The San Francisco call., 1899-01-03
COL. DAN BURNS CONFESSES HIS
CANDIDACY.

n LAST Dan Burns has declared himself can
[ didate for the United States Senate. He issued
the proclamation yesterday. II designed to
create wave OF enthusiasm, it failed abjectly. If
meant to surprise fell equally short of its purpose
That Burns had long been candidate was known to
the people OF this State 1t had been known far
back as when Burns, having secured the confidence
of Editor de Young, was engaged in gliding brick
for presentation to that gentleman.
The only doubt from the difficulty of compre-
hending how man of repute so unsavory, with so
heightened record of trusts betrayed, of friendships
sordidy abused could have the measureless erontery
to assume an attitude which would certainly lay bare
to the world his personal history Instead of seeking
official honors, such man, unless within him lay
dead all sense OF decency would rather court oblivion
and pray to be forgot
When suspicion of his real intent became certain
ty, journals including the Call felt that ex
posure of the Burns character duty, and while
the facts presented not new, some of them had
grown dim in the general recollection. For the ne
cessity OF refreshing the memory of the people Burns
simply for him to be ridiculous, yet he poses a
martyr and fancies that halo bedecks him. Burns
asserts that his good has been taken from him.
He errs in that he had no good name of which to be
deprived Years ago he deliberately threw it to the
winds OF scandal Now he aments that it is gone, and
for his own fault blames those whose only relation to
the matter has been to tell the truth He begs for
sympathy. His soul pines for vndication, and this
he fances can be secured only by election to the
United States Senate He wants California to send
him to Washington to throw over his past, for which
he has never expressed contrton the mantle of char
ty, and to give him credentials trusted agent in
one of the high places OF the nation There could not
well be presumption more impuGent and monstrous.
1t is an insult to the commonwealth.
California cannot afford to choose as Senator a
man who is still indebted to it in the sum of $3I 900
for money stolen from it while he Secretary Of
State With all his millions Burns has never offered
to make restitution. If he has experienced the emo
ton OF regret he has refrained from expressing it. IT,
since that wanton misdeed he has acquired new set
Of principles they have not been made manifest by
any change OF conduct He carried into private life
the same code OF morality which had shadowed his
public career with disgrace And now this man asks
that vindication be given him, and given in such
manner that the State, which has suffered through
WITH prrs4ity THIS
would be than forgiveness, it would be folly
1t would be the extending of reward to the trans
eressor who had escaped punishment, condoning an
offense for which the offender had not requested for
giveness.
California wants Senator who can represent its
best interests and its manhood. 1t does not want a
person of the Burns stripe There is upon it no ob
cation to "vndicate' any rogue and vindication
which involves the bestowa of honors which worthy
would be glad to receive would carry too far the
spirit OF turning the other cheek The most that
Burns could reasonably expect would be to be undis
urbed as he goes about his ordinary vocations, and
his qualities unheralded. II he projects himself into
fierce light is not logical that he should shy at the
misshapen silhouettes it casts.