El Nuevo mexicano., 1917-03-01
GOVERNOR
OLD GUARD JOKE
WITH BAREBACK,
SAYS n. X TIMES
Lindsey Nominated As a
Bit Of Humor, Says a
New Mexican !.
PROGRESSIVE OF
RADICAL TYPE
New York Timasl

New York Times)
A situation analogous only to tina
in which Mark Hanna Republican
found themselves when the assassi
nation Of President Mckinley move,
Theodore Roosevelt into the Whit
House has been created In New Mex
leo, according to a prominent polite
ian of that state now in this city, b.
the death last Sunday in Santa Fe o
Governor =. C. de Baca. GovernoI
De Baca was a Democrat and his pos
has been filled by w. E. Lindsey, thu
lieutenant governor elected on the Re
publican ticket.
But Lindsey is not a Republican
and the Joke is not on the Democrats
Of New Mexico. It is on the Ole
Guard Republicans, for Lindsey is 8
Progressive of the most advanced
type, who, according to "The Times
informant, outprogresses Roosevelt
Perkins, Johnson, Pinchot and the
rest. Barring mortal i~llness-and
Lindsey is only As years old and in
robust health-the Progressive COVER
0 will direct the d~estinies of New
Mexico for the next five years, and
If in that time the rest of the United
States Sees the state committed to
the initiative, referendum, and the re.
call and other principles which the
most Progressive of P~rogressives EN-
brace, then the rest Of the United
States need not be surprised.
1t was a joke that started Lindsey
toward the Executive Mansion, ac-
cording to this man, a joke which his
arrival there has turned completely
back on its perpetrators. These were
the Old Guard Republicans, the men
who had controlled New Mexico, ex-
plotted its resources, consorted with
tax dodgers and seekers of special
priyilege-all this according to a for
mer leader Of the Republican party
there-until they had grown rich and
powerful themselves TO keep this
control and to hold their own posses
sions the Republicans, at the State
Convention last August "a. nominated
H. O. Bursum for governor.
Bursum, according to "The Times"
informant, is the boss of New Mexico,
and, having nominated him, the Re-
publicans did not care who might be
named as his lieutenant, nor, appar-
emily, did any one else; four men
declined the honor, and neal the end
Of the convention Charles Spiess, Re-
publican National Committeeman, and
attorney for New Mexico's coal inter
ests, saw Lindsey inothe back of the
hall. Lindsey had attended the con-
vention under protest and had taken
little interest in it that he had not
seated himself with his delegation,
but was standing at the real of the
hall, talking to some women of the
w. G. T. U. He had been a member
Of the Constitutional Convention, and
1t that time had declared himself as
forever with the Republican
party in New Mexico. To nominate
lin for lieutenant governor when his
pack was turned appealed to all the
Did Guard Republicans in the conven-
ion as too good a joke to miss. The
irst thing Lindsey knew he had been
put before the convention and unani-
nominated.
To have declined the nomination
would, Lindsey felt, have put him in
/ false position with the men for
whom he had acted when he had
consented, although reluctantly, to be
delegate to the convention, and so
lie accepted. The machine neglected
lin throughout the campaign, center
ng its efforts on the election of Bur-
Ium and there was profound aston
shment, accordingly, when results
ihowed not only that Bursum had been
lefeated by his Democratic opponent,
tut that Lindsey had been carried
through to victory, although his cleo
ion entailed the defeat of ex-Govern-
II William G. Mcdonald, New Next
'o's first chief executive, who ran on
he Democratic ticket for lieutenant
Governor In association with De Baca,
Who, the term before, had been Me-
)onald's lieutenant governor.
De Baca was i'll when he vas elect.
d, but the possibilities Of their little
oke did not appear to the machine
republicans until the governors i'll
less became such that his death BEL
IN to be feared. Then a move was
tarted to have a vacancy in the Of
ice declared because OF this illness
which prevented De Baca from full
Hing all the duties of his Office
nything to prevent a succession by
lindsey. The effort failed and Lind
ey is now governor of New Mexico.
Lindsey will make q good COVER
orr said "The Times informant yes
"if only he will abandon one
r two of his Progressive ideas. For
nstance, he believes In a statewide
primary system. We have no
rimary system now. We Republicans
I the non.machine type recognize the
eed for some primary law, but we
re not ready to go as far as Lindsey
rould.
A Strong Endorsement
w. III. Holmes OF the DEBORAH, Ia.