Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-10-26


publicans, we say, were either deprived
of voice in the convention by chilean
cry and conspiracy or their manly voice
we're smothered in the preliminary eau
|, cuses.
The convention was cut and dried il
caucus. Everything was fixed in secret
The mlnutest details were arranged be
hind closed doors as guilty deeds are in
variably planned. Its transactions wer
too harmonious to be the honest handi
work of honest freemen. 1t is true tina
the better, the anti Catron element in tn
convention, accomplished something il
caucus, was sufficiently assertlve ant
threatening to force one or two nomina
tions that Catron did not fully approve
but in the main the candidates nance
wear the collar of Catron and if elected
would prove the willing tools of Catron
These remarks especially apply to thu
Legislative ticket, which is headed by
Charles A. Spiess, Catron's creature ant
partner, for member of the territorial
council. Of course it is needless to tel
the intelligent people of Santa Fe thai
there is nothing Spiess would not do in
slavish obedience to the orders of Catron
Catron gave him all the prominence he
has in this county; crumbs from Catron's
table feed him; Catron owns him body
and soul. When Catron ordered Spiess
to sign an affidavit that the four convicted
and condemned murderers of Francisco
Chavez were never arraigned before Judge
Hamilton, Spiess signed his name under
that of his master to the lying document
as quickly as did the four cringing wretch
es who hoped thereby to stay the hand of
the executioner. Spiess can always be
depended upon to do what Catron tells
him to do and hence he was easily nomi-
mated for the council over such self-re-
spectipg and manly Republicans as DR..
Manley and T. J. Helm.
| While Larkin G.. Read and Jose D..
Sena, whom the convention nominated
"by reclamation" for representatives in
the legislative assembly, are not as no.
toriously and completely the personal
chattels of Catron as is Spiess, no one
acquainted with them doubts that, if
elected, they would do the bidding Of Cat
ron in the legislature under any and all
circumstances. Their nominations can
be explained on no other hypothesis.
Neither is especially fitted by ability or
experience to make laws for the territory;
neither is strong in the confidence and
affections of the people; neither stands
as fair chance of election as score of
untrammeled Republicans in the county
whom we could name in as many seconds.
Read doubtless owes his nomination in
part to the fact that he and his brothers
have for some time threatened to bolt
Catron unless suitably rewarded for past
servile fidelity to his cause; but we con-
fess our total inability to explain the
"great honor bestowed on Sena" upon
any other theory than that when the roll
was called and considered it was Giscov-
cred that there was great scarcity of
Republicans in whom Catron could i'm
pllcitly confide. Surely the fact that
Sena was overwhelmingly repudiated by
the people of Santa Fe, when he was a
candidate for city clerk last spring, did
not weigh very heavily in his favor.
Personally no serious objections can
be legitimately urged against most of the
candidates named for the strictly county
or non-political offices. Most of them
are reputable citizens, whose qualifica-
tions are not disputed, and it may be
truthfully added further that several of
them are not entirely satisfactory to Cat
ron and for that reason could under no
circumstances have been named for
places on the legislative ticket. They
were nominated with the hope of con-
ciliating the better element in the party
and not because the boss had any use for
them. This also explains why every real
ly desirable and lucrative county office
was given to an American and why worthy
native citizens were snubbed and ignored.
Catron believes he has the native mem
hare of his no tv az Cop p1okolv 1rdor
his personal domination that there is no
danger of their rebelling and that he is
obliged only to make concessions to
American Republicans. This fact was
plainly brought out in the secret caucuses
and the knowledge of it was swiftly
brought to the New MEXICAN by trusted
messenger who was behind the scenes.
Whether self-respesting native Republic
cans, who are not bound hand and foot
to Catron by "Button" and Borrego gang
letters, will relish and sanction this sort
of treatment we are unprepared to pre-.
dot.
Taken as whole, particularly in the
light of all the ugly facts and unpleasant
circumstances surrounding the nomina-
tions, we candidly regard the Republican
ticket in this county as exceptionally
weak, and entertain no doubt that the
Democrats will have the wisdom to place
candidates in the field this afternoon
that will easily win at the ensuing
election.