Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-02-06
Unexpected Happens, as It
Usually Does When the
Unterrified Get Together
and Talk Things Over.
WE SHOULD WORRY IS
REPUBLICAN ATTITUDE
Members From Northern and
Eastern New Mexico More
Bent on Defeating Walton
Than EIecting Anybody Else

ESPECIAL DISPATCH ro MORNING JOURNAL
Santa Fe, Feb Sit would hardly
be accurate to say that the unexpected
happened in the election today of
Judge n. b. Laughlln as chairman or
the democratic state central commit
tee The unexpected almost always
happens in democratic mcetings-con
sequently ii is to be expected. This
may seem to be arguing in a circle.
but that's the way democrats usually
argue.
The genius for disorganization that
has characterized the democratic par
tv from the time of Thomas jefferson
to the time of William Jennings Bry-
an was never more strikingly mani
tested than at the meeting of the com
mttee which took up two days OF the
time of a number Of responsible bust
ness men here in Santa Fe' There
were three logical candidates for the
charmanship of the committee. TheN
were Arthur Seligman, of Santa Fe
c. B. Kohlhausen, of Ration, and w.
-. Walton, Of Silver City. OF all the
potential candidates for the position
these three were only ones that
had ever shown any ability as or
pacity for leadership.
Mr.. Sellgman and Dr.. Kohlhausen
eliminated themselves from the race
at an early hour. Both declared that
under no circumstances could the
honor be thrust upon them. Mr.. wal
Ton. absenting himself from the meet
i,sSa Of she colss. iittec, stssted that sie
was not a candidate but that he would
accept the responsibility if the com
mittee saw fit to place It upon him.
Ilec-haw.
Then the large, furry ear projected
itself into the picture. Walton, the
only available man for the position
and the only man who had ever eXhib-
tied any ability as vote-produeer'
was willing to accept the position.
Consequently, Walton must be de-
feated.
It was not until late last night,
when Senator Isaac Barth and Jose
ID. Sena and Judge X, II. Hanna and
numerous other prominent cltlzehs
were paying tribute to Assistant Sec
retary of the Interior A. A. Jones with
a smoker at the Montezuma hotel that
the movement against Walton took
definite shape. The newspaper men
had been running around trying To
find out what was gon to happen, put
had had no success whatever MI
Walton's friends had been taking
thing--as it turned out, entirely too
easy,
Along about 2 o'clock this morning
word went out that there was a We'll
defined movement to beat Waltoh'
For the first time the names of j. II.
Crist and Judge n. b. Laughlin were
mentioned. 1t became apparent at
once that there was to be fight along
lines that had not been expected. Mr..
Crist, "A federal officeholder, was not
really eligible for the chairmanshlp'
The wise ones recognized at glance
that he was being used as Il stalking
horse for Judge Laughlin, and that
Judge Laughlin, an amiable. elderly
gentleman of unimpeachahie charac-
ter, was being used for the sole pur-
pose Of beating Billy" Walton.
The Lineup.
1t was curious lineup that
brought about the election Of Judge
Laughln. j. H. Crist and Adolph p
Hill worked like beavers to bring
northern New Mexico into line for
l.aughlin and succeeded. Just why
they did it is matter that is locked
within their own breasts j.. {. Gll-
bert, a member from Chaves, VINO
showed exceptional skill in the great
indoor sport of hitting cuspidore
plump in the middle at ten yards dis