Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-01-06
Political Dopester Has Only
Bush League Material to
Figure oni Few Seasoned
Legislators on Roll.
ISAAC BARTH TO MAKE
NOISE LIKE LEADER
May Not Be Allowed in Seat
Long Enough to Lead Any,
body Anywhere; ChfiSman
Is ConteSting.
(By r. L. ID. McAiIister, Staff Corre-
spondent.)

(By X Ia. ID. McAtliSter, starr COTre-
spondent.)
Santa Fe, Jan. 5.-Speculating on
prospective leaders in a legislature
which has not yet assembled is some
thing like figuring club percentages
and batting averages in the Hot Stove
league, with this important difference:
The baseball ran usually has some
thing in the way of past performances
Or which he can estimate probabili-
ties, whereas the political dopester
must Crepe in the dark The baseball
fan knows what the players have done
before and what they are likely to do
if they run true to form. In New
Mexico this year the political dopester
has only a lot of bush-league material
to figure on. Whether they will de-
velop class or prove to be spring
boomers is a matter that only the
future can decide. Al
There arc, to be sure, men of legisl
lative experience and proven ability
in both houses of the Legislature that
is to meet next Tuesday, but they are
not so numerous or of such outstand-
ing eminence as to render possible any
satisfactory prediction that this or
that man will take and hold the lead !
ership of his party during the session, I
For after all is said and done, leader
ship is a matter of inherent ability
rather than of caucus selection. When /
a legislator is chosen by his party as !
sociates as floor leader, only a small |
part of the work is done. 1t is then
up to him to lead.
House Puzzle.
The house Of representatives, being !
the more numerous branch of the leg !
islature, always presents more or less |
of a puzzle before it has organized |
and settled down to work, and often
after that-in fact there have been
occasions when the house was puzzle |
even after it had adjourned and its
members had gone home. The house |
this year bids fair to be more of an
enigma than usual-certainly it is a |
complete enigma at present. On paper I
it would seem that conditions are ripe
for one or two strong men to take
hold at the beginning and run the
body pretty much to suit Themselves.
The bulk of it's members are men
without former experience. There are
astonishingly few lawyers on its roll.
1t is going to need a strong man. Two
weeks from now we may know
whether it has one or not. At present
we are completely in the dark.
What seasoned legislative timber
there is in the house this year is for
the most part on the republican side.
A glance at the names of the demo-
cratic members leaves one completely
in the dark as to who may be expect
ed to take the lead of the minority i
members. If the unterrified have a
man of natural ability as a leader in
the popular branch of the legislature
he is yet to be developed
Senate Looks Conservative.
Just why it is that the senate is
usually more conservative body than
the house, unless because it's mem
bership is smaller, is hard to deter
mine. Senators are chosen in the
same manner as representatives, and
from the same general class of ma
terial. But it has been the experience,
not only in New Mexico but in other {
states as well, that the senate acts [
as check upon the radicallsm of the It
house. Is
If surface appearances count for. Ii
the senate of this legislature !
should be no exception to the general II
rule above stated On both sides of II
the chamber there are men of sound i
business judgment and wide expert 6
ence in the affairs of life-men whs
regardless of their lack of legislative {
service, can ordinarily be counted /
upon nOL 10 90 lIlb ltOltSli VI I
tical thing and to shape their course
with the best interests of the state in
view
Minority Leadership.
AS has already been pointed out in 2
these stories, there is every reason to h
believe that John S. Clark. of San Mi : i,
guel county, will be the real republi- r
can leader in the senate. He has eV- r
cry equipment for the part-exDeri- n
ence, sound judgment and the conf a
dence of his fellow senators. Who" "
ever may be given the title of floor a
leader by the republican caucus, Sen b
ltor Clark is reasonably sure to be the
actual leader of his party in the SEN i,
ate. g
The minority leadership in the sem n
ate is not so empty an honor as one q
might at first thought suppose. That u
It has opportunities is fairly we'll evi- e
1enced by the fact that the democrat I,
C leader in the last senate, w. B. Wal
.on, will in a few weeks take his seat a
rs the representative in congress from Ia
New Mexico. Issues are somehow i,
more sharply defined in the senate T
han in the house, and the man with II
he stuff in him has better opportun- r,
ties to show his line of goods. And in m
his senate there are number of men
who are not lacking in appreciation :,
If the opportunities presented for
and who will do what lies
n them to make the best of these OPP Il
,ortunities. rt
Barth to the Bat. Io1
There is, for instance. Senator ict
saac Barth, the best advertised man pl
n New Mexico. who freely admits m
hat he is personally indebted to the Il
newspapers many thousand dollars bt
or free space that has been given to re
lin. It's cinch that Mr.. Barth will HI