Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-01-05

he rented a house in Santa Fe for the
period of the session, but word comes
now from Las Vegas that Mr.. Spiess'
health is such that not only will he
not be able to take an active part in
legislative matters, but that he is con-
templating a trip to Rochester, Mimi.
to undergo an operation at the Mayo
Brothers hospital.
Bursum an Enigma.
Just what attitude Holm Q. Bursum
will assume during the legislative ses-
sion is a question that no one in Santa
Fe at this time will undertake to an
swer. Quite number of Mr.. Bur-
SUMS political and personal friends
are here, but with one accord they dis
claim any knowledge of his plans for
the future, and indeed they profess
not to know whether he intends to
come to Santa Fe at all during the ses-
sion
Political wiseacres declare that
since the election there has been a
distinct GOODNESS between Mr.. Bursum
and Mr.. Spiess, and it has even been
predicted that there would be a bitter
fight between them for the control of
the legislature this year. Mr. Bur-
sum Jared badly in the home county
of Mr.. Spiess last November True,
San Miguel is also the home county
of Mr. Bursum's successful opponent,
Governor de Baca, but it has, ever
since Hector was pup and for quite
a while previously thereto, been rec
ognized as one of the bulwarks of the
G. o. p. in New Mexico, even as
against a favorite son running for a
state office on the democratic ticket.
Besides, the disparity between the
vote given for Mr.. Bursum and that
for Congressman, Hernandez and other
candidates on the republican ticket
is said to have resulted in a deep and
abiding dislike for San Miguels well
known and justly famous Black Eagle
on the part of Mr.. Bursum.
Who Will Succeed Holt?
Another interesting theme for spec
ulation is as to who will be the repub-
lican leader in the senate-in other
words, upon whose shoulders win fall
fall the frosty mantle of the Honor
able Herbert B. Holt, of the county of
Dona Ana?
The republicans will look long and
hard before they find man who will
fit exactly into the niche left vacant
by the temporary retirement of Mr..
Holt. AS a floor leader the silver
haired solon from southern New Mex
leo left little to be desired. Besides
h9trg ~ agea nat't .2elifs9Hvat tiss4s-s-1-sr,.
possessed the temperament that went
with the job. He considered himself
in charge of a piece of political ma
chinery, and he was as utterly void of
emotion as an engineer at the throttle
of a locomotive. He could be deft
alike to the laundering phillipics of
Isaac Barth or the fearful pleadings
of Thomas Jefferson Mabry. 1t did
no good to make faces at him or to
say things about him, for he didn't
mind it at all. Sometimes it seemed
brutal, but it got results.
There is every reason to believe that
John s. Clark, of San Miguel county,
will be the dominant figure in the
senate this year, Mr.. Clark is an ex-
perienced legislator, has made a spec
ial study of taxation problems is we'll
acquainted with the needs of the state,
and has a way of sitting on the lid
when it comes time to make appro-
priations that sometimes gets positive
ly disagreeable. He does not care for
the spotlight and it is doubtful if he
could be induced to accept the floor
leadership, but it will be hard to keep
him from the actual leadership of the
senate. In other words, he will be the
man they will all have to come for.
Just who will do the actual, physical
floor leading cannot be foretold now.
Whoever he is, however, it is safe to
predict that he will not be another
Herbert Holt, because there amt any
other