The Socorro chieftain., 1905-12-02
A SPIRITED ASSAULT
By the Albuquerque Journal Upon
the New Mexico School of
Mines at Sooorro.
INAUGURATED BY DOCTOR GORDON
In Revenge for His Having Been
Dropped From the Faculty of the
Institution.

The Albuquerque Journal has
contained in several of its issues
of this week a spirited assault
upon the New Mexico School of
Mines. This assault must be
considered to have been prompted
by one or the other of two mo-
tives, namely, either a reckless
and vicious disposition to injure
one of the leading educational in
stitutionS of the Territory out
side of Albuquerque, or by some
other motive based on an eyre
gious and hardly excusable ignor-
ance of the conditions that actu-
ally exist at the institution criti-
cized. The Chieftain has always
been glad to consider the Jour
nal as actuated by worthy motives
in its treatment of matters of
public interest and prefers even
yet to refer to that paper as acting
from such a motive rather than
from any other.
The Journals declaration of
hoStilities was in an article of a
column and a half in length from
the pen of DR.. c. II. Gordon.
But little need be said in reply to
that article. Its author was a
member of the faculty of the
School of Mines one year and
wished to remain longer in that
capacity. The board of trustees,
however, determined to dismiss
him, not because his services as
an instructor were not Satisfac-
tory, in fairness be it said, but
for other reasons quite sufficient.
Instead of accepting the situation
in the spirit in which most men
would have accepted it, Doctor
Gordon, ON his way out of the
territory, indulged in childish
abuse of an institution which
would doubtless have found in
him jealous champion if he had
been allowed to retain his connec-
tion Herewith. A small boy
sometimes takes a brave revenge
upon his opponent by making
faces" at him as he runs away.
AS to the accuracy and justnesS
of DR.. Gordon'S criticism of the
School of Mines, it need only be
said that he places the enrolment
of students from New Mexico at
less than one-Seventh of what it
actually is.
Yet this article and the talk Of
IA citizen of the territory" who,
judged by his hallucinations, is
more familiar with Albuquerque
saloons than with schools of
mines, are apparently the sources
of the misinformation upon which
the Journal bases its CRITICISM of
the New Mexico School of Mines.
AS to the weight that should be
given to the talk of this citizen
of the territory" the Journal is
at liberty to Judge for itself when
it is informed that more than one
citizen of the territory" has re-
marked within hearing of the
writer that the New Mexico Uni
versity at Albuquerque and the
Albuquerque annual fair which
the Duke City so persistently adj
vertises as among her attractions,
are among the most arrant hum
bugs that ever were attempted
even in that city of fraud and
home of the humbug," or words
to that effect. But the Chieftain
takes no stock in that sort OF
talk. Ii believes that Albuquer-
que is entitled to every bit of pro-
fit and glory her attractions and
her enterprise can legitimately
bring her, even from the presence
of her much abused territorial
university. The more of that
sort of profit and glory Albuquer-
que can achieve, the better the
Chieftain will be pleased, but the
spirit that seeks profit in the de-
famation of others is too vile tC
merit even contempt.
Turn on the light says the
Journal, and, in effect, ''let the
School of Mines be investigated.
Amen Turn on the light at the
School of Mines. Turn on tn,
light at the university at Albu
querque. Turn on the light a
every educational institution o
the territory and keep it turned
on. The stronger and the mor'
searching the light, the bettel
those responsible for conditions
! at the School of Mines will b'