Los Angeles herald., 1890-10-20
MARKHAM'S LETTERS.
CHOICE EXCERPTS FROM THE COL
ONEL's BUSINESS EPISTLES
Language so Foul Paper That Printed
1t Would Be Liable For Obscenity.

the proverb, lis never as black as he's
painted" yet take it, if his Satanic
majesty should give us pen portrait OF
himself, over his own autograph (heaven
save the mark Dive would hardly criti-
else the old gentleman's grossness Of
execution.
Now some may object to my applying
this conclusion to the Honorable" H.
III. Markham. Markham's party lead
ers, however smooth gentlemen
of the political bucket and sponges-
have been parading him as such per-
feet model of the honorable Christian
gentleman" (honest, honest Iago y, and
he and they have SO assiduously and
Indignantly denied the "fou imputa-
tions" of the "blackmailing Democrats" !"
that leel constrained to point out more
fully for the sake of emphasis, some of
the peculiar phases of the Ore
Grande correspondence which is
now being ventilated. In this way, we
may get more perfect view of the pen
and ink sketch which the honorable
Colonel has unwittingly drawn of
himself.
The sketch is short one. 1t may be
gathered from few phrases-a few sem
tences at most. But l challenge the
most fertile conception and brilliant ex-
ecution to make it more lifelike, or to
paint it blacker!
A parenthetical word, just here, upon
the political lie and the political trick,
as do the political liar and the political
trickster. Both hold too prominent a
won't o,,r 1ottor1ov oo,nnoiupo. o1,6
both have made the public extremely
doubtful las we'll it may be) of whatever
is written or said in derrogation of a pol
itical aspirant. This is much to be de-
plored, and often makes the lash of
truth lose its sting. Nevertheless, when
a man, in his own handwriting, over his
own signature, deliberately and cold
bloodedly gives vent to ideas and clothes
his thoughts in words that show him to
be vulgar, lowminded, and, as far as in
him lies, Cheeky" manipulation of
shady schemes; and when such man
presumes to come before an honest, in
telligent, high-minded people, and ask
them for one of their highest Offices of
public trust-then l conceive it to be
the duty of every true citizen to un-
earth and publish from the housetops
the self-convicting evidence that his
rash hand has furnished.
This, therefore, is what 1 purpose.
The Statement on Motion for New
Trial' in the case OF Hallock ct al. VS..
Markham is before me. l throw aside
all the issues of that case. l even
waive the question of Chinese labor. 1
merely quote some of the ''colonel's"
choice language, culled from his own
letters, which stand upon the record of
that case-some openly, all tacitly ac-
knowledged by him-a silent refutation
OF his ill-considered denial of their pa
ternity. Alas who would ever have
suspected the suave, smiling, hand
shaking "colonelp-the 'honorable
Christian gentleman''-of such Ian
guage? l read it, and blush for him,
as all who read it must.
To fully understand and appreciate a
mans thoughts and expressions, one
must be familiar with the conditions
and circumstances under which they
were uttered. In this instance, Mark
ham was working" mining scheme.
One of ms partners-Hallock-to whom
most of the letters in question were ad-
dressed, is bluff, hearty man, an old
railroad conductor, somewhat given to
profanity. To curry favor with his
partner, Markham--whose nature, like
the chameleon's s skin, sinks it's individ-
uality and takes on the color of its sur
roundings-must needs pandeI to the
grosser side of Hallock's character, and
address him with the rude famil-
iarity Of 'hail fellow, we'll met !"
To place himself thoroughly en- rapport
with his "old pard"-he interlards his
letters withIprofanity. Nay, bungler that
he is, he overdoes his part-out Hal
locks Hallock-and stoops to the gross
est obscenity.
In the famous Chinese letter itself
which, by the way, will be found. on
page 104 of the aforementioned estate
ment"-he speaks of making something
''out of those dam mines;" is afraid
that Hallock would "cuss" this country
(Wisconsin) little, etc. ;; but as Hallock
possibly would not "cuss" the country,
Mr.. Markham does So himself, in letter
written few days later-'I have never
seen such God = awful weather in my
life." Statement" page 1867
One more example duty would impel
me to adduce, though my pen hesitates
to write it, and the reader would turn
from it with sense of it's sickening vul-
garity. But am advised, by able at
torneys, that it is SO grossly obscene
that paper would be prosecuted for
sending it through the mails. 1t occurs
in the following sentences of the letter
of August 25th, 1881: "What will our
- friends think now" Those
who wish to see Markham at his black
est, to see how low man will sink, will
find it on page 1O3 of the Statement" I"
Let US look at another phase of this
correspondence, that has not been suffi-
GENTLY emphasized. Turning back to
the "oid pard" Chinese letter, we find
the following:
''Can you drop letter to Ike James,
telling him that will bring the money
to pay him, and to get the amount, etc.
also release of the mortgage, or would
you try the plan of having some one buy
the mortgage. As we once talked of, l
feel that he has been so kind to us that
we want to do by him what's right.
Think it over, and do as you think best.
If thought he would sell the mortgage
for much off to some one else, we OF
course, would be glad of the discount,
and we might as we'll have it as any one
else. Should you think it best to try
it-perhaps it would be better to wait
till get there"
A queer tumble, certainly, struggle
between conscience and cupidity; with