Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1910-10-27
GREAT DEBATE
ON INITIATIVE
Minority Given All the Time
1t Wants for Its
Talk Fest
MAJORITY LIKE STONE WALL
Today Are Buried Fond Hopes
of Socialists to Rule New
Mexico.


seemed murky after yesterday after.
moons epoch-making caucus of the
Republican majority and President
Charles A. Spiess had to tap six times
with his gavel before the audience
came to order.
In anticipation of stirring debate,
the auditorium and gallery were
crowded. There was apparent tense
feeling among delegates as well as
spectators 1t soon became evident
that the Democrats were playing for
time, although it had been tacitly
agreed that the time for discussing the
initiative would be extended from
three to five hours.
After the convention was called tt
order, Rev. julius Hartman pronoun
ced the invocation.
Upon motion of Malaquias Martinez
the reading of the minutes was dis
pensed with. H..
Prohibition Files.
George w. Prichard for the commit
tee on education presented a special
report asking that Files Nos. 104 and
116, relating to separate submission
of a statewide prohibition clause, be
referred to a committee to be desig-
mated "The Committee on Liquor
Traffic and Prohibition" the commit
tee to be suggested by the committee
on committees.
The Fun Begins.
H. O. Bursum moved that the con-
yention go into committee of the
whole to take up the report Of the
Committee on Legislative Depart
ment.
G. A. Richardson moved that the
regular order, the report of the Com
mittee on Bills of Rights be taken up
for consideration.
The convention voted to take up
the legislative report and H. 0. Bur-
sum was called to the chair and pre-
sided with dignity and irmness. Gov
ernor Mills sat to his right and ex
Governor Curry to his left.a
J. H, Crist called for the reading in
detail of the reports on Legislative
Department.
A. B. Fall said that the minority
was merely playing for delay, that
the report would be read and taken
up section by section both in COM
mittee of the whole and then in the
convention and that at this juncture
only the reports on the clauses pro-
posed be read These included the
majority and two minority reports
and these were read in English and
Spanish, this taking until 11:30 a. M
Caucus.
The caucus yesterday afternoon OF
the Republican majority in the Coun-
ell chamber, was thrown open to the
press. The referendum clause was
again thrashed over, and several mod
ifications were agreed upon. One OF
these was that instead of a clear ma
jority of all votes cast at general
election to decide referendum propo-
sition. only a majority of the vote
cast on the proposition shall be re-
quired provided such majority equals
forty per cent of the entire vote cast.
Instead of 10 per cent of the voters
being required in each judicial dis
trict to set the referendum in motion,
only three-fourths of the counties
will be required, providing the sigma
lures altogether equal ten per cent OF
the total vote.
No Gag Rule.
A. r. Fall in answer to c. R. Brice
said that no change had been made IN
]. the printed report but that the Re-
publican caucus had agreed upon sew
eral amendments He then read the
amendments which the Committee
on Legislative Department would Of
fer a right which every other COM
mittee and every delegate had.
The speaker then replied to the as
sertion "that the steam roller would
be in operation." J. Fl. Crist had re
quested that the entire three hours
allotted to the discussion of the ini-
tiative be given the minority, al
though the minority had voted for the
resolution to limit debate. That state
ments published to the contrary not
withstanding, the gag would not be
applied but that the minority should
have all the time it desired and that
upon request of J. H. Crist who rep
resented 27 of the 29 members of the
minority, four hours would be given
the minority which Mr. Crist had as
sured the speaker would be all the
time the minority desired.
J. H. Crist said that the minority
appreciates the removal of the gag
and thanked the majority foreits lib
erality. He said that Mr.. Falls state
ment had been correct except as to
the order of debate.
A Shining Mark.
A B. Fall in speaking of the order
of debate said that he had been chos-
en- as the sacrifice, as the shining
mark at which the shafts of the min
ority might be aimed as well as
against the report of the majority.
One Minority Report withdrawn.
IT. M. Dougherty in witty address
withdrew the minority report that he
and G. r. Brice had made. This is no
I, time for grubble, no time to stand for
nere form on the initiative and
eferendum. This is the time for har-
-.