The Biography of Casimiro Barela

Part IV

 Part IV The Senators Are Invited to the Theater Senator Barela arranged for a special show at the Orpheum Theater in Denver on March 27, 1907. He sent invitations to each member of the assembly and their spouses so that they could attend the event. Lieutenant Governor Harper, upon closing the morning session that day,announced that he hoped that each member and his spouse would be present at the Orpheum Theater to see the show that Senator Barela of the Fourth District was giving in their honor. He announced that there would not be an afternoon session. The theater performance was one of the better ones. All of Senator Barela’s colleagues were present and were quite satisfied with the gift that the senator had made to them at the conclusion. The ladies expressed their satisfaction in eloquent and sincere words for Senator Barela. Columbus Day Celebration October 12, 1907, Columbus Day, was celebrated in various parts of the State of Colorado. Senator Barela was invited to speak at the celebration in Pueblo where he was cheered enthusiastically. Dawn broke on Columbus Day and a gentle sun rose up on the horizon, spreading its warmth, delightfully tempering an autumn wind. It was neither too cold nor too hot, rather the day was  Part IV 173 balanced in a way fitting the day on which the American continent was discovered by the great and illustrious mariner, Christopher Columbus. As stipulated in a proclamation by Mayor Taylor, businesses were closed and the employees were given a holiday, which was greatly appreciated, particularly by the Italians and the Hispanos. Columbus Day was observed in Trinidad, Colorado, as in no other part of the state. There were several musical bands, a great parade of floats, an elegant speech by Lieutenant Governor Harper who attended at the invitation of Senator Barela, the originator of Columbus Day in Colorado. Barela also made a speech. A large number of organizations made up the parade, which included city and county officials on wagons,the lieutenant governor and Senator Barela, and other wagons, which carried prominent persons and members of the press. The day’s speeches were made at West Theater and were followed by a banquet to honor the guests. The 1908 Political Campaign When delegates to the Republican Convention of Las Animas County met in the county courthouse in September 1908, Mr. S. W. Debusk got up and in an elegant and very appropriate speech named the Honorable Casimiro Barela to be the candidate for the senate from the Fourth District, which he had represented with verve and honor. The nomination was accepted unanimously. Senator Barela gave his thanks for the honor he was bestowed and offered to do his part to do the best he could in the interest of Las Animas County in particular, and for the State of Colorado in general. At the Democratic convention, Dr. Ben B. Beshoar, the son of the deceased Dr. Beshoar who had run against Senator Barela four years before, was nominated for the same office. Upon accepting the nomination, Dr. Ben B. Beshoar spoke in unflattering terms of Senator Barela. He claimed Senator Barela had gotten his post four years before by means of fraud. He said he accepted the challenge to defeat Senator Barela. The candidates from both parties visited the various precincts and localities to campaign for the election and finally the voting day arrived. The election of November 3, 1908 was a quiet one. There were no disturbances and the people seemed content.The voting commission met to count the votes and after some days of counting reported the results of the election. Senator Barela received 5,442 votes of the 9,925 votes that were cast and Dr. Beshoar received 4,483 votes.Senator Barela had a margin of 959 votes.The State Voting Commission met to do a count of the votes and confirmed the report of the county commission and the secretary of state dispatched an election certificate to the Honorable Senator Barela. 174 | THE BIOGRAPHY OF CASIMIRO BARELA Rumors of a Contested Election Just after the election and even before the official tabulations of the vote, it was already rumored that Dr.Beshoar was not in agreement (how could he be?)1 with the results of the election,and that despite the fact that Senator Barela had nearly a one-thousand-vote majority, Dr. Beshoar would file an...