Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-02-26
Belief Is That Governor Should
Build Up Personai Machine
to Control Party Same As
Hiram Johnson,
IMPORTANT POSITIONS
NOW EFFICIENTLY HELD
Successors to French and Nc
Manus May Be Hard to Find;
Progressive Sentiment to
Be Considered,
(By r. r. ID. McAllister, Staff Core
sD0ndent)

sDondent.)
Santa Fe, Feb. 25.-Within the
next few days Governor W. f. Lindsey
10 likely to have borne in upon his con-
sciousness the fact that popularity is
one of the easiest things in the world
to lose, especially If one be the gov
ernor of state with appointments to
make and many conflicting interests
to be considered in the making OF
them.
At the present time Governor Lind
sey is exceedingly popular, especially
with his own party. He is liked per
sonally even by members of the op-
posing party who know him. He is
new to the politics of the state and
newer still to the business of holding
office. He is a pleasant gentleman
with polished manners and an agree
able personality.
Also, he has not yet made any APP
pointments, except his personal at
torney.
Committee to Meet.
There is to be a meeting of the re-
publican state central committee III
Santa Fe Tuesday, The central COM
mittee is the visible symbol of the
party organization in the state. Its
members are practical men. They
are not coming to Santa Fe to look at
the scenery. Presumably they are
coming to consult with Governor
Lindsey regarding appointments and
also with view to outlining the party
fny ha two
years.
For five long, hungry years the re"
publicans have been on the outside
looking in. Now, through the acci-
dent of Governor de Baca's death they
are on the inside looking out. The
executive and both branches of the
legislative department are in their
absolute control. And the appetite
for pie has been nowise abated
through five years of abstinence.
Party leaders can use some pie just
now to most excellent advantage.
Governor Progressive.
Governor Lindsey has always been
of his party. He was one of the re-
publicans who revolted in the first
state campaign and helped overthrow
the man whose running mate he be-
came in the next campaign. He owes
the old crowd nothing, unless it be his
nomination for lieutenant governor
last August and that is a debt OF
doubtful binding force, for at the time
he was nominated the old crowd had
hot hnN doing
any more for him than conferrins
upon him a purely ornamental honor.
The thought that Bursum would be
defeated and Lindsey elected never
entered a remote brain cell of any of
those in charge of the convention.
Everybody who knows Governor
Lindsey admits he is clean man and
that he wants to do the right thing
and give the people of the state good
administration. Whether he Is ambi-
tious for reelection or for political
promotion is matter that has not yet
been disclosed. Probably he is, for he
is human.
Every man elected governor of ev-
cry state processes to desire the ap-
for each office at his disposal. 1t is
q bromide that is always discounted
by the rank and file as well as the
leaders. But those who are close to
Governor Lindsey declare that ne
means it--that he actually wants to
put the best men in office regardless
of political considerations. 1t is in
the effort to carry out that idea that
the new governor is likely to run
against snag of large proportions.
Two Big Problems.
Take, for example, the offices OF
state engineer and superintendent of
the penitentiary. All fair-minded
men admit that Governor McDonald's
to those offices were
conspicuously good ]. b. McManus
has to his credit the reports of two
legislative committees both composed
of majority of republicans and both
submitted at the present session of the
legislature, praising him for his eff
cient management of the penitentiary.
James A. French has won the highest
praise from men of both parties for
the ability and skill with which he
has administered the office of state
engineer, and his work In building
the state highway system now under
construction will prove monument
to him.
But from time immemorial both
these offices have been regarded as
political plums, to be given to the
faithful. If McManus and French
are left in office there will be roar
will be heard from Pennington to
Ludington. On the other hand, if the