Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1906-02-21

| The figures ON Los Angeles ana
Denver are interesting because the
two cities have practically the same
population and yearly license. yet.
Denver has two saloons for Los An.
geles one. q state Of affairs which II
hard 10 explain.
The Sorrows Of . oevsrner.
Probably there Ii no one duty that
causes a governor more real care and
worry than that Of the pardoning
power.
The jury may convict. judge sen.
teuce and the sheriff prepare TO hans
but In the final analysis II Is on the
governors head that the entire at
fair res.s and upon whom al tho
pleas. petitions and arguments are
used.
never expect 10 see a sadder sight
than one In Governor Otero's office
at Santa Fe some years ago. when the
aged parents. a blind. Of the young
man sentenced to hang. together with
his wife and sIsteS grovelied ut the
governors feet with tears and piteous
appeals for his clemency for the man
who had disgraced them. and whosa
whole life had been n great griet
to them. Yet he was their son and
In the face Of the well deserved but
terrible sentence they forgot all else
but that he was the n who as a
baby they fondled and caressed
whose first lfsping words they hail
ed with delight.
Right then and there was cured
Of any lurking ambition to be a gov
| ernor or envy for his high position
In refusing to pardon the man Con
ley sentenced TO hang at Taos Gov
ernor Hagerman has done but hi
whole duty In a manly and courageous
way. II was his first test before thu
people and he came out Of the ordea
with credit.
On every side heard nothinf
but expressions Of satisfaction at hi,
course. There was q universal feel
Ing among all classes that Conle!
should hang. There was no question
Of his double guilt and he should pa!
the penalty.
The Insanity Dodge.
Az to his insanity II a man unde'
the shadow OF the gallows Is to es
cape his fate by feigning insanit,
hangings will be at an end. The In
sanity dodge has seen its day.
II wal worked overtime for to-
many years and today the genera
sentiment Is that the plea OF ~insanit!
is absolutely untenable and should no
be allowed to stand as a bar to pun
ishment..
II he Is a murderer p~roven-an,
also a maniac all the more reason
why he should be placed where hi,
insane Acts should never again b,
vented on some unfortunate fellow
being instead Of being kept at public
expense in an ASYLUM. where II he !.
cured he must under the law be taker
out at once and hanged at last.
The man COnley was sane enough
when he murdered the two men, wa,
sane enough when he received hi,
trial and sentence hence his condi
tion at present IL bound to be eitheI
a pure sham or else due to the terror
inspired by his approaching doom.
That Governor Hagerman will dt
what Ii right. Just and humane, nc
matter how d~isagreeable and painful
the duty may be. no one for d mo
ment doubts.
But--I'm glad ] don't have to face
the question.
The Gold Production.
This seems to be a good day for
figures SO here are q few on the out
put Of gold for 1906 taken from q re.
cent address by the Director Of the
mint. In 1880 the whole world pro
duced l1S millions Of gold. In 1905 It
was 37S millions while for 1905 1t IS
estimated at 400 millions. No wonder
William Jennings Bryan has taken
to the woods In the face Of such an
ever increasing stream Of yellow
metal. Australia seems to lead all
other countries in the output leaving
the United States away behind even
with the immense sums brought from
Alaska.