Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-04-23
Contest for Control Between
HubbeII and Catron Forces
Likely to Furnish important
Test Of Strength IL State.
STRONG OPPOSITION
TO SPIESS DEVELOPS
Black Eagle Of San Miguel Sure
10 Have Hard Fight for Re-
election as National Com
mltteeman From New Mexico

With delegates from every county In
the state leaving their homes tonight
aud tomorrow for Albuquerque 10 at
tend the republican state convention
which ls TO meet Tuesday 10 choose
delegates 10 the national convention
OF the party In Chicago IN June,
clearing OF the decks for action In
the political battle that Ii TO be term
mated az tho polls next November
may he said to have actually begun.
and from now on a more or less few
orieh activity in the ranks OF the poll
ticians % both parties ~ certainty.
No candidates for political office
are 10 be nominated. The only con-
test that WILL take place wifi be for
the position OF national committee
man from New Mexico. No plnms
are TO be distributed, and to the SUI
perfcini observer II might seem that
the convention liz relatively unim-
portant.
But the superficial observer would
mfrs i..s guess about as far as II Is
possible for q guess to be missed II
he should reach this conclusion. For
as a matter or fact. upon the control
Of this convention depends 10 a very
large extent the question OF supremacy
AK between Frank A. Hubbell ana
Thomas y. t.airon, rival candidates
for the republican nomination for
United states senate.
Not that the test 81 strength at this
convention Will be at all conclusive.
Either Catron or lIuhbell might DOM
mate the convention and silll be beat
ON at The later convention which Is
to make the actual nominations. But
II either one should be able to show
d decided pfeponderance of follow
cfA over the other when the delegates
meet next Tuesday, the prestige OF
such showing would 30 far towards
attracting additional support In the
campaign that lies ahead.
North Against south.
An analysis OF tho republican silt
untiun ~ the present time leads TO
the conclusion that The fight for par
" control that is now being waged
Ia largely along sectional lines, with
Senator Cntron Charles A spieaa and
sccundino Romero leading the CO.
horia OF northern New Mexico and
Frank A Huhhell. Albert u. Fall and
Holm @. Buinum those OF the south
ern part OF the state. OF course, this
IL not "a hard and fast lineup, for
Htibbeli IL known 70 have consider
able strength In the northern coun-
ties and catron u not without his
following In the south, but for all
purposes the contest may be eonsid-
cred q sectional one,
For many years republican politics
has been run largely from San Nil
guel and Santa re counties. The
candidates have been selected from
various portions Of the state. but they
had 10 have their credentials approx
I'D by the oIigurchy operating In those
two counties before they got any
where. Not until this year. when the
liubheil- Bursum combination was
effected with the powerful backing of
Senator Fall. has there been any Hor-
ious menace Co the continued DOM
ination Of the oid-line leaders Of the
two most populous Of northern New
Mexico counties
right on Spices.
Hut that chance has come IN the
situation and that the old-llne Lead
ors will have hard struggle to re-
tain their grip on the party machin-
cry this year Is evident 10 any close
student of republican politics In New
Mexico. The south has challenged
the north and the two with come to
grips IN the fight for nominations
that lies ahead
The first sklfmlsh in this battle