The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-03-11

which the machine was trying to
work through.
The machine leaders tried to trump
up a charge of this kind against Gov
ernor Hagerman at Washington,
where they represented that he put
through the Pennsylvania Develop
ment company deal, when they seem
to have credited h general govern
ment with the same lack of general
intelligence with which they now ap-
parently credit the people of New
Mexico, but the officials at Washing
ton. after examining the records in
the Pennsylvania company matter,
found that it had cen proposed, ac-
cepted, signed, closed and the money
paid over, before Governor Hagerman
had even received his appointment.
A part of the consideration had beer
given to h territory in the form of
a promissory note for ten thousand
dollars, aad the deeds, which had
beer executed and signed under Ha-
germans predecessor, were put up as
security for the note. When the note
came due a representative of the Pen
n~sylvania company presented himself
at the executive office. rendered the
ten thousand dollars in lawful money
and demanded the note, together with
the leeds which had been nypothe-
Gated for it's security, and the COVER
nor, acting upon the counsel of his
legal advisor, and the knowledge of
the national officials accepted the
money and released the securities.
This is all the foundation there is for
the charge which Messfs, Bursum,
Holt e Company, brought against
the governor with such a flourish of
sensationalism in the house a few
dave aon Tnn Sann aharUo rrnnn
the same foundation, was preferred
against the governor at Washington.
a shor time ago., when the men who
did it got themselves laughed at for
their pains. The trick having failed
in Washington, the machine leaders
undertook to try it on the people Of
New Mexico. but it has already failed
here, as fatty as it failed before the
federal government, and the action
of the machine which was intended
to be a whitening insult 20 the COVER
nor, has proved to be one of the high
est compliments that could have been
paid him, because it has served to
bring conspicuously before the PEG
pie of the territory the fact hat he
adheres rigidly to the line of his
duty, and also the additional and equ-
ally complimentary fact that he en-
joys in the highest degree the unwav-
ering confidence of the national admin
istration.
But to the main question regarding
the sale of these lands, and invesUi-
cation would be of benefit to the ter
ritory ven though the lands may
not be subject to recovery. That the
statutes were violated, thai the lands
were sold too cheaply, that they were
il fact sold for a song, upon the ap-
plication of w. H. Andrews and mis-
associates, there is no doubt; and
hat the territory in accepting the
note of the Pennsylvania Develop
ment company, was doing an unusual
thing, is equally true. But all the
details of this transaction were com
pleted before the present governor
into office. The territory stood
committed. Its rights were signed
away.
The effort to fix the responsibility
this deal upon Governor Hager-
man, and the fact that the Bursum
machine bases its whole nope Of dis
crediting him upon this one f1imsy
charge, merely erves to show how
clean a record it is in which the
aggregation has sought
so diligently to find a flaw.
But if it was a crime, as they allege
for the governor TO accept three dol
lars an acre, in payment for land that
had been sold before he came into Of
fee, how shall we characterize the
which Mr.. Holt tried to work,
N getting a like body of land at just
that price?-Albuquerque
Journal.