The San Francisco call., 1898-12-23

While Colonel Dan Burns is a candidate for seat in the United States Senate, he has not yet pointed with pride" to his record, either as a public officer or private individual.
 Records, if they are an official relation of good deeds, are convenient thing to bring forward in support of an individ- uaIs claim to be the recipient of trust and honor; but if, as in the case of Col onel Burns, the records happen to be history of criminal acts, it is best to blot out the past and attempt to secure the favor of legislators by the judlcious use of railroad passes and corrupt political influences.
 For instance, it would be embarrassing to Colonel Burns to bring forward the records of Yolo County, which show that he was arrested for embedding the funds of that county while serving it in the capacity of County Clerk; also, that he was arrested on a charge of embedding $500 belonging to citizen of that county. Then, again, Colonel Burns would be somewhat embarrassed if the records of Sacramento County were spread out for the consideration of legislators, because these records show that the Grand Jury of that county once upon time returned twelve indictments against him for em- bezzling various sums of money belong ing to the State of California.
 
 Colonel Burns name figures most con- spicuously. For instance, the records of this State now on file in the public ar chives at Sacramento. These records show that Colonel Burns was publicly charged by the State Controller, after careful investigation, with having miSap propriated something more than S3O 900 of the States funds while holding the office of Secretary of State, and that the Con- troller recommended that Burns be ar rested and made to wear felon's stripes as punishment for his unlawful acts. These records also show that the $30,000 stolen falls on the shoulders of the tax payers of the State for the reason that the money has never been recovered.
 If one were to go further afield he would find in the office of the Secretary of State at Washington, D. C., record of Colonel Burns arrest, conviction and imprison- ment in Mexico for fraud. In Mexico the patient investigator would find the rec ords of four courts of justice and the records of the government bulging with official details of Burns arrest, trial, conviction and imprisonment on charges of fraud, as well as a complete history of his alleged fraudulent acquisition of the title to mining property valued at S20 O00 900, to say nothing of the charge of using vast sums of money in bribing pub lie officials.
 There is a lurking suspicion in the minds of the poor but honest citizens of this commonwealth that the existence of the through this and other countries may ac- count for Colonel Burns failure to point with pride to his past record.
 For the benefit of those who have not the time nor the opportunity to search the records of Senatorial candidates there Is appended herewith copy of one of the +-elve indictments on file in the office of the County Clerk of Sacramento Coun- ty. In perusing it 1t may be we'll to bear in mind that Grand Juries return indict- ments only after a presentation of evil dence sufficiently strong to satisfactorily determine the guilt of the person accused. From the record:
 State of California, County of Sacramento The People of the In the Superior Court
 of the County of Sac State of California ramento, the 26th day
 ] of November, A. D.
 against eighteen hundred and
 eighty-four.
 D. NJ. BURNS.
 D. M Burns is accused by the Grand Jury of the County of Sacramento, by this indict- ment, of the crime of embezzlement committed as follows:
 The said D. M. Burns on the ........ day of December A. D. 1881 at the said County of Sacramento in the said State of California and before the finding of this indictment then and there being officer of the State of Cali fornia charged with the receipt safe keeping and transfer of public moneys, to wit then and there being the duly elected qualified and act ing Secretary of State of the State of Cali fornia, and such officer charged with the receipt safe keeping and transfer and payment into the State Treasury of the State of Cali fornia of the fees and moneys collectable in by