Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1906-09-04

A@8
misrepresentation and dirty mud.
singing. there appeared On Sun lag
morning what purpoTfed To b. an ex.
pert report upon the management 81
the territorial ~penitenfiary. In Wa
evidently Intended Ia PM Hon. n. q.
Bursum. chairman 81 the republican
territorial central COMMITTEES. out Of
politics. The report was con.
oocted by m expert accountant, en-.
ployed by 4 Colorado SPRINGS expert
There II NJ space To no in,o d hiogra.
ply of this accountant. bnf suffice n 10
say that N the morning the repof.
was published. he was found dead
drunk In the plaza Il Santa Ne after n
night Of ~dehauchery. or course. thu
Colorado Springs expert III not 10
blame for his subexpert's moral obiI.
quities. but d shows what manner Of
man II II who questions the integrity
Of Hon. II. o. Bursum. whose honesty
mn banker or business man questions
even after reading the expert" re.
port
But the report In itself contains ia
own refutation. Il consists III q num-
her Of exhibits which with biased
comments entirely uncaiied for by m
expert. covers four nages Of newspa.
per sire Of closely printer matter, The
mere size Of the report In evidently
intended 10 strike terror Into the
hearts Of the taxpayer. ,:
Five of these exhibits, are n mere
enumeration OF accounts Justly ron.
tracted and approved In q year and
honestly paid when due. even though
the payment was made out Of current
funds. when according to statute they
shonid have been made out of funds
Of the previous year. A. such funds.
however. were o existent there ri
only M other alternative aud thar
raj 10 shut down the penitentIary I'M
I'll sufficient funds had accumulated
to pay current hills. One exhibit IN.
nmerates open accounts that are good
and colleetable. for among them ap.
pear such creditors as the United
States, the United States Indian
school, the Santa Fe railway company
and a score or Of solvent busi.
ness men. Another exhibit enumer.
ates what Il Is claimed are bad &C.
counts. such as can BIO found upon the
InT8aWm ~ auxy tN..atna.n YauK kprSkn~
exhibit shows small current accounts
paid In cash instead Of with vouchers.
They include bills for postage stamps
and stamped envelopes. which Uncle
Sam declares must be- paid for in
cash. every postmaster being prohib-
tied from accepting vouchers In pay.
ment of stamped paper. Another ex-
hibit shows that during v years
something like $50 were paid subor-
dinates by customers Of the peniten.
tiary and were not properly covered
into the territorial treasury. being
used. perhaps. In making small cash
payments. They can doubtless all be
accounted for properly whenever an
explanation In asked. II is notewor-
thy that Superintendent Bursum
was not asked or permitted to
have a representative during the ex.
animation Of the books. A last exhib.
II enumerates rebates given worthy
charities such as the Young Mems
Christian association In this city. tine
Sisters of loretto of Santa Fe. which
were furnished brick Mt cost the same
as territorial institutions. such as thu
capitol. the blind asylum, the deaf and
dumb asylum. az well AZ the city OF
Santa Fe for a high school building
and for laying crossings. The most
important exhibit Is one which shows
that In six years Mr.. Bursum increas.
cd the eonvicts' earnings from $500
a year 10 $50. 600 a year, a gain OF a
thousand per cent. II also shows tina,
he maintained the peaitentiars. bull!
the scenic highway, made permanent
improvements running into the thous'
ards Of dollars. contributed 10 the Ia.
Dor and material Cor the construction
Of public buildings. including all or
fic expenses. at d total cost Of only
ninety cents a day per convict and oil
this sum the convicts earned $3.50 q
year themselves. We believe no 9th
ar penai institution In the United
States ean SHOW as good a record
Even the earnings made under the
new management are upon orders Sc
cured by Mr.. Bursum to a large ex
tent. In fact. the penitentiary has
been placed upsa such a basis by Mr.
Bursum that In a few years, under
competent management, IL should pa.
Its own way entirely. Everyone &c
auainted with New Mexico public AT
fairs knows that when Mr.. Bursun
took hold, the peaiteatiary gas>a re
proach to the territory M a financial
wreck. II Is also remarkable that rnen