that
L. B. Catron, after a delay of three years,
had settled with the territory immedi-
ately caused the able patriots of the party
press to run to cover; and the cover in
this case proved to be the worn out story
that Mike Berardinelli, and not T. B. Cat
ron, has been for the last three years the
defaulter; and that it was he, and not
Thomas B. Catron, who after three years
of delay, penitently owned up and, what
was better for the territory paid up.
The claim is set up by the organs that 4.
B. Catron transferred his contract for
territory brick to Berardinelli; and that,
therefore, it was the territory's duty to
look to Berard,nelli for the money.
AS any intelligent lawyers Office boy
would know, however, it takes two to
make bargain. That the boosted
.'leader of the New Mexican bar" should
attempt to
IMPOSE ON THE PUBLIC
such legal absurdity is in keeping with
his past attitude toward the public. The
truth of the matter is, however, that
the territory had about as much connec-
tion with Berardinelli in this matter as it
had with Bismarck or Gladstone. Its con-
tract was with Mr.. Catron and with him
alone, the credit was extended upon Mr..
Catron's personal responsibility; the
bricks were furnished to Mr.. Catron, and
went into Mr.. Catron's building; and it
was perfectly natural, therefore, that when
the time of payment should come the bill
was presented to Mr.. Catron. Then it
was that Mr.. Catron decided that Berar-
dinelli should pay this bill, although the
territory had been no party to his trans
fer to Berardinelli.
He could, with as much grace, have
transferred his contract to an utterly
irresponsible person and then have told
the territory to get its money out of that
person as best it could.
The statement of facts just made are
ALL MATTERS OF RECORD
and the New MEXICAN proposes to-day to
do nothing beyond condemning 7. B.
Catron by records, the force of which
even he will hardly have the contumacy
to deny.
The New MEXICAN says that Thomas B.
Catron owed the territory for 53s, 1856
brick, for which he absolutely declined to
pay until a few days ago, upon the follow
ing grounds:
First. Thomas B. Catron himself ad-
mits it. In a suit filed by him as attorney
for himself against Berardinelli and his
partner for breach of contract in the
structure of the Catron block, the Repub-
lican candidate for delegate says in refer
ring to his building contract: "The said
plaintiff ct. B. Catron) agreed to procure
for them and cause to be delivered to
them the necessary brick for the con-
struction of said building, to be delivered
to them at the territorial penitentiary in
the city of Santa Fe for the sum of So
thousand" This suit was filed December
26, 1891, and covers a number of points
dinelli, and yet the foregoing is the only
reference thereon to the penitentiary
brick. Is there any intimation there that
Tile prlck WIS DouRuG from the territory
by Berardinelli! On the other hand, what
does the first clause of tho quotation
mean, if it does not mean that Catron and
Catron alone was responsible for the
brick which he "procured and caused to
be delivered"?
Second. Z. B. Catron's own dear organ
itself confesses that T. B. Catron was
liable to the territory for the brick dur
ing the whole of
THIS BERARDINELLI sUBTERFUaE.
The letter, which Berardinelli was cor
raled into publishing in last Sundays
organ, says, "Mr. Catron said he would
have to pay for the brick, if I did not.
* * " He felt he was liable, if did not
pay for Them
Third. r. E. Twitchell, the Republican
territorial chairman for 1892, aud E. L.
Bartlett, the present territorial chairman
Of the Republican party, both admit it.
On December 81, 1891, these two gentle
men, one as district attorney and the
other as solicitor general, in order to