Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1910-11-22
CONSTITUTION
IS ADOPTED
All But Seven Democrats
Affixed Signature to Fun.
damental Law
CLOSING SCENES ARE QUIET
1t Was Five O'clock This Nor
ming When Convention
Adjourned.


21, the date of adjournment of tn
constitutional convention, ended. TIL,
hands of the official clock were turn
ed back five hours early in the even
ing. BY this morning, all the dele
gates except the following, had signed
the Constitution: G. B. Patterson
James G. Fitch, J. Lee Lawson, H B
Ferguson, E. F. Saxon and James N
Upton. G. E. Moffett, who had sale
ne would sign it, had changed his
mind, and J. N. Upton and G. B. Pat
terson declared they might sign it af
ter more mature deliberation.> Three
members were absent, Thomas B
,Catron, J. H. Crist and Emmett Pat
ton. Mr.. Catron, of course, will sigr
it; Mr.. Patton had returned home af
ter the first or second day of the ses
sion on account of illness, and Mr.
Crist absented himself from the con
vention during the latter half of the
session.
The hours after midnight were
spent in reading the Constitution, as
finally revised. 1t was a tedious job
but A. Fl. Hudspeth had saved much
time, by motion that the roll call on
each section and article be dispensed
with and that the ayes and nays be
recorded only upon the whole docu-
ment.
There was an air of festivity all
evening, which opened with the pre-
sentation of tokens of esteem to the
presiding officer, Charles A. Spiess;
the Chief Clerk, George w Armiio,
and the sergeant-at-arms, Major H
R. Whiting. Jose D. Sena presided
gracefully during these proceedings,
which declared to the world, that des-
pite the controversies and the wrang
ling for advantage, the delegates de-
parted in friendship with and for
each other.
Judge G. A. Richardson arose to
present a beautiful silver serving set
of three pieces furnished by S. Spitz,
the local jeweler. He said:
For fifty days or more this conven-
ton has been in session. We have
had our differences, we have had our
controversies, formulating the funda-
mental law for the proposed state of
New Mexico. Strenuous as the work
has been, there has been enjoyment
in it, and now that the conflict is over,
we have realized that peace has its
just reward the same as war. It is
with this thought that l perform the
most pleasant duty imposed upon me,
to present this token of our esteem to
our beloved presiding officer, the Hon
Charles A. Spiess. I do not know why
l was selected unless it was because
/ was the only man who dared to ap-
peal from the decision of the chair on
rule No. so. l discharge this duty
with the full appreciation expressed
by every one here of the fairness, just
ness and intelligence with which you
have presided
President Spiess responded feeling.
ly as follows:
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen of the
Convention every one of you, my
friends: I find it most difficult to
employ language which will fittingly
express my deep gratitude to you
This present coming to me from you
as it does is to me mark of the con-
fdence, love and friendship which
you, and each of you, bear for me.
This beautiful present welded from
the pure white metal as it is will be
carried home by me into the bosom
of my family where love most to be,
in the seclusion of my home with my
wife and children away from the con-
test, the strife and the turmoil of life, |
and when am there the precious me-
mento will bring back to my memory
pleasant moments which it has been |
my extreme pleasure to have enjoyed |
with you.
This convention is composed of one |
hundred men and you have about |
completed the great work for which |
you were called together by Congress, !
the work of framing constitution for
great people, the framing of an in
strument which will erect a govern
ment for people of one of the grand
est commonwealths of our nation I
When you go to your homes, every !
man of you one hundred men, can
lay your hands upon your hearts and
in your conscience say that you have
well and faithfully performed the du-
ties you have been called upon to
perform by your constituents. The
constitution which you have framed
is the result of the work of one
hundred minds. 1t represents the
tolls and compromises of one hundred
minds.
The politics of today is represented
by long line, which commences with
the socialist on one end, and with the
reactionary on the other who does not
tolerate suggestion that the old or
der Of things should be changed; but
you have in your wisdom safely steer !
ed the ship of state among the differ
ent ideas, setting your faces strongly
against the views which make for as
saults upon vested property rights on
the one hand, and on the other you