El Nuevo mexicano., 1919-02-13

State 4Senator Isaac Barth, Of the
BernaIliio sandoval and San Juan
shoestring district, the wit Of the
state senate and one Of the veteran
members of that body, having served
some six terms since he first defeat
ed George A. kaseman of BernaltIo
county; one of the largest state
senators in. the United States, who
has supplied the august New Mexico
body with unlimited sunshine for
many years, was unseated by the Re-
publican majority yesterday, the vote
being thirteen to nine. Gloom now
feiens in the state sehate-even
among the Republicans. Getting rid
Of Barth was painful to everyone
but Barth. The action formally seats
H. ChriSman, Republican con-
testant for the seat.
'Sic Transit Glorin Mundi!n
As the senator himself s%ardonically
put it, he would not in any other leg
islature have dared to close a swan
song of retirement, wi ct armis,' in
any other legislative body on earth,
hut then as it happened it was Ike
laugh-maker for legislatures
and politicians, who was being elected
and it was Ike who was making the
speech and the eternal gratitude OF.
every senator, every member of the
which adjourned to see him go,
and every member Of the galleries who
packed the senate hall to suffocation,
VIII go out to the chief actor on the
stage who played his part rather bet
ter than even high anticipations had
forecast.
To write the passing Of Barth, linked
with John s. Clark, the majority lead
CT, as the father of the senate, for the
that apparently and from all
the evidence he didn'f really have
votes enough in 1915 to entitle him
to stay, is not easy because everybody
likes Barth and the cold truth is that
Of the 10 senators who voted to GUST
him In favor of w. Fl. Chrtsman, the
republican, exactly one mor than a
dozen would have preferred to have
him remain.
Moreover, the ousting itself took the
form of no dry.as-dust proceedings.
There was a little endeavor by Dun.
lazy to argue the law and evidence,
and Senobio Salazar rather ineptly
essayed to reply; and Smith found ex-
suse to recfte his own experiences, go,
ing back four years to the time when
he, Smith, was summarily elected from
the house and wasn't even allowed
to say good bye" Smith really got
worked up over Barth and started a.
boom for the ample Bernalillan for
governor in 1920 which got some hand
oIapping over the house. Smith was
sore; but he couldn't get a rise out
5f the stolid G. O. P.
Senator Smith Lea of Chaves sort
81 gummed things up in the few min
utes he was on his feet after there
had been much to do about republican
throwing out Of democrats when he
admitted voluntarily that in the past
both parties had been guilty Of It
Senator Bryant and Senator Mersfeld-
sr both spoke briefly and down the
line they went again on both the mo
tons on the report. Barth, when
called, said he believed the constitu-
lion and the proprieties forbade his
voting and all that he. could answer
10 the roll cali would be Farewell
and he grinned ~cheerfully as he said
Il. ii was, Of course a straight party
vote.
And having thus gotten rid Of the
statistics and the minor actors in the
cast tits a pleasure to return to Isaac.
He was in good form and anybody who.
every heard him speak knows how to
appraise his speech. It was unexpect
I'd in that it was not the close Of the
debate but its opening and it was q
cruel thing to do, for 1t made the rest
the proceedings u~hspeakably dreary
Barth's speech was manifestly not
the senate nor to that audience He
speaking to the state At large and
especially to the democratic party