Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-01-08
DEMOCRACY WIDE AWAK E.
Friends in Congress Asked to Check.
mate CatrOn's Efforts to Control
the Legislative Assembly.

Friends III Congress ASKED 10 Cneck.
mate CatrOn's Efforts to Control
the Legislative Assembly.
A special dispatch from Washington,
dated January 5, appears in the Denver
Times as follows:
The Democratic members of the senate
are besieged with petitions from New
Mexico in opposition to bill introduced
by Delegate Catron, of New Mexico,
changing the method of swearing in mem
bers of the legislature. Among other
documents received by them is the fol-
lowing, from the territorial committee at
Santa Fe:
"Dear Sir: The New Mexico Dem ocrats
find themselves again obliged to call Oh
friends in the United States senate for
protection against the willy Vaccinations
of T. B. Catron, at present delegate from
this territory.
"He has passed a bill in the lower
house, which, if it becomes law, would
take the duties of administering the oath
of Office to the mem bers-elect of the leg
islature from the secretary Of the terri
tory, ard the methods suggested by Mr..
Catron's bill--to have one member swear
in another, and so on--wOuld cause q
strife and scramble at every organization
of the legislature. This scramble is per-
haps what is sought, among other objects,
as the approaching session of the legis-
lsture appears Democratic, and scram-
BILE might afford some questionable
means of securing control for the Repub-
licans. The present method of organiz-
ing legislatures in New Mexico is the only
one that can be made practicable under
our present election laws, as registration
and poll books and statements of the
board of canvassers and other evidences
of the results of elections are req uired
to be delivered to the secretary of the
territory, who is made custodian of such
returns. How the members assem- bling
can determine who is entitle to seat in
the legislature without having the know
ledge of the result of the election from
this proper authority, under the present
law, is hard to conceive. The bill is
simply scheme to ignore and override
the result of the election when it does not
come Mr.. Catron's way.
"Mr. Oatron was satisfied with the pres
emit method of administering oaths for
the many years that he ruled New Mex
leo for his selfish purposes, but having
nov an administration that he can not
control he is desirous of arranging mat
ters in this regard so that he can by fraud
or force gain control. His pretense is
that the present secretary will not act
fair. This is not true, as he knows
Secretary Miller will be guided by the
law and not be Influenced by him. The last
Legislature was legally organized, and
subsequent investigation has shown j. to
have been legally organized, the score
tary taking the latest and corrected GER
tifcates of election in every case, or an
order of the court with one exception,
and that was where a member elect was
proved to be under indictment for en-
bezzling moneys while clerk of the court
from the territory; and section l, of
chapter I, of the laws of 1892, made him
ineligible to office. In this case the sec.
rotary referred his case to the body as
organized, who are the judges of quail
fcations of it's members, and did not seat
his opponent. It was on the secre.
tary's refusal to administer the oath Of
office to this member, "a. L. Christy, now
deceased) that the eleven Republican
members, at the solicitation and invita-.
tion of 7. B. Catron, now delegate from
this territory to congress, retired from
the legislative hall to the law Office of the
said T. B. Catron, and for four days en-.
deavored to block all Legislation, and pre-
vent harmonious work, unless the said
Catron's ideas and plans could be carried
out. Shot.guns and rifles were produced
by these disruptionists, and sergeants-at-
arms were viciously expelled by them
from said Office when acting in pursu-
ance of their lawful duties.
"Mr. Catron has on one occasion pre-.
vious to this organized legislature with
shot-guns, and failing at the last session,
he stealthily and under false cover, APP
peals to congress to assist him in his bad
work. A study of Mr.. Catron's bill re-
veals nothing but partisanship of de-
based kind, and is sure to have damaging
effect.
"Mr. Catron's statement that the boards
of county commissions acting ex-officio
as boards of canvassers, were functus of.
fcio when they issued the second certif-
cate, Is in some instances false. The
courts frequently have compelled these
boards to again convene and correct and
amend their proceedings. In the SD
United States supreme court report, ii
the case of Lyon vs.. Woods, the question
Of the legality ct the organization Of the
legislature is raised --one Of the points
being that one T. B. Catron, now dele
gate to congress from this territory, has
been given seat in the council on sec.
ond certificate. In writing the opinion
in this case, Chief Justice Fuller did not
say that the second certificate was ILLEGAL,
"All friends of Democracy and good
governments should unite in defeating the
bill offered by Delegate Catron, and the
Democrats will feel grateful to their
friends In the senate for their good work
In being on guard and ready to defeat
Mr.. Catron's tricky and selfish schemes.
Respectfully,
"ANToNr0 JosHPH,
chairman Democratic Central Commit
tee.