Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-01-22
Legislators and School Boys
Amazingly Alike; Those That
Work When They Do Not
Have to Are Abnormal,
LEADERS APPRECIATE
THE VALUE OF TIME
But Unripe Lawmakers on the
Floor Deem It Their Mission
to Expand Lungs to Utmost
on Every Occasion,
(By II. l.. ID. McAllister, Staff Corre-
sDondent)

spondent.)
Santa Fe, Jan. 21.-NeXt Tuesda.
one-fourth OF the present Legislative
session will have passed. As is al
most Invariably the case. the first TIVE
weeks have been spent in inaction, II
milling around, in getting ready t
do what should have been done with
out delay. 1t is reasonable TO sup
pose that the present week will SEE
u start made on some real FORK
Committee reports will be received {
calendar will be made up, and solont
will make a stagger at doing some.
thing to earn their salaries.
A weekend adjournment, such a.
the one taken last Thursday, always
sees a general exodus from the capital
of those members who live close
enough to warrant trip home fol
two or three days. and only those
whose homes arc at distance remaif
to lounge around the corridors, sit in
hotel lobbies, while away the time and
talk of former legislatures and indulge
in "reminiscences of other days in his
toric old Santa Fe. A few of the
earnest ones put in their time draw
ing up bills for introduction in the
future or studying bills that have al
ready been introduced with view to
gaining an intelligent understanding
of them. These earnest ones how
ever, are negligible minority, for leg
islators and school boys are amazingly
alike in most of their habits, and the
school boy who works when it isn't
necessary is an unhealthy and abnor-
nal specimen.
Matter of leadership.
The matter of leadership In both
houses has now been pretty definite
ly determined, and has followed the
line of caucus action, In the senate
there has been no occasion for divi-
sion over any measure that has arisen,
but all republican senator's look to
Senator Clark as the head of their
party in that body while the demo-
Gratis seem disposed to take similar
attitude toward Senator Barth.
In the house Judge Barnes and
Mr.. Pardue are the natural, as well
as the duly and officially designated
leaders of their respective parties, No
republican member combines intia-
tive. experience and ability to such an
extent as to threaten the supremacy
of the Bernalillo county representa-
tive, and no democrat is at all likely
to take the reins away from the Quad
alupe county man. Both Barnes and
Pardue are cast in roles for which
they are peculiarly adapted.
Suavity, urban1ty, geniality, polish,
are the distinguishing elements of
Judge Barnes leadership as exhibited
up to date. He does not seem to
consider it any part of his duty to
litical capital by hurting invective and
denunciation at the other party. He
is partisan, but his partisanship is
not of the rough h-neck sort. How 1t
will be few weeks from now remains
to he seen, but at the present time he
is sincerely liked by members on both
sides of the house.
Lacking the suavity of Judge
Barnes, Mr.. Pardue is also the type
OF leader who does not consider it up
to him to fight whether there is any
thing to fight about or not. One
needs only to look at the Pardue jaw
and chin to tell that there is plenty of
fight there, and that when the occa-
sion arises for a scrap the other fel-
low is going to know that Pardue is
in it; but the democratic leader is
upon the theory that moth
ing is to be gained at this stage of the
game by looking for trouble. So far
he and Judge Barnes have gotten
tlons together uncommonly well. Each
has the respect of the other, and in
the only division of parties that has
come up since the session opened
the fight over the adoption of rule
49-the matter was settled in a crisp, |
manner with no exces-
3ive flights of oratory and no harsh |
words spoken to leave scars that will
hurt later on.
MonOpof.zing the Floor.
Neither Barnes nor Pardue are
much on The floor never oftener nor !
'or d longer time than is necessary
md this in itself is one of the best
evidences Of their fitness for leader
ship. Each has an appreciation or
he value of time and of the necessity |
o economize it. But there are others.
This is essentially a green legisla-
ure-not more than handful of
mem bers in the two houses together
iave ever seen service beforehand it
5 ever the failing of the unripe law
maker tnat he deems it his mission
the thing he was sent here for--to