The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1916-10-20
A Statement by
HOLM 0. BURSUM
10 the People of New Mexico

Pu"O oWCNdlS anl lO pass Judgment based uDon tbeir rao,rds
! pGIeve II Is right that newspapers should inquire into the
illness, the equipment and the character Of men who are candi- :
oates Tor public office, and that they should publish the facts.
/ nave been averse to taking any action which might seem
" restrict IN any way the fullest freedom Of the newspapers Of I
ana 70 pass upon my fitness as a candidate. For this reason Z
nave maintained silence over a number of years during which
vciously untruthful and malciously lbelous attacks have been
maze aitt upon me by newspapers influenced and controlled by my :
The Morning Journal of Albuquerque, owned by D. G.. Grant
of 4 M ngees b Ia1 toan ana managed by D, A. MACPHERSON
ness o ood as ner rsSarus my MY pu9 M acts ana as to my private busi-
ten years ago and have been continued from time to time ever !
since. ! have never known and do not know now any reason for
hold toward me, have had neither personal nor business rda-
lions with them and have never wronged them. They have assailed
me r'IentIesSy, without truth. without honesty, without prin-
cple, without Justice.
Originally the Morning journal based its attacks upon me
on charges brought against me by political enemies to the effect
tht hd made wrongful use OF the funds OF the Territorial
and that had destroyed certain records of that institution.
paper which published their charges without substantiation or
inquiry dared to bring their allegations into any competent court,
to a citizen who has been wronged. sought trial in a court of
this state in a decree which found that all records kept at the
penitentiary during my wardenship were in evidence and intact,
and which decree gave me Judgment and an execution against
the Territory of New Mexico in the sum Of $~l,S3356, which sum
the court found to be due me in my final settlement WITH the
Territory.
as its candidate for governor of New Mexico in the first state
election. The Morning Journal revived its former hbelous publ
cations against me and re-pubished them continuously during
fnaI SThp paanab WIZ MI rs lI Lring tfom w nT OF the journgi to ac-
count by the only means open to a citizen so assailed-a proceeding
in the courts. refsed to do this because was averse TO taking
"muzle" a newspaper, or Of using the libel law of this state to
intmidate owners of newspapers opposed SEQ TO 9on my el is 10 uan
agement of the journal. believed, also, that the unreasonable
the matter, and the apparent malice with which they were pub,
lshed would be clear TO every unprecedented citizen. ! believed
then and believe now that the people of New Mexico ana not pc
mo r.ason IN change m opinion as to the general effect upon the
mUbIc mind Of the pubicstion Of these ISLANDERS. know from the
returns of 1911 and from personal conversation which my irienas
have had with thousands Of cur citizens and which | have had
with hundreds of others Of our people, that these charges We're.
not believed by the great mass OF the people, ! E Ml, or ~" ht II tIb"aff
it was due to a division among republicans in two normally re-
publican counties, which gave a vote against me suf'ce"' TO
"N'"i am convinced now that my friends who urged me to act
ana rh&l was mnohsr an "k kieyic re I know that my nv capndidacv
has the approval and cordial support of all republicans, as well.
mont for the nomination and of all his friends I am therefore
the representative not OF my personal interests and of a personal
candidacy for office, bat ! am the representative of a great poll
teal party, constituting in its membership, as | believe, a majority
The Morning journal has once more renewed its false and
hbeous attacks upon me. i has again charged that am a cor
ruptionist, that fa!siheC the accounts of the Territorial peni-
Tertiary and that destroyed the records of that institution.
The owner, the managing officer and the responsible editor
|ial employees of the Morning Journal know, beyond all possibility
T NJ ~ t% fonn5attHn T1a Tf"IrS s mT %t 6y ind
evidence, have been laid before them. There is no chance of
e any ground Of ignorance. D. G. Grant, the owner of the Journal
and d A Macpherson, rs nanager, and its responsible editorial
e employees know that the statements they have caused to be
printed in recent issues q The journal, and directed against me,
are false.
These men know that not a cent of the prison funds during
r. my wardenship remains uraccounted for in s~crupulous detail,
III These men know thar not only was there no shortage or mis-
N uppication of funds. bur that the Territory, in a srit for final
r accounting which ! caused TO be brought, was found to owe me
~$4,333.56, which sum was paid to me under an execution issued
with the Judgment given % open court and after a public hearing
" These men know thar no records of the prison kept during
" my wardenship have ever been burned or otherwise DESTROYED
y and that all such records were produced in court during the tna
a. of the case above referred 10 and that all such records are no"
safely kent and available Tor reference.
nj I have not made this statement to the people of New Mexico
ID .hofore because | have believed and now believe that you know the
I'd charges brought against ne by this newspaper to be false anc
vi made for political purposes. ! make this statement 10 you now sun
~ ply because | feel ii is due 10 the people whom | stand a s a eanal
date. to tell you frankly and fully about my attitude now ana Il
the mast before | proceed 10 punish this newspaper for the wront
- E- -..-.L- ---L.L ~ do mn ! shnlL NOW LAke the OmL