Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-01-20
More Dry Measures Are Prom
ised and Committee Waits
to Consider All Together
Before Taking Action
BARTH-CHRlSMAN SEAT
MAY BE LEFT VACANT
Rotund Senator From Bern
aIiIIo Is Not His Jovial Self
Silent in Regard to DE-
PRAYED, DeviIish Majority u
By r. l.. ID. McAllister, Staff Corre-
SnOudentl

(By r. l.. ID. McAllister, Staff Corre-
spOndent.)
Santa Fe. Jan. 19.-The end of the
second week of the third state legis-
lature finds the process of milling
around still at its height. Extreme
lassitude seems to have seized all ana
sundry the gentlemen who were sent
here to make laws. Committees have
been appointed and organized, but
committee work-work of any sort,
indeed-seems far from the scheme OF
things as contemplated by the mem
bers. 1t is as If everybody had the
hookworm.
Prohibition legislation still has tho
center of the stage, at least so far as
the public interest is concerned, and
from the general drift of things it
would seem to be claiming the major
part of the attention of the legislators
as well. The senate now has four
statewide prohibition resolutions be-
fore it, introduced on four successive
days. None of the has been con-
sidered in committee as yet, because
it is understood that at least two or
three more are coming up, and Cha1r-
man Reinburg, of the committee on
constitutional amendments, Is desirous
of getting all the bills together before
taking action on any one of them.
More Dry Resolutions.
So far the house has taken the mat
ter of prohibition rather easily, only
the Barnes resolution, identical with
that of Senator Barth, having been
brought before it. 1t is understood,
however, that Monday afternoon sew
eral new measures, refleeting the in
dividual prohibition views of different
members, wiff be isiefouesoed and Sessf
to committee.
In the conflict of opinion among
prohibitionists as to what is the most
feasible and practicable amendment
to put before the people lies the
greatest danger to the submission of
any amendment at ALL There Is a
wide range of honest difference be-
tween the members on this subject.
Some want a "bone dry" law-others
want law so liberal that it would let
in the lighter wines and malt liquors
Some of the most sincere prohibition
lists strongly oppose the change of
venue clause, while others maintain
that failure to enact such clause
would be tantamount to licensing
bootlegging. Some oppose the Webb
Kenyon provisions on the ground that
such law would be defeated at the
polls while others insist that a pro-
hibition law without the Webb-Ken-
yon feature would be no prohibition
law at all.
And, of course, there are members
more than might be thought at first
glance-who, while elected to office
on a platform declaring for the sub
mission of a statewide prohibition
amt @ment to the constitution, at
heart 40 not want prohibition and will
be glad of any excuse to defeat all
submission measures. These members
are keeping discreetly in the back
ground, but they are here just the
same, and they are doing nothing to
patch up the differences of opinion
between the real prohibitionists as to
the form that the amendment shall
take.
Hearings on Contest.
The hearings on the contest case
brought by w. H. Chrisman against
Senator Isaac Barth, which were to
have been held Saturday afternoon
before the senate committee on privi-
leges and elections were postponed
until Monday on account of the week.
end adjournment of the legislature
They are to be open to the public, and
it is expected that quite crowd will
be attracted to the senate chamber
TO hear tn eevidence that will be in
trodrced.
Evidence of any excitement over
the Chrisman- Barth contest is entirely
lacking. 1t is believed that the demo-
Gratis will stand by their leader, and
ghere is rumor that the Rernalillo
Spanish republican vote to
keep him in his seat. So far nothing
has been said about a republican eau
Gus on the contest, but If the prece-
dent in the case of Abelino Romero Is
followed. republicans, regardless of
racial or national predictions, will
be tied up TO vote as the caucus may
decide.
Talk still persists that Senator
Barth's seat may simply be declared
vacant without filling the vacancy by
saeting Mr.. Chrisman. The average
republican senator doesn't enthuse to
any extent over Mr.. Chrisman, and
evidences are not lacking that the ma
Jority members in the upper chamber
are in the frame of mind of the
darky who, when brought into court
anu aSkeu 10 piedu 10 tne HuicthSn.
against him, declined to plead at all
and expressed u willingness to 'let 1t
go at dat"
Those who have observed New
Mexico legislatures since statehood, |
and who drop into the senate cham
ber now, invariably remark the strik-
ing transformation that has come
over Senator Barth. He has changed
,l.~x s.k 49, q tor
and II. o. Bursum, in whom the milk
Of human kindness seems to have
been curdled as by some unhealthy
acid, and who wear the look OF
chronic dyspeptics.