Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-01-10
Governor de Baca Requests
and Lieutenant Governor
Agrees to Read Chief Exc
cutive's Message.
LLEWELLYN [ SPEAKER
WITHOUT OPPOSITION
Democratic Minority Leader
Tells Fellow Party Members
That No Chips on Should
erS Are Needed.
(By II. l.. ID. McAllister, Staff Corre-
spOndent.)

(By II. L. d. McAllister, Staff Corre-
spondent.)
Santa Fe, Jan. 9.-The third New
Mexico state legislature is now under
way. The machinery has been ad-
justed, the bearings oiled and the en-
gine put in first class running order.
The steering gear at this time is work
ing we'll and the road seems to stretch
out into well-graded boulevard
ahead. What ruts, stones and chuck
holes may be encountered after the
first turn is reached no one dares pre-
dict, but just now the going is fine and
the passengers are in exceedingly good
spirits.
The most noticeable thing about the
legislative situation, so far as surface
appearances go today, is the spirit of
conciliation that seems to actuate the
leading men of both parties. A strik-
ing evidence of this was seen today
when Governor de Baca, compelled by
his physician to remain in his room
at ST. Vincent's sanitarium, sent for
his political opponent, Lieutenant Gov
ernor Lindsey, and requested him to
read the gubernatorial II age to the
joint sess ion of the legislature which
VIII be held at II o'clock tomorrow
morning. Mr.. Lindsey, highly appre-
ciative Of the courtesy, promptly signi-
fled his compliance with the request
Uewcllyn Pacifist.
The election of Major Llewellyn as
speaker of the house Is in itself an evi-
defice of good feeling among Cliv- II sis-
lators. The new speaker, while an out
and-out republican, has never been
bitter partisan, and his record for
fairness and uniform courtesy of man.
ner is such as to inspire confidence
that the house proceedings will be
characterized by as great a degree of
harmony as is possible with two OPP
posing political parties represented in
that body.
In like manner, the democrats seem
to feel that nothing can be gained by
looking for trouble, and a disposition
to take it for granted that they will
receive fair treatment from their ad-
versaries is evident in their attitude.
This disposition was reflected in an
expression by Minority Leader Pardue,
who, in addressing a caucus of house
democrats this afternoon, said:
1T won't get us anywhere to carry
a chip on our shoulder, or to be too
eager to knock the chip off the other
fellows shoulder"
Chrisman- -Barth Contest.
only one contest has been filed in
either house of the legislature so far,
and that involves the widely adver-
tised controversy between W. II.
Chrisman of San Juan county and
Isaac Barth of Bernalillo county. Mr..
Chrisman today served upon Senator
Barth a voluminous document, which
is said to be a formal contest of his
election. Nobody outside of those i'm
mediately involved has taken the
trouble to read it through, but Mr..
Barth is authority for the statement
that it is contest and is treating it
as such.
Barth was this morning elected
floor leader of the senate democrats,
but how long and how far he will lead
the unterrified remains to be seen,
ger of Mr.. Chrisman filling up the
space allotted to the Bernalillo coun-
ty man. An interesting situation has
arisen in regard to the matter--a sit
uation which seems to be another evil
dence of the fact that nobody is look
ing for trouble at this session of the
legislature, or, to be more exact, at
this stage of the session. There is an
even chance that neither Barth nor
Chrsman will be allowed to represent
the shoestring district. The senate
may decide to make an effort to strug-
gle along without either.
This situation grows out of the fact
that Senator Barth has pleaded gull
ty to a violation of the corrupt prac-
tices act in spending more money
on his campaign than the law allows,
while Mr.. Chrisman, after due and
legal hearing. has been convicted of
the same offense. 1t is openly pre-
dicted that the senate, yather than
take up lot of time hearing Messrs.
Barth and Chrisman tell things about
each other, will agree with both of
them and attach the can to both.
Opening of Session.
There was an entire absence of the
dramatic in the scenes surrounding
the opening of the. legislative session.
AS usual, the floor and galleries Of
the hall of the house of representa-
tives were crowded, but there was
little applause and such as there was
was of perfunctory sort. Promptly
at noon, Secretary of State Antonio
Lucero mounted the rostrum and, af
ter rapping for order declared the |
legislature to be session. After assem-
hing the members of the senate in
the front Of the hall. he administered