Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-04-19
WHERE THE BLAME LIES.

The Colfax county papers are en-
pressing a vast amount OF Indignation
because the sentence OF the wife muir.
derer. Jose Vigil. was committed TO
Imprisonment for life. One OF the
papers finds fault with the position
OF The Optic on the matter, charging
US with misrepresentation when we
place the responsibility upon the PEG.
pie Of Ration themselves.
We wish to repeat with emphasis
that there Is where the blame belongs.
There Is now In the Governors office
In Santa Flo a petition signed by Ration
citizens asking for the Communication
of the sentence. Not so long since
one Of the Ration papers took the citi.
zens severely TO task for their silly
sentiment on the subject OF hanging
and quoted some Of them as urging
that a hanging would have a bad
moral effect upon the community.
Then a committee. including a prom.
inent Ration attorney. went over to
Santa Fe and succeeded in securing
q short stay OF the proceedings. Not
a word Of opposition TO the laws TAX.
Ing Its curse was heard from Ration.
Tho committee went again. There
was NO secrecy In their movements.
Vt was well known IN Ration that they
had gone. They carried with them
a petition which had been presented
to the district attorney and to the
chief justice for signature. Both
however, declined. though there were
numerous signers.
Not n word Of opposition to the
communication OF the sentence was
heard from Ration. The district at.
torney. It Is true. declined to sign The
petition, but SO far as we know he Of
fered no opposition to the commute.
lion.
The committee that went IN vigil's
interest dwelt upon the testimony sub.
mitted at the trial, which %unrebutted,
appeared to give considerable %justifi-
cation to the murderer's act.
The official clothed with The PAR.
doning power, II he errs, Is inclined
to err on the side of mercy. The
testimony submitted, uncontradicted.
and by the passiveness of the district
attorney and the Ration people who
might have favored the carrying out
OF the sentence, allowed 20 "appearl
Trustworthy. made so favorable al
showing for Vigil that any man placed
In the governors position would haye'
acted In the same manner In com
mnting the sentence.
The Communication of the sentence
was unfortunate but the governor
upon the information which hei
had. The fault lies with the district
attorney at Ration and the people OF
who were familiar with the
that true information was no,
furnished. The disposition of Ration
papers and Ration people TO escape
the responsibility by placing 1t at the /,
door Of the governors office, IL not |
to lie commended. II the people of
were eager 10 have the Law en- |
forced, they should have made sure
thaLcorreot evidence In the case was
placed before the governor. Every
man with an ounce OF brains knew
that. when a reprieve was granted, :
The attorneys for the defense and those
Interested In the change of Vigil's
would devote their time toI /,
producing evidence In Vigii's favor. .
They left no tone unturned In order O
do 50. And this testimony for /,
'igil, and this pressure from the Vigil
'ide, this united appeal for mercy,
vas all the influence exerted, Ration {
emained apparently acquiescent. ex- b
ept for the u%tteranccs of one paper $
vhich took The people to task for their I
.entimentality In favor of a murder
In view of these facts the dis
of Ration now TO be indig
at the goyernordaof thatcshrdlu
merely as an effort |, o cover :
. It's own fault.
In