Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-08-06
COLLECTOR ERHARDT RESIGNS.
A Triumph for Platt--Erhardt Gives His
Reasons for Stepping Out--Platt De-
Inanded all the Patronage and Made
the Appointments.

A Triumph for Piatt--Erhardt Gives His
Reasons for Stepping Out--Platt De-
manded all the Patronage and Made
the Appointments.
New YORK, July 29.-"Save New
York is you can y was the purport OF
the challenge to-day thrown down be-
fore President Harrison by Joel B. En-
hardt, his collector of port in this city.
Erhardt, in other words, peremptorily
and vindictively resigned his great po-
litical office.
That this office has for years been re-
garded as the most influential appointive
one in the gift Of the government, out
side of the cabinet, is borne out by the
history of the political wrecks which
jealousy over its bestowal has caused.
The greatest contests in which Sena.
tor Roscoe Conkling was ever engaged
within his own party were waged almost
solely on account Of his inability to die
tate the control of this single office, and
his final resignation and retirement were
directly due TO what he deemed treach
cry in the removal Of the collectorship
from his control or influence.
HALFoRp DIDN'T KNOW 1T.
Without word of official warning or
conference, and so suddenly that even
Private Secretary l1alford at Cape May
with the President knew nothing about
| the breaking storm late this afternoon,
Erhardt's resignation reached President
Harrison,
The President must have surmised
| that there was trouble ahead in the col
lectorship, however. He was certainly
ready for it. Word came from the sea-
side White House just before midnight
that the President had not only re-
ceived and accepted Collector Erhardts
resignation to take effect ON August 1st
tSatllrday of this week., but had ap-
pointed State Senator j. Sloat Fassett
Of Elmira, N. v, to be collector after
that date.
ACCEPTS THE CHALLENGE.
"That means,' said prominent Re-
publican in this city when he heard the
interesting news from Cape May, "that
the President has accepted Collector
Erhardts challenge and proposes to
save New York fassctt is secretary
of the Republican national executive
committee, a young man of wealth and
ability not only, but politician who
has made Democratic Governor David
j.. Hill more trouble than any other
dozen men IN or out of the legislature OF
New York. He is Platt man, and
therefore presumably Elaine man; but
that he is It Harrison man first is evi-
dent. He helped Quay elect Harrison
and he hasn't resigned from the national
executive committee, now that Harrison
wants reelection, as Quay has. His
appointment means New York fol
Harrison if possible
ERuARDT TELLS WHY.
| Collector Erhardt has given out in re.
ply to the various questions put to him
Itouching his resignation of the collector
Fship the following statement:
81 have resigned because the collector
has been reduced to Il position where he
is no longer an Independent officer with
authority commensurate with his re-
sponsihilities.
81 have given bonds for 100000.
have received for the government dur
ing the 20 months last past 1929 ,601,-
1o5.40, and am all the time personally
responsible for enormous values in
money and in merchandise.
his OFFICE RUN OUTSIDE.
"My duties are necessarily performed
through about 1900 employees. l am
not willing to continue to be respon
sible for their conduct unless l can have
proper authority over them.
"rhe recent policy of the treasury
department has been to control the
details of the customs administration al
the port of New York from Washing
ton, at the dictation of a private indi
yidual having no official responsibility