▁Tol osa . ▁He ▁defeated ▁the ▁conserv ative ▁candidate ▁and ▁formed ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁ 9 - member ▁Ja im ist ▁minor ity ▁in ▁the ▁Cort es . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁he ▁stood ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁district ▁and ▁was ▁re - elect ed . ▁Active ▁def ending ▁the ▁Church , ▁religion ▁and ▁Trad itional ism , ▁he ▁distinguished ▁himself ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁notable ▁Car list ▁or ators , ▁though ▁by ▁some ▁he ▁is ▁described ▁as ▁having ▁a ▁pen chant ▁for ▁pur ple ▁r het or ic . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁M ell ista ▁crisis ▁Bil ba o ▁remained ▁loyal ▁to ▁success ive ▁claim ant ▁Don ▁Ja ime ▁and ▁worked ▁closely ▁with ▁him , ▁editing ▁some ▁of ▁his ▁pro clam ations ▁and ▁documents . ▁As ▁the ▁se cess ion ▁dec im ated ▁the ▁Ja im ist ▁ranks , ▁Bil ba o ▁became ▁the ▁local ▁B isc ay ▁j efe ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 9 ▁he ▁was ▁field ed ▁as ▁provincial ▁Ja im ist ▁candidate ▁to ▁the ▁Senate . ▁Elect ed , ▁he ▁remained ▁active ▁working ▁on ▁synd ical ▁laws ▁and ▁autonom ous ▁status ▁of ▁the ▁univers ities . ▁It ▁is ▁not ▁clear ▁why ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 0 ▁he ▁abandoned ▁his ▁sen atorial ▁status ▁and ▁decided ▁to ▁run ▁for ▁the ▁Cort es ▁again ; ▁this ▁time ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁Navar re ▁and ▁was ▁elected ▁from ▁another ▁Car list ▁strong hold , ▁the ▁Est ella ▁district . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 3 , ▁during ▁the ▁last