The Socorro chieftain. [volume] (Socorro, N.M.) 1902-1959, 1907-06-01

eSting letter was given publicity
in Thursday evenings issue of
the Albuquerque Citizen. The
letter needs no comment.
THE LITTER.
Washington. ID. c.. MAY l, 1907.
Dear Mr.. Hagerman:
Mr.. GriiIord Pinchot has pre-
sented TO me your telegram to
him in which you ask that il be
brought to my personal attention,
stating that hundreds of people
have sent kilograms to the
president protesting against my
accepting your resignation, and
stating furthermore that If my
action in requesting your resign
alton is not revoked it will be a
calamity to the territory, and
that If / will reconsider this
action you are positive will see
the injustice and unwisdom of it
from every point of view.
WROTE PLAINLY.
This renders it necessary for
me to write you very plainly.
You made, as | am informed, a
good secretary of legation at
the court of St. Petersburg. All
that | have heard of your private
life is to your credit. Further
more. / believe that you have
done certain excellent things
while you were governor; and of
course | will permit nothing
good that YOU have done to be
undone. But l must add that as
a whole | think YOU have been
an unsatisfactory governor and
that your removal from the
position is imperatively demand
ed. If it were not for my
knowledge of your previous
career and of your standing in
private life, and my consequent
reluctance to believe that your
motives were as improper as
certain of your acts would in
dicate, | should have removed
you instead of requesting your
resignation. | have not thought
it necessary to go into any
matters as to which there was
any chance of controversy, and
the department of justice has
been as anxious as / have been
to show you all consideration,
and to resolve every doubt in
your favor. Assistant Attorney
General Cooley in his report
purposely omitted, as he inform
ed me, the inference which he
believes ought legitimately to be
drawn from the facts that in the
land grant transactions, wherein
| believe your conduct was blame
worthy, you were actuated in
your improper and presumably
unlawful action by your desire to
secure the aid of certain demo-
cratic politicians in the factional
fight. ! decided that in this
matter / would give you the
benefit of the doubt, and so as
to your action in appointing six
members of the legislative coun-
Gil to lucrative positions, al
though there seemed to me no
moral doubt that this amounted
to the bartering of Offices by you
in return for Legislative support,
AS for the hundreds of persons
who have telegraphed me on
your account, | cannot say that
have seen all of the kilograms,
but | have seen great many ol
them. have received an even
larger number from persons IN
New Mexico who protested
against your retention in office
l have also received numerou:
statements to the effect thai
neither set of kilograms wa'
really spontaneous. There ha'
been no single instance in which
the appointment of Mr.. Curry a
: your successor has not received
.. hearty commendation.
FACTS SUFFICIENT.
found that it was no
necessary to consider anythinI
e save Assistant Attorney Gen
!! eral Cooley's letter, from tn
department of justice, which you
personal explanations, when be
/ fore me, in no way relieved, an
which make it impossible in m
judgement to retain you i
c Office unless ! am content I
Z. abandon the idea of .holdin
public officers in New Mexico, O
indeed elsewhere, to any prope