Durango semi-weekly herald. (Durango, Colo.) 1899-1907, 1903-10-05

OF War Cameron.
| Colonel Chavez was subsequently
promo.ed to the rank OF lieutenant
colonel OF his regiment. which con
sisted OF twelve companies the total
strength of the organization being oy.
er 1900. He and his regiment partic-
ipated in the battles of Valvertie and
Pernlta, and also In the skiIrmish Mt
Albuquerque.
| Upon his return to civil life In 1864.
he was considered desirable dele
gate to represent the territory In the
lower house OF congress. and ut the
convention which was held on April
10. 1865. the day that President Lin
coin died, he received the nomination
as delegate from his Republican fol-
lowers and supporters.
The life OF Colonel Chavez as dele.
gate to congress from New Mexico.
which was during the reconstruction
period was an arduous one. The dele.
gates from the territories at that time
were on none of the committees.
while today the territories are repre-
sented on the committees on appro-
priations. Indian affairs. territorial af-
fairs and military.
The Legislation during the Thirty
ninth, Fortieth and Forty-hrst con
| crosses. during which period Colonel
| Chavez represented New Mexico as
| It's delegate. was all directed to re-
construction. Congress- was settling
| the financial affairs of the country
discharging volunteers and reorgnn-
| lzing the army, and with the immense
war debt money was not available for
| appropriations save for an special pur.
pose and the actual requirements OF
the territorial government
AT the same time Colonel Chavez MS
delegate was confronted by a large
number of meritorious officers. who
had done good service during the Civil
war, and whom the government de-
sired to reward This resulted In
their being appointed governors, sec
| retaries and oflice-holders in the terri.
tories. regardless of the fact of their
being non-residents. For example
General Ii. u. Mitchell of Kansas, was
appointed governor of New Mexico.
General George p. Estes of Ohio, re
United States marshal was Captain
John Pratt of Massachusetts, who had
been aide on the staff OF General Nit.
chell during the war. And 80 on,
down along the line. the appointments
were made.
To attempt to get an appropriation
for road or anything else in the ter
ritory, Colonel Chavez had simply the
privilege OF introducing the bill, for
it died in committee During tho
Thirty-ninth congress he introduced
an enabling act. granting TO New Mex
leo the sovereignty of statehood. II
| received favorable report from the
committee on territorial affairs, but
was never taken up In the lower house
of congress.
In the Fortieth congress, Colonel
Chaves only succeeded in obtaining
the right to his seat as delegate to
New Mexico. eleven days before ad-
Journment, having contested Charles
p. Clever. who received the certificate
as the result OF a fraudulent vote.
During the Forty-frst congress Col
onel Chavez reintroduced an enabling
act for statehood for New Mexico. II
went in turn to the committee on ter
ritorial affairs, OF which the present
United States senator from Illinois,
Mr.. Cullom, was chairman. This bill
was also reported faycrably but no ac-
ton was taken in the house.
The anti-peonage law was passed
during the Thirty ninth congress. pur-
suant to a bill introduced by Colonel
Chavez, which was first passed In the
senate on the endorsement of Senator
Henry Wilson OF Massachusetts. and
received favorable action In the lower
house near the close of the sessions.
Colonel Chavez was nominated to
serve as delegate In the Forty-second
congress, but owing to the double
dealing of political opponents he was
defeated by j. NJ. Galiegos, the Dem
ocratic nominee. Major j. d. Sena,
now deceased. was member OF
the Republican convention that nom
mated Colonel Chavez made speech
before that convention In which he
declared he would support the Repub-
lican candidate. Notwithstanding this
TWO weeks after the convention was
held. he came out as an independent
candidate, which resulted in Demo
crat being elected.--Albuquerqu Cit
izen