Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-02-10
House of Representatives
Takes Unusual Course to
Get Bill to Governor de BaCa
for Executive Action
ACRIMONIOUS DEBATE
FOLLOWS PATENT RUSE
Messenger to Sanitarium Is
Informed Written Consent of
Personal Attorney Must Be
Had; Row EnSueS.
(By II. l.. ID. McAllister. Staff Corre-
spondent.)

Santa Fe, Feb. 9.-What appears on
the surface to have been a clumsy and
abortive effort on the part of some
person or persons, not definitely dis
closed to put Elmer E. Veeder, legal
advisor to the governor, ''in the hole,
led to the most acrimonious debate on
the floor of the house this morning
that has been heard during the pres
ent session. At the conclusion Of this
debate all hands gave a correct imi-
tation of people who had picked up
something too hot to handle and were
glad to let it go.
AT GAS o'clock this morning, fifteen
minutes before the time for the con-
vening of the house, one of the Wom-
en-. stenographers of that body called
at st. Vincent's sanatorium, where
Governor de Baca has been under the
care of a physician ever since his re-
turn to New Mexico, and asked to see
the chief executive. She was inform
ed by the sister of charity in charge
Of the office of the sanatorium at the
time that she could not see the gov
ernor without written permission from
MI Veeder.
Reports TO House.
It developed that the young lady
had in her possession house bill 145,
which had passed both houses of the
legislature, and that her mission was
to present it to the governor in person
as a messenger from the house for his
signature or veto. Upon being re-
fused an audience with Governor de
Baca she returned to the capitol and
reported what had taken place to
Chief Clerk Bias Sanchez, who III turn
reported to Speaker Llewellyn.
No effort had been made to com
municate with DR., j. A. Massie, Gov
ernor de Baca's physician, with "a
view to asceItaining whether he could
receive visitors at that hour. No step
of any sort had been taken to find
out whether it would suit the con-
venience of the governor, who was
known to be ill, to attend to official
business at the time.
Previous Custom.
For years it has been the invarable
custom to present bills ready for the
governors signature to his secretary,
who gives a receipt to the messenger
and presents the papers to the chief
executive in due course of official
business. This practice has been pur"
sued by the senate up to the present
time with eminently satisfactory re-
suits. Official papers intended for the
governor have invariably reached him
and have been acted upon by him
with all reasonable promptness.
1t was explained that this was the
first bill to be presented by the pres
ent house to Governor de Baca. Per-
haps the house was ignorant of ordi-
nary official usage. 1t was not claim
ed by anyone that the bill. a purely
local measure authorizing the town
of Alamogordo to issue bonds for the
purchase of an electric light plant,
was of such extreme Importance as to
render necessary any unusual steps
to insure its reaching the governor in
its original shape,
House Breaks Loose.
Whether house leaders were ex-
pecting just what happened and were
"all set for it" cannot be stated posi-
lively 1t looked somewhat that way.
The unsuccessful attempt of the wom-
an messenger to see the governor
was made at 9:45 o'clock. At 10
o'clock the house met and without de-
lay proceeded to break loose" re-
Garding the incident
Speaker Llewellyn announced that
a messenger from the house had been
refused permission to see the gov
ernor. Mr.. Barnes of Bernalillo, re-
publican floor leader, amended the
speakers announcement by adding
that the messenger had been told that
no one could see the governor without
a card from Mr.. Veeder, and remark
ed with cool sarcasm that lit now
behooves the house to make its peace
with Mr.. Veeder." Speaker Llewellyn
took up the lead of Mr.. Barnes, ex-
pressed deep sympathy with the gov
ernor, but added with some heat that
this house will not take orders from
Mr.. Veeder." At no point in the dis
cussion was it shown that Mr.. Veeder
had intended to give orders to any
body.
York Takes Lead.
In the absence Of Mr.. Pardue, VINO
was in attendance on senate COM
mittee meeting, Mr.. York of Otero
took up the cudgel on the other side
of the talking match, for up to this
time no motion of any sort had been
made, Mr.. York asked If any COM
munication from the house to the gov
ernor through the ordinary official
channels of the executive office had
ever failed to receive prompt consid-
Grafton, and was informed by Speaker
Llewellyn that so far as the latter
knew there had been no such in
stance.
Mr.. York thereupon declared that
the republicans were trying to play
politics and that there was no occa-
sion for any of the Indignation that
had been shown by the speaker and
Mr.. Barnes. Speaker Llewellyn had
stated that committee from the
house had visited the governor some.
time ago and bad been assured by
him that he would be glad to see
members of the house on official bus
mess at any time. Mr.. York referred