Los Angeles herald., 1891-12-04
THE MOST ROTTEN APPOINTMENT EVER
MADE.

Dan Burns has exacted from Mark
ham his reward for making him gov
ernor Of this state. The chief magistrate
has astounded and outraged every hon
est citizen of California, without regard
to his political bias, by nominating that
shady and malefic party boss and de-
faulter to the vacancy in the San Fran
cisco board of police commissioners
caused by the death of Maj. Richard 2.
Hammond. If Governor Markham had
searched the whole state over he could
not have found man whose character
and antecedents more completely unfit
ted him for the nomination.
No amount of veneering or influential
endorsement will wipe out the fact that
when Burns was secretary of state, he
and his deputy, of savory memory, Tom
Reynolds, stole outright thousands of
dollars that had been paid into the
office. The fact that when tried for his
crime, he juggled justice out of verdict
OF guilty, is Banquo's ghost that will
not down. When Burns's trial
was on, he satisfied complaisant jury
that Reynolds was the thief; and when
Reynolds was tried, he showed another
jury that Burns was the thief. By this
kind OF thimblerig, and perhaps other
influences that the political bosses know
so we'll how to use, the door of the peni-
tentiary that yawned for Burns to enter
was shut against him. He is said to
have made, since then, great fortune
in a Mexican mine, and bloomed out
suddenly in this state at the last general
election as the recognized manipulating
chief of the Republican party. His
chef-deuvre was in securing the nomi-
nation of Markham for governor. After
the delegations at this end of the state
had agreed to sacrifice every other can
didate for state Office to the nomination
of Markham. Burns had clear sailing.
The delegations placed their 10S votes at
his disposal to trade off with northern
candidates for state offices for votes for
Markham, and Morrow and his COM
petitors were incontinently scooped.
That work like this ought to be paid for,
every scurvy politician will be willing to
admit. In the bright lexicon of the
political boss there is 10 such phrase as
disinterested service. But surely Mark
ham might have paid him in something
else than position in which he can
subordinate the whole police force of
San Francisco to his political ambitions
and his corrupt purposes. The people
are confronted with very grave posture
of affairs in that city. The fire depart
ihent is run as rowdy political ma
chine, and now the first step has been
taken to make the police department
similar, but more colossal machine.
Does Dan Burns's appointment indicate
a deliberately planned policy of the
leaders OF the Republican party in this
state?
A curious sidelight is thrown upon
this extraordinary appointment by the
announcement that the governor. his
private secretary and other spirits of
like character. under the able direction
of Dan Burns, have formed syndicate
to make deal in the San Vicente and
Candelaria mine in Mexico, for which
point Burns, Higgins and quite party
have started. They intend to purchase
this property for 50 ,00O, 900 and sell it to
the Mackays, Floods and Fairs for
a great deal more. This is doubt
less the Burns property from
which he is said to have suddenly been
transformed from branded fugitive to
Monte Cristo. The dispatch announc-
ing this combination to pay $2,000,000
for the mine appears simultaneously
with the announcement OF Burns's ap-
pointment to the police commissioner va
cancy. 1t would not be violent con-
lecture to presume that there is some
underground connection between the
purchase OF the Burns mine and this ap-
pointment. What that underground
connection is may be inferred from the
published statement that the governor,
his private secretary and others are to
pay 100000 for it. Our friend Hig-
gins would have no difficulty in putting
up his share, but with the governor,
whose fortune is invested in furniture,
it is different.