The La Jara chronicle., 1909-04-02
Senator Adams Stands Steadfastly in the Way of Hurt
full Legislation

the Patterson newspapers and fol-
lowing, and all the hullabaloo these
have created, have not blinded him
to real issue, or caused him to
waver for an instant. AS chair
man of the senate committee on
special orders he has a power over
legislation possessed by no other
man in the assembly. Were he in
clined to the "rattles," or could he
be drawn into the milling of the
crazed herd of driven Democrats,
he might be responsible for i'm
mense damage to business inter
ests of the state and to the cause
of the people. But, seeing further
than the dust kicked up by the rad
icals, and knowing the disastrous
effect of hasty action on Legislation
of such deep import as that in many
of the bills under consideration,
or in committee, or being urged to
be passed from the general calen-
dar, he has remained calm in order
to act with the same concientious-
ness as during periods of universal
sanity. 1t angers the governor,
who is striving for ascendancy in
the state, to think that one senator
from far-away county can stand
between him and his wishes. At
that he dare not attack the senator
openly, as he does other memb bers
of that body, nor does he send his
agents to him to try to get him to
yield. For he knows that Mr..
Adams is aware of all that is 60
ing on, and cannot be swerved from
his intention of caring honestly
and capably for all the interests
placed in his care by the people.
While the unthinking howl at
the senate for its policy of delay,
those who have any conception of
what is being killed by that delay,
applaud every act of of the leaders.
By tonight the house will have
sent to the senate 1S6 bills, many
of which have been sent over be-
cause it is known they can never
be enacted. The bills were not
given the usual careful considera-
ton, house members depending
upon the senate to kill them.
One bill got through the house
last night, in spite ol the earnest
protests of Mr.. Garcia, simply be-
cause house members knew it had
no chance to become law. That
was the bill to provide for what is
known as pure Australian bal
lot" 1t provides that there shall
be no opportunity to vote straight
ticket, and that voters must go
through the whole document to
check off the names of those for
whom they wish to vote. Mr.. Gar
cia's objection was that it was
aimed at the Spanish-speaking
people, particularly in his district,
who would be confused by any
such ticket. 1t would practically
disfranchise many of them, he de-
clared, for they could not recognize
the names. Members of the ma
jority party merely laughed at Mr..
Garcia's appeal, putting the bill
through second reading in spite of
him. At that his opposition was
a stumbling block in the way of
the majority, he holding the CON-
mite of the whole for more than
an hour while it used the machine
ry of parliamentary practice to
override his desires.
Cliff Wilder, from Conejos, gave
an exhibition of grit late last week
that has been the admiration of
the assembly. When the senate
amendment to the primary election
bill were received in the house,
those who favored passing the bill
as amended were not quite strong
enough to secure the adoption.
Figuring carefully on every men,