Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1910-12-19
THIRTEEN FLAWS /
IN CONSTITUTION
Combined Wisdom aud Crit.
cal Analysis of Democrats
Could Find No More
iGREEON BOUNDARY QUESTION
Convention Does Not Make At.
titude AS To Approval Test
of Party Fealty.

The Democratic convention on Sat
urday, by courtesy called a territorial
convention. was psychological as
we'll as political puzzle. Not that it's
declarations were unexpected
they were telegraphed out OF Santa
Fe six hours before the convention
adopted the resolutions--but on ac-
count of the motives, the devious
workings Of the bosses, the lack of
enthusiasm, the spirit of doubt and
unrest that pervaded the membership
The convention consisted of sixty
men from the sixteen of the twenty
six counties. These sixty men had in
their pockets proxies representing 40
OF the 272 delegates which were to
have been chosen. These sixty men
had been selected at direct primaries?
Oh, no! Some had just selected
themselves even without the fdrmali
ty of convention. Others at mass con-
Ventions like that at Roswell of which
the outside precincts complained they
had no notice. A few counties had
delegate conventions at which many
precincts were not represented. But
be that as it may, the convention on
Saturday laboriously marched up the
hill and then stealthily sneaked down
the other side. 1t condemned the
constitution as un-Democratic but in
the same breath declared it would not
be un-Democratic to vote for it.
The resolutions themselves show
the beautiful diction of ]. H. Crist
and the Machiavellian meaningless
ness of A. A. Jones. They are re-
markable because of their self re.
straint. There is no charge that the
constitution is 'rumsoaked" and
trust made; there is no claim that
the rights Of the people were tramp
led upon by the interests; there is no
thunder against the gang and no de.
nunciation of the Republicans as
such. The resolutions are more re-
markable for what they do not con.
tain than for what Taey say
The convention was in session from
two o'clock in the afternoon to mid
night with a recess for supper, but all
the convention work was done in
less than an hour, while the time was
wasted behind closed committee
doors. At one time, the newspaper
representative were politely asked to
step outside and they obeyed, but be
hind the closed doors the little COM
mittee found it just as difficult as did
the constitutional convention of 100
members to reconciliate all differ.
ences of opinion There was no get
ting away from the fact that of the
sixty delegates, thirty-six were op-
posed to the constitution, but each of
those thirty-six had some different
reasons. These thirty-six had the
power to put it all over the other
twenty-four who had proxies, giving
them altogether seventy-two votes
against the ninety-eight votes the op.
ponents of the fundamental law COM
manded. But the majority was not
tyrannical; it did not dare to be, for
it knew that the use of the steam
roller would have rent from bow to
stern what was left of the Demo
cratic hulk. There was a psychologi-
cal moment during the evening ses-
sion, when enc word from the leaders
like W. B. Walton, who has been dub
bed the Grant County Napoleon, both
on account of his appearance and his
tactics, would have been the spark
that would have sent up the entire
Democratic works. But the moment
passed, and the resolutions we're
adopted with a faint "yea," while a
still fainter may" was recorded. 1t
was Pyrrhus victory for the irrecon.
cilables and they knew it for their
leader remarked to leader on the
other side: No use of your opposing
these resolutions for they do not
mean anything" But the whole thing
was a demonstration of how five or
six men can dominate an entire party
that is in as deep trance as is the
New Mexico Democracy.
But before the Democratic Ghosts"
with the accent on the 'hosts,"
went home, the conservatives had to
pay one more price for the unprece-
dented moderation of the radicals.
Napoleon Walton was sent to Elba.
To make the dose palatable, how
ever, another conservative, w. G.
Mcdonald of Carrizozo, was elected
to succeed him as chairman of the
Democratic territorial central COM
mittee and Summers Burkhart of AL
buquerque was retained as secretary.
Already Bernadotte Jones has visions
Of a Coming Back From Elba" move
ment at the tag end of which there
will be no st. Helena. But now to.
the story in chronological order.
Permanent Organization.
When the convention reassembled
on Saturday afternoon, after a recess,
DR.. J. H. Wroth of Albuquerque, for
the committee on permanent organi-
zation, reported the following for per-
manent officers and these took their
stations: E. G. de Baca of East Las
Vegas, chairman, and Eugenio Rom
ero of Mora, secretary. The creden-
tials committee reported that there
were no contests. However, it had